Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-05-19
JAMES LONG DAY.

the tranquil autumn moon. The air wa
filled with a silver haze That floated like
curtain at the remoter limits of the plain
The pines and beeches Of the glen stood
mute, their voices hushed in heavy mois
ture. Far down the glen a jagged blur Of
light showed where the city slept, and
from either edge of this jagged blur OF
light the river stretched like silver bolt
with the city for golden clasp.
In the glen no sound stirred the silence
save when dew-drop fell from spray OF
bough and shuddered through the sleeping
leaves to the ground. The shadows of the
trees filled the place with unexplorable
darkness. Half way down the glen black
parapet, reaching from side to side, cut
the fleecy air.
A furlong further up than tie bridge,
and high above the shadow it cast, stood a
large white cottage fronting the moon
From the lower levels of the glen it look.
ed like cloud which had wandered from
the sky and floated down the glen until it
rested on the ledge.
The silence of the place at length was
broken, and footsteps approached by the
path along the dry bed of the torrent.
From the shadow of the pa1apet two fig.
cures emerged slowly. AS they drew neal
the cottage, they looked black against the
light; but where the arm Of the women
bent level with the moon through the arm
! OF the man, the sleeves showed a sparkle of
nh NJ, fo %Lo u
the man inclined so as almost to meet
hers. Now and then he raised her iaud
and touched it to her lips.
They advanced until. they were close to
the garden wall of the cottage. In the
pulseless stiffness of the hour their voices
tioated wide and seemed to clotlle the glen
with mystic life. The listening spirits Of
the verdurous arcades echoed their words
in fine; faint tones.
THE time won't be long coming round,
darling" He put his arm about hel and
brushed the hair back from her face.
ono, Luke
''And, Jane, when the day does come,
you won't be sorry, will you?"
He pressed her closer and drew her head
down upon his shoulder.
"Yo GU Won't be sorry, jane" he repeat
ed, ''when the day comes and 1 raise the
veil and kiss my wife?"
She did not speak, but long, tremulous
sigh foated into the night. He continued
to speak:
"And when you are my wife I will not
Only do all can to make you happy while
1 am with you, but work hard to assure
your future when | am gone; for, Jane, |
am ten years older than you, and men are
shorter lived than women, and 1 shall die
long before my darling"-
"Hush Stop. Luke! What do you
mean? Why do you talk of dying?"
s'There! | will not again.
''But, Luke-my Luke, you are strong
Why do you put such thoughts into my
head? 1t has always seemed to me as il
you could never die" She clung to him
and held him wildly, looking with distract
ed eyes into his face, as if she feared evi
approaching from behind those mute
watchful trees.
Don't be uneasy, Jane. Never fear
l shall live as long as ever. L can for you
Why, it seems to me as though 1 shall live
forever if am to have you. [ was foo
to talk as [ did. The moonlight made MI
melancholy-it always does. Sweetheal t
do you not feel my arms round you? Wha
harm could come while we are thus? Ant
as for the future''-
but you will go away now"
( "And in one short month you will COM
away with me.'
ooh, Luke!"
"What?"
81 dare not say it, and yet cannot keel
it to myself;
"Tell me. Trust me-"
GA month seems so long. I know i
cant be sooner-but a month. You vii
come tomorrow evening, won't your"
Eyes; and every evening""
II must go now. You will be here to
morrow evening, surely?"
Surely"
.'Good-night.'
"Good-night."
"To-morrow evening""
"To-morrow evening""
With a cry that was half a moan, sh'
ran swiftly to the cottage, and he strod
fiercely down, breasting the moonlight an
tearing his shadow into thousand fan
tastic shapes among the tangled weeds an
shrubs.
When she reached her room she knew sh
could not sleep. She drew back the cul
tain of her window and let in the moon
; light. The moon was setting. 1t wante
about an hour of midnight. The gle
was silent, and, save when the clocks G
the city struck, no sound reached her. Sh
could not dismiss his words. They mad