Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-11-01
THE NOBLE RESOLVE.

ono, Charles-it cannot be. AS friend
L respect and esteem you; but 1 cannot be
your wife. Have compassion and do not
press me further''
Mary Granville, stood before me as she
thus spoke, with her hands .clasped. and
her head bowed, trembling; and fancied,
that there was a tear in her eye. She was
a beautiful girl and L thought her as good
and pure as she was beautiful; and, furth-
er than this, had believed she loved me.
She was an orphan, and was teaching ore
of our village schools.
OF her early life 1 had known nothing
save that she had been well educated, and
had moved in good society, and I had rea-
son to believe that her parents had been
wealthy; but her father had failed in bus
mess and it had been said that the. sad
reverse had killed him. Mary was poor
was dependent upon her daily. labor for
support-and the thought that could Of
fer her comfortable home, with the ad-
vantages of moderate wealth, had given
increase to my prospective happiness. But
this unexpected answer had dashed all my
hopes to the ground.
''Do you mean:' cried vehemently
''that you dismiss me Am cast off p
II cannot be your Wife!'' she replied.
'sThen," said [ with more warmth than
I might have displayed under other cir
cumstances, 81 leave you to yourself, and
I, 1,r,
bound me to you, I will only hope that ere
you lead another into 20 ur net you will
keep him after you have caught him ~
She gazed upon my face with painful,
frightened look; but. | did not stop to hear
her speak. While she stood pale and trem
bling, turned and. left the house.
Under other circumstances might have
been more cool and collected in my speech.
1 was heated with wine. I had drank just
enough to give the brain an extra impulse ;
and my words were not chosen as l would
have chosen them had the spirit of wine
been absent AS | walked home I sought
to persuade myself I had fortunately es
capped the snares of a coquette. I stopped
at the hotel where [ found few of my
companions, apd helped to dispose of half
dozen bottles Of VINE.
On the following morning woke with a
headache, and when called to mind the
events of the preceding evening was any
thing but happy. [ began to realize how
much had loved Mary. There was an
aching void in my heart, and fairly wept
as L contemplated my loss. 1t was my first
love, and it's influence had permeated every
fibre of my being. The beautiful girl haG
become more dear to me than 1 could tell,
and groaned in bitter anguish when I
thought that she was lost to me forever.
had resolved that would feel very angry
and indignant but when the sweet face
was called up to mental view, such feel
ings melted away, leaving me sad and des-
olate.
On the following Sabbath 1 attended
church, where saw Mary once more She
played the organ as she had done for years
past, and as her fingers swept over The KEYS
I fancieG that | could detect tremulous-
ness which had never noticed before
Was it only my imagination, or was there
really a plaintiveness, sadness in the ex-
preston of her music (? To me it seemed
as though, at times, the organ groaned and
wept. 1t Was like the wailing of the daugh-
| ter OF Zion by the rivers of Babylon
When the services were over, and we went
out from the church, saw Mary's face.
1t Was pale and wan, as though she had
been sick. What could it be? Was she
suffering? The thought flashed upon me
that some one had been telling her some
thing tc my disadvantage. | had enemies
in the vHlage~enemies who envied me be-
cause had Inherited some wealth and
/ fancied enemies who enyied me the love OF
Mary Granville.
| Another week passed, could not read,
for my mind Was never upon the page be-
fore me. Another Sabbath at the church
and saw Mary again. 1t seemed to me
that she was .paler than before; and hel
eyes looked as though she had been weep.
ing.
During the succeeding week received a
visit from my old college chum, Jack Stan
ton, who had just opened law office IN
Berryville. After supper. as we sat in my
coy parlor smoking our cigars. suggest
ed a bottle Of wine. Jack shook his head
tNO Charlav ,, no aoid sGuo,T loo ua the