Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-06-28
The Young Widow.

IF you please, ma'am. could I
speak to you ore minute !? said
Mrs. Locksley.
Theodore Dale started from the
deep reverie in which she was
buried, and looked up with large,
startled eyes.
Certainly, Mrs. Locksley, said
she. 'What is it 2
Its about the rent for these
rooms, Mrs. Dale said the laudla
dy, drawing herself up with lit
tie jerk. Two good months you've
occupied EN-, and it stands to
reason, ma'am as a hardworking
widow woman, as has only herself
to look to. wants to see the color of
her money. Not as | would a. hur
-ried you, ma am, with d half re-
Ienting glance towards Theodora's
deep mourning garments. while the
poor Major lay ill, nor yet while he
was being buried, but
Theodore looked panied.
The deep scarlet dyed her
cheeks.
I'm sorry to have inconvenien'
ced you, Mrs. L9cksley,' she said,
but I was of course obliged to set
tie tho undertaker's bill at once.
and that mas taken all the ready
money which I had at command.
| have written to my husbands
relatives however, and expect a re-
mittance veiy soon which,
Mrs. Locksley compressed her
lips.
I have heard that same thing
from my dodgers before, ma'am,'
she said.-'All | can say is that l
would very much like to have the
hill paid as soon as possible
1t shall be paid tonight, Mrs
Locksley, without fai ; said Theo-
dora, her cheeks becoming hotter
than before.
And the instant the door closed
upon the stout figure Of the land
lady she let her head fall upon her
clasped hands and burst into tears,
tears that were almost like distilled
fire, so scalding and bitter were
they.
Theodore Dale had been mar
ried only three months.
She had been a school girl of
only seventeen at Nine. Bon
merci's establishment, when Maj.
Lionel Dale saw and admired her.
He made some careless inquiries
about the young. beauty with the
gazelle eyes, scarlet lips, and black
hair that clustered s. low upon her
forehead, and learned, i'll an Incl
denial sort of a wav hat she was
on orphan, training at he expense
of Nine. Bpnmerci herself. for a
governess.
'liang it = said Maj. Dale. she
is too pretty for that. l viii mar,
ry her.
Little Theodore Mayder. who
had scarcely left off playing with
dolls, was heartily sick of Nine.
Bonmerci's exactions on one side,
and the unconcious tyranny of the
children on the o'her. when the
handsome, middle-aged Major
proposed matrimoDy to her.
But am so young she plead
ed, the carnations and lilies sue
ceeding each other upon her
cheeks.
'You are the prettiest little half
blown rose bud in the wolld,' the
Major answered gallantly.
Nine. Bonmerci spoke a word or
two of warning to her.
My child she said, beware that
you do. He is three times your
age-he CANDLES. 1t is true that
your life is now bard one, but
1 shall marry him, retorted
Theodore.
And she did.
At the end Of three months
Major Dale's favorite horse ran
away with him aud killed him, and
Theodore was widow.
Naturally enough, she wrote to
her husbands relatives, whom she
had never seen, and now upon this
October evening she was expecting
an answer to her letter.
The color mounted to her face
as the postman paused beneath her
window.
She caught the letter from his
hand and tore it eagerly open.
Itcontained nothing but her own
letter, returned to her, with these
words penciled across the envelope:
'Mr. Chandos Dale's compli-
ments to the young lady who be-
guiled his brother into secret
marriage and he is confident of the
opinion that her talents in the hus-
band hunting line needs no assist
ance.'
Aud this cutting taunt, this
gratuitous insult, was all.
/ Theodore sat pale and Silent.
i She knew that her husband did
not care to refer to his relatives
and generally avoided the subject
whenever she broached it, but she
bad never dreamed that he had al
lowed them to think her mere