Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-05-31

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posely to see me, and though her inten-
lions were good, what must he think of
my meeting him halfway in his consola-
ton little while ago? Oh, how bold and
contriving he had found me-! How in the
world was to know he was a widower
and invited down for special purpose?
''Oh, why didn't you tell me, Jane !" I
cried.
"Well, you see, I couldn't tell how it
would turn out. John didn't know there
was mortgage on Susan property
''Susan ~ / repeated.
eyes you know Susan-my husbands
sister. She's comm down on visit to-
day, and John says he don't care pin
about the mortgage he's only afraid he
can't care for Susan. You see. his heart
was bound up in Belindy.'
began to understand that it was not my
lonely condition that Jane had interested
herself to ameliorate, but that of her hus-
bands sister Susan. It took quite weight
of confusion from my heart, but left it
strangely sad and discounted. 1t was so
hard to be alone and desolate, and have
nobody care whether one lived or died, and
Susan was so much better off than 1
81 thought Susan was quite comfortably
situated" said.
"Well, there's the mortgage" said Jane;
'sshe keeps botherin' us about that mort
gage all the time, and my husband can't
undertake to bolster up all his relations.
You see, just told John all about it, and
it's business transaction, Nelly. If she
gets John, we won't hear any more about
that MORTGAGE
began to lose all interest in the CONVEX
sation, and remembered that my poor dear
Howard had told me how sordid and mer
cenary all these people were. 1t was real
ly dreadful to hear the most sacred senti-
ments of life degraded to the level of mere
business transactions. James brother
John didn't look like this kind of person,
but of course he must be. The whole thing
so confused and bewildered me that I went
away without my thyme, after all.
/ We all know what appalling things can
happen in an incredibly short space of time
and how our dearest hopes are blasted
when we least look for a calamity. I had
not expected to be absent five minu tes.
and had left my kitchen window open, as
the morning was so balmy and sweet. I'M
agine my dismay when [ saw strange cat
actually standing on my kitchen table and
helping himself to the meat which had al
ready cost me so much trouble. He was a
lean and hungry animal, with murky green
eyes and though he fled at my approach,
and had not made much progress in his
meal, of course the damage was irrepara-
BILE. "What you've touched, you may
take" said. and flung the meat after the
| green-eyed monster.
Then banged down the window. shut
out the balmy air, and looked dolefully at
the miserable materials left to me. Knight
have borrowed any one of them or all of
them, if the meat had been there, but I
couldn't ask Jane for the meat; it would
be like the freshman begging the loan of
an egg for his pinch of salt. No; it was
plain to be seen that little Howard must do
without his sunday dinner. [ didn't care
for myself, but my poor little fatherless
boy would suffer for my carelessness and
neglect. And, truth to say, he was not
won't to suffer in silence or accomplishing.
10. should have terrible day, and be-
gan to feel more and more that life was a
hideous and unbearable burden. l saw
through the front window lady go by,
wearing seal skin sacque, 1 could not
think it possible it was Susan But 1t was
yes, it was Susan. She had the seal-skin
sacque which she had so long coveted.
Some people were born to good luck. Heav-
en- forbid any injustice on my part, or use
less repining at the ways Of Providence,
but it did seem hard that Susan should
have everything. To crown all, I saw
somebody else pass my window. 1t was
James brother John, with lovely bunch
of violets in his hand. He was only few
rods behind Susan /; he would soon over
take her, and give her the yiolets, with
some nice little speech about her eyes,
which, remembered, were a washed-out
blue. Then they would go into one of
James appetizing little lunches, while 1
and poor little Howard would sit down to
a crust; and the end of it would be that
Susan wouldn't have to raise hand while
I-Well, must 60 about my sweeping
right straight away.
Which I did at once. But the salt and
bitter tears which fell from. my eyes ought
to have allayed the dust of my dining
room l didn't care for anything so much
as my little Towards disappointment.
How could I confess to the child that l
had left his precious bit of meat to be de-
voured by that green-eyed monster? He
would cry and refuse to be comforted,
and would be miserable.
While the tears were falling like rain on
my broom a big shadow doomed up at the
door, and there stood James brother John,
with bunch of violets still in one hand,
and bunch of thyme in the other. I turn
ed my tear-stained face from him, and
held out my hand for the thyme. I was sorry
to appear so ridiculous. Of course Jane
had told him all about his mistake, and he
had come to apologize and explain.
wished he would not mind, but go back to
Susan; but he held my hand tight in his
own, and put into my fingers the pretty
flowers, looking down into my face with a
world of tender inquiry as to it's forlorn
and woe-begone condition.