Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-04-20

Fiction of her righteous punishment. When
the hour for going home arrived, Kitty
bundled in shawls and furs, took her seat
by Jacks side IN the cutter, but said never
word.
'sPerhaps you would have preferred Cy-
rus Phelps company to mine.'' remarked
the young man, when they had ridden
mile without speaking.
''And no doubt you would be very much
happier if Helen Clapp was sitting at your
side,' rejcined Kitty
"G'lang.' said Jack, touching the TANKS
of his horse with the whip.
That was the first instance on record
where Jack Burroughs had sought to get
over ground rapidly with Kitty Gibson IN
the cutter at his side, and the stars twink
ling overhead.
+ When the sleigh drew up in front of I'm
Gle Randolph's gate, Jack, holding the
reins in one hand, helped Kitty to alight
His face was very stern and grave.
! "Good-night,' said he. And with that,
! for the first time since their engagement,
Jack owe off without kissing the red lips
which he had right to Kiss.
If the red lips pouted, or possibly quiv-
cred. there was no one present to see. And
| if the owner Of those red lips, so cruelty
neglected. cried herself to sleep that night,
Jack Burroughs was profoundly ignorant
of the fact.
This, then, was the little seed which had
| oF Il lyo
in proportion.
On the very next day Kitty had written
a note to Jack, beginning "Mr. Bur
roughs," requesting the immediate return
of her letters and picture, and signed !:
Respectfully yours, Kate Gibson" When
lovers fall into such strait-laced formali-
! ties of expression as these, what is to be
expected ? Jack sent back the letters and
picture; and from the moment of their
receipt Kitty began to mediate upon tie
suicide Her cogit ations eliminated, as
we have seen, in a final resolve to throw
| herself into the Connecticut river-just as
soon as the ice melted.
! Had Uncle Randolph been man quick
to detect the exterior evidences of bro
| ken heart, or even of a broken engagement,
he must surely have seen that something
was wrong with Kitty. AS it was, how
ever, Uncle Randolph was net quick to de-
| tect anything. except, perhaps. opinions
differing from his own. A man of politi-
cal, religious, social. or moral beliefs an
tagonistic in any way to Uncle Randolph
was held by the latter to be a rascal. I'm
Gle Randolph held it to be a truth asset
evident as any of those set forth in the
Declaration of Independer ce that suan
who supported Thisism and not Thatism
! was d knave. And yet Uncle Randolph
was very good man at heart, as W S
abundantly shown by his acts. He talked
like a biget, yet he did all things in spirit
Of broad catholitity. He lad denounced
the unfortunate f ther of Kitty Gibson as
worthless scamp (chietly because he was
la ssThsst), and yet, when this worthless
scamp came t. die. he took Kitty to his
own home, and cared for her as tenderIya
/ though she had been his child. Besides
himself and his pretty niece, Uncle Ban
dolph's household included his maiden
sister Martha, his aunt, whose memory
stretched back through the mists Of eighty
years, and Tom Turner, a distant twig OF
the family trunk, who never troubled him.
self TO find out why it was that be came to
be numbered among the family. Uncle Ran
dolph devoted himself chiefly TO protrac-
| tod cd Iris
wold's store; old A unit Charity spent all hei
time in knitting; Miss Martha kept he1
mind liked upon the household duties; while
Tom Turner'S mind, such as it was, drew
nourishment principally from the fiction
writer's. Thus severally occupied, none of
the members Of the family had found time
| to discover that Kitty S heart was broken
1t was known, in a vague sort of way, that
the young lady had quarrelled with hel
lover, and that Jack Burroughs had not
visited the house for a.month; but then
young ladies were always quarreling Will!
their lovers, and no doubt Jack would
turn up again in good time. Taking this
sensible view Of the matter, Uncle Ran
dolph continued his discussions, Miss Mar
tina her scrubbng, Aunt Charity her kpit-
ting and Tom Turner his regular doses OF
peppery literature. And it is to be added
that even Kitty herself, influenced, no
1 doubt, by the course of those about her.
followed very closely i'll the accustomed
grooves Of life, and ate her three meals d
day with tolerable relish. Yet she had full
ly made up her mind to die.
Like all well-conducted heroines who
drown themselves, Kitty determined to
leave behind her touching little letter
wherein forgiveness should be extended to
all her enemies, and an appeal made to her
friends not to mourn her loss.
II will write that letter noW," thought
she to herself, pouring the water into the
tea-kettle.
And thereuron, as a proper preliminary
to all epistolary effort, Kitty brought out
the dictionary. a sheet of paper and a lead
pencil, and sat down to bid the world fl
nal farewell. The date was left blank, to
lie inserted when the sun should thaW the
Ice on the river. The early winter twilight
tie was singing ON the stove, when Kitty
finished her letter. One or two of the hard
words in which her heart-rooted grief
found utterance were searched out in the
dictionary; for this suicidal young lady
would have deemed it shocking indeed to
have left behind her so momentous doc
ument with any slips Of photography. Thus
Webster treasured her doubling mind as
| to s'meIancho!y," and determined the Or
}der of novels in ''relief." And it was
while Kitty was yet picturing to herself the
effect which this pathetic letter would
produce upon thOs3 who loved her-in