Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-10-05

put to you. If it is otherwise, will not
trouble you further"
Then he signed himself suitably, put the
folded and addressed note conspicuousiy on
the top of pile of newspapers and sheet
sheet music on the piano, and took his
leave, in strange whirl of excitement and
expectation.
Half an hour later Mrs. Baldwin came
in, and stopped as she passed the dining
room door to speak to the girl. !. b
"You carried all those papers and the
music up stairs. Annie, as told your"
ssThe very minute the gentleman went
away, Mrs. Baldwin, was Mr.. Amml-
don, and he came just as you went out"
ssOh, that's too bad that [ was not in !!
Mrs. Mays little baby is very, very sick,
Annie"
And so Mrs. Baldwin never knew OF the
precious letter, as she sat there alone by the
fire, thinking of the caller she had missed
with genuine sorrow and paling cheeks and
eyes full of disappointment. For pretty
Mrs. Bessie. with her soft blue eyes and
rebelliously curly hair, and small, perfect
figure, was more interested in the hand
some bachelor than she cared to admit even
to herself.
The next day she dressed with unusual
care for her afternoon visit to Mrs. Bene-
dict, wondering, as she basted the soft
little ruching around the neck of her
sleeveless jacket, and adjusted the poays of
her black silk overskirt, whether or not
Mr.. Ammidon would think she looked
we'll, and whether, possibly, he mightssnot
escort her home. So her eyes were dancing
with radiant blue sunshine, and her cheeks
were flushing most delicious, rose pink
hue, her lovely mouth dimpling into be4
witching smiles, when MI Ammidon came
into the sitting room, several minutes be-
fore the time for the dinner-bell to rings-
Mr.. Ammidon, handsomer than she had
ever seen him, in a dark-blue .cloth-suig,
white tie. and his face SO grandly intelligent
and animated ashe went up to her and Of
fered her his hand, looking straight into
her face as he spoke, very quietly, but with
all his fate in his words-and she so smil-
ing, unconscious.
II am very glad to see you, Mrs. Bald
win. Didn't you find it very cool this af-
ternoon?'' ia. us
The she met his gaze, hating herself be-
cause her heart was throbbing so gladly
at the sight of him, and despising herself
because he had thrilled her from head to
foot. Then, never knowing her fate was
in it, she turned her beautiful face care
lessly away and Withdrew her hand, and
answered him: Mo; thought it was
charmingly pleasant
And Mr.. Ammido2l recoiled as if he had
0een struck a dreadful blow. and could
not. for the life Of: him, console himself
with the conviction that women were fools
and men we're well rid Of them.
The next day he told Mrs. Benedict he
would not want his apartment any longer,
and had his trunks. packed and sent to a
hotel. Mr. AmmidOn determined to kill
two birds with one stOne-to get rid OF the
possibility of having to meet often Mrs.
Benedict's friend, the pretty little woman,
than whom he had never loved another
more, and to make lis home where house.
cleaning was unknown, and Bessie cried
till her eyes were red and swollen to think
how entirely Indifferent Mr.. Ammidon
was to her.
And the winter crept softly along in soft,
white, snowy robes, and several times
Mrs. Baldwin saw Mr.. Ammidon driving
past, although he didn't do more as he
passed than glance carelessly at the win
dow and bow. And the sweet, warm
spring days came, and with perfumy tints
of roses and woodbine, and fresher emerald
leaves, and climbing vines, and bursting
blossoms, came Bessie Baldwin's fate, in
the shape of the unromantic, the inevitable
spring cleaning that must be undertaken
and accomplished. no matter how tempt
ingly balmy sunshine and fragrant breezes
and cloudless skies came to welcome them.
Thus 1T happened that Mrs. Baldwin
stood in one of her chambers with blue
veil tied tightly over her golden hair, and
her muslin dress pinned up in front, dis
closing ravishingly lovely feet, despite the
half-worn boots, with a basket lying in
readiness beside her, and her faithful ally,
Annie, waiting to consign piles of waste
to deathly ignominy, and the paper and
rag man.
''Only one pile more, Annie, and aren't
you glad we're so nearly done? Here, you
sort the papers, and I'll see that nothing
worth saving has been put with this
music:''
And minute after the soft, r4stling
stiffness was broken by a sudden ejacula=
ton from Mrs. Baldwin, and Annie looked
up, wide=eyed. to see her reading peneiled
note, with paling face ard trembling lips,
Sits letter I lost, that's all, Annie. Go
on with the papers, there is man at the
door. I'll go down. You can finish.''
And with fluttering heart and eyes that
were suspiciously bright Mrs. Bessie went
down stairs, glad of an opportunity to get
away by herself few minutes to think it
ali oyeF, to try to realize that it was true
that Walter AmlMnidQR had loved her. And
she brushed away tears that were both
rapturous and full of disappointment and
fear. and opened the front door to Walter
Ammidon. He bowed with a look of sur
prise and chagrin, fearing lest, now that
his love for Bessie Baldwin had oyerleaped
it's boundaries, and forced him to second
attempt to win her love-that had become
mere precious in proportion as it seemed
unpossessahalle- lest his coming, as
suggested by her appearance, was inoppor-
tune and awkward.
But Mrs. Baldwin flushed and smiled,
and looked lovely despite the old blue veil
And then he suddenly discovered she held
in her hand the note he had written her