Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-12-21

got wind of something wrong. unless he
could replace the money Immediately by
begging or borrowing. You may guess
my feelings! [ made no question but
Jules had gone out of town with a view tC
raising the money somehow, too much
ashamed to ask me for 1t and tell me his
fault; but he had left no address, and al
L could do was to wait his return in fever
OF Impotence; and it was Christmas week
too, when everybody's expected to be
cheerful, and there's no end of work to be
done. Some of my boarders had gone to
keep the season among their friends, but
there were a few left, who like you and
ne. Mr.. Royburne had no where to go
and while we were sitting at tea on Christ
mas eve it suddenly seemed to me as if |
heard somebody going over the front stairs
and the thought passed through my mind.
'who can it be ?'' aud then I reflected.
Oh. it's probably Nancy carrying up the
clean clothes from the wash" and I rang
the bell for Tidy, the table girl, to bring
up the toast, and asked her, where Nancy
was.
"'In the kitchen, marm, said she,
'a-folding off the clean clothes from the
bars
"'And Bridget, is she there, too p 1
said.
"'And isn't Mary 1.-THE chamber maid
helping her p asked.
| "'Not she, said Tidy, she's shivering
cut at the pump, sure, a blatnering along
of Barney
II don't know what possessed me, but 1
just asked Miss Gruder to take my place
at the urn, and I went up stairs alone. I'd
left light burning in my parlor, but the
hair of my flesh stood up when 1 saw that
it was burning in my bedroom instead,
which opened out of the parlor. However
after little reflection, considered that
might have been mistaken in my absence
of mind, and l stepped into the parlor;
which was just lit enough to show me my
desk with the lid open and the papers
scattered about. [ thought of my stock
ing minute, and you could have knocked
me down with feather, though I'd taken
the precaution to sew it into my mattress
that very day, till 1 should get ready to
use it. felt certain that whoever it was
must be we'll acquainted with my WAYS,
and had observed where I put my keys.
And who but one of the servants could
that be? And just as 1 was wondering
if Tidy could be in conspiracy with the
thief, / saw the door of the closet that
was ajar, tremble. Without second
thought few to it and wrenched it open
and-it Was Jules Adderley who stepped
out Welooked at each other full min=
ute in the half light, but we never ex-
changed word. He had been too faint
hearted to confess his sin and ask my help
and craven enough to steal into my house
for my money. Do you think could for
give him just motioned toward the
door, and his head fell upon his breast, and
he walked slowly out and down stairs, l
following, and out into the wide lonely
night. The Christmas bells were just be-
ginning to vibrate upon the air as l closed
the'door upon him; and they found me at
the foot Of the stairs, in dead faint.
81 had meant all along to give him the
| five thousand. With this and what could
have raised on my house we could have
made good the banks loss, and he would
only haye forfeited his situation.
by the next week the affair was town
talk, and everybody knew that he had de-
camped. He'd dropped a letter into the
mail for me, to be sure, but [ never OPEN
ed it. [ didn't care to read his lame ex-
cuse: he couldn't say anything I didn't
know already. didn't want to keep alive
any spark Of regret or affection for him.
wanted to tread ON it as | would on ser
pent that had stung me. But nature is
sometimes stronger than resolve; could
not bring myself to burn the letter. I've
kept it with the seal unbroken, and I've
written it in my will that it shall be buried
with me.
"Well, it was ten years later, before I
married MI. Dunn-not for love, of course:
that was all over with me. But he was
going to the bad and needed helping
hand, and vowed it would be the same
thing as giving him over to damnation if
| refused. But | was rightly served. He
led me hard life and spent my money,
and here [ am widow, not so well off as
l was at twenty-five, with the world before
me where to choose, and no relief in hap
piness this side of heaven. All, we've let
the fire get low. Pm all of SILVER. How
garrulous I've been Save us, it's twelve
O'clock
sit is Christmas Day. said Mr.. Roy
burne. "You leave your story unfinished,
unless you read the letter of Jules Why
not celebrate the day thus, if I may be so
bold!'
''Do you know I've been tempted to do
that very thing. I've been fighting against
it all yesterday she answered.
''It never occurred to you, perhaps, that
it may not have been the money-the
stocking-that he meant to rob you ot?'
''What else could it have been, pray? He
knew the money was there; he had urgent
need of it. He did not know that I loved
him we'll enough to overlook his offence,
and give him all I had for the asking. | |
would have followed him to the ends of
the earth but for that, for better or worse !
Not that 1 cared fig for the money!
could wish it had all been sunk in the Red
Sea before it fell to me. If it was not that, I
why should he have FLUSHED and hung his
head, and left me without word of ex-
tenuation?"
"Was not the other fault grave enough !
to make man blush and hang his head be-
fore his sweetheart? -enough to render |
him speechless2 Ye gods But the letter
Shall we hear it? Remember this is the !
dawning Of peace and goodwill toward |
men ~