Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-03-01
JEALOUS OF FRED.
BY FRANCIS E. WADLEIGH.


that Mr.. Allerton is expected home to-
day or tomorrow, did she not ?"
'No; she was too much occupied in dis
cussing Fred Purviance's new ph@ton. I
might better call it Bessie's phaton, for
| Fred has told her to use it whenever she
pleases indeed, she intimated that it was
TO be kept in her fathers stable SO as to be
more convenient for her,
II wish I had devoted Fred to place
phaton and span Of cream-colored ponies
at my disposal! But, Sallie, between you
and me, isn't it rather queer that Bess and
Fred should become so awfully intimate
all of a sudden %
| II think it is. When she and Grace
Purviance were at the academy together,
| Mrs. Hembrow would not permit the least
! intimacy
! sThe Purviances are not quite first cut
you know
s'Fred's family know nothing about :;
Grace's parents are not nice people-but
| their money-like charity, covers a great
multitude of sins. Fred's wealth is not to
/ be despised by people as poor as the Hem
brows."
''And flowers, books, ph@tons, theatre
and concert tickets, gloves and trinkets,
are as we'll appreciated by Bessie as by any
one, even Fred, to whom they are nothing
in point of COST
"Havn't you always understood that
Claude Allerton has very jealous dispo-
sition 20
eyes, indeed; he is ridiculously, absurd
/ ly jealous. He used to be quite vexed |,
sometimes, because Bessie was so fond of
her cousins, Mary and Sue. He wants all
her smiles and thoughts"
''What do you suppose he will say when
he hears about Fred Break off their init
macy, will he not p
"He will probably try to do so, but you
know how Bessie hates anything like re-
straint And she is certainly fond of
Fred.'
| sWhat vigorous correspondence they
keep up! Cousin John says they are the
most devoted pair of lovers he ever saw.
Come, there's the supper bell"
| And rustling of silken skirts told the
unwilling listener to this conversation,
Claude Allerton, that the speakers had
left their seats on the verapda, just outside
his window, and gone into the house. How
were they to know that broken pane of
glass allowed him to hear their every word?
| Claude Allerton had been engaged to
Bessie HembroW for a year, and, if posi-
| BILE, loved her more ana more each day.
He had just returned from business trip
to st. Petersburg, and as he had found no
letters awaiting him in London (they hay
ing been forwarded to Russia) he was anx-
ious to see his fance after so long an alb
sence without many letters. He felt that
he could hardly doff his travelling suit fast
enough.
| While removing the dust acquired by a
twelve-hours railway journey, he had over
heard the above conversation; truly, it was
not pleasant welcome. He could not
doubt the truth of this tale, for the speak
ers, Louise Frazier and Sallie Jeffries, he
knew to be as truthful, honest girls, as
were to be found in the whole State.
Leaving his hotel with less buoyant
spirits than he had entered it, he turned
his steps towards Mr.. Hembrow's modest
GUS acquaintances, among them Julius
Clayton, Grace Purviance's affianced lover,
|afellow whom Allerton exceedingly dislik-
ed, as, indeed, he did all the Purviance tribe
Of course, this Fred, of whom he had new
or heard until to-day, came in for a double
share of detestation.
'Ah, Allerton Home again? When
did you arrive 2" exclaimed Clayton.
"Only an hour or so ago"
sob, on your way to Hembrow's, of
course! Will you be kind enough to save
me walk there by delivering this note to
Miss Bessie ? 1t is. as you see, from Fred
Purviance, who may prove something of
rival. Girls are so queer! If were you
I'd break off that affair at once"
| Allerton agreed to deliver the note, but
did not commit himself relative to the OBJ
noxiOus Fred.
He had not recovered from his anger.
from his annoyance at finding his affairs
town-talk, when he entered Mr.. Hem
brow's parlor; where he found Bessie, her
mother, and one of her maiden aunts en-
tertaining company.
After a little conversation, Allerton
said:
81 hear strange stories about you, Bes-
sie."
"About me! Pray what are they?"
"Relative to your intimacy with this
! Fred Pnrvianca