Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-03-23
"What of it, dear? S~urelyryou will not
be displeased ? Tell me who told you, Jes-

be displeased ? Tell me who told you, Jes
sic ?" u
Her face was averted, for her rebelllou'
lips were trembling-he had as good as al
mitted it
"Never mind, john heard it, and
wanted to know if it were true, so l might
tell you how truly happy l hope you vii
be-"
John caressed her fingers softly, a soft
subdued light on his face,a great tender
ness in his handsome eyes.
Truly happy | could not fail of being
perfectly happy, Jessie, with the darling ]
have dared hope-Oh, Maude, | beg par
don! We came v cry near running ove1
you !"
And seeing how easily Miss T%revanier
accepted her own i~ntrusion-no, Of course
it could not be an intrusion, when John
with her last hope crushed, her one earthly
happiness trampled down.
II WilIgo2 must gol I should die if ]
astaYed eand saw item r'-~
And while Miss Trevanien sang sentl-
mental ballads on the front piazzt, and
John Horton sat tilted back iii his chair
listening and thinking-we shan't tell
what; Jessamine was quietly explaining to
"Auntie Horton" in the kitchen, the nee
essity of her own future dependence on
her own exertions, and succeeded III coax
ing from that gentle, yielding oil lady the
i direction Of a distant relative in the city
who might aid i'll procuring her pleasant
| situation.
'John will not care; and he need not
know until after | am gone. He and
Maude are SO much taken up with each
other, they'll never miss me, and shall
really like it 500
Mrs. Horton stared through her gold
trimmed glasses at the girls truthful. love
ly face; and then, when she turned around
to peep at the sponge just set, a great,
motherly smile broadened her dear old face.
The afternoon sunshine came hot and
bright through the one unc1rtailed Win
| dow of the forlorn little station, where
Jessamine was patiently sitting, waiting
for the ~three--fifteen train, that should take
her up-away from the sweet, wide, quiet
country she had known all her life-away
from John Horton to the hustle and con-
! fusing strangeness, and Sitting heat, and
crowded misery Of the metropolis.
She was unspeakably miserable and home
| sick. The red chimney OF the farm house,
cleaning picturesquely among the button
balls a quarter-mlle away, seemed thou
sands of miles distant, judging by the lone
ly pain she felt sitting there, solitary, Oh
her self-instituted term Of Punishment,
and shrinking off in one corner of the Cal
seat, after the long, dusty, shrieking train
had stopped a second, IN obedience to the
little red flag she had hung ouS, and then
dashed on, way into the new, strange
world-the new, strange, lonely life.
It was dark when she reached the city
| hot, breathlessly hot, and horribly noisy
and dirty. And, oh! what made Maud
Trevanien tell her John wouldn't care for
her after he was married? What had made
everything so miserable, and tangled up,
and desolate.
Her tears were coming in great salt
gushes, and she was YEARLY getting her
little shawl and big satchel together, to
leave the almost deserted train, with a
| heart heavier than lead, when a firm hand
was laid on her shoulder, and her name,
in a low, %reproachful tone, was almost
whispered in her ear.
"~Jessamine!"
She turned affrightedly at first-then,
With a sudden bliss at her heart, met John
Horizons eyes.
"You would persist in running away
from home, and l was just as persistent in
following you, JESSIE! l just caught the
train-by the rear car, too. SO you are
trying to get away from me-, are you, Jes-
SamIne?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh. John, how could l stay after what
she said? [ would so much rather go than
be told [ wasn't wanted, .or to stay and be
unwelcome-you have been SO good to me.
Jol,n!"
Johns face was a perfect picture of be-
wilderment.
"Really. I cannot fathom one word of all
this mystery, Jessie. Who told you that
you were likely to be. unwelcome at my
house or my mothers home?"
He had cody captured her satchei and
shawl, and was looking at her very
~curiously.
Your betrothed, John-and she ought
to know. Miss Trevanien-"
Johns lips suddenly parted over his
handsome teeth.
oh! yes, I see! And so 1 am engaged
to Miss Trevanien, I'M |? ~JeSsie-yOu
Jealous, loving little d%arling!-I never
thought of being engaged to her-bold:
scheming creatule!-lor is there but one
gill in all the world 1 egoud be engaged to.
jessie, Jessie, look at me, and see in my
eyes who she is! Tell me if she says yes,
after my chasing her a hundred miles fol-
the answer"
y x x
And Miss Trevanien paid her boardbill
with the inward conviction that the Hor-
tons and she would remain apart for the
future. which conviction was we'll sustain.
ed by the Horizons; while to dear, foolish
loving, jealous Jessamine came such I'm.
dreamed of happiness that it was more
than a ~thousand-fold atoned.
THE FOLLOWING VERY CLEVER and SUI
blimely impudent dodge was some tins
since adopted by q Partisan thief: A lady
entering her apartment. discovered that
man was beneath her bed. With mucl
presence of mind, she exclaimed ooh
dear, what a bore forgot my parcel afte
all" and presently left the room, locking
the door. The thief looked out of the win
dow, and saw there was no escape tina
- ,,a G N no nroooadad to uudraSs him