Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-07-19

doubled my tenderness to the suffering

in nv estimation-and gazing into her soft
sweet face and wistful eyes, I wondered
why she was so ill, and what was the great
sorrow that had come upon her like a
blight upon one of the roses round oul
porch. $50
Cousin Kate came to us in the spring
and the months flew by till it was the
height of summer, and many and many a
night had I turned my face to the wall SO
that Lii should not know, and cried 81
lently until my pillow was wet. For
knew so we'll that Kate was weaker, much
weaker than when she came--a walk
across the lawn to the old garden seat il
the shade being as much now as she ccul(
| bear. bs
''Cousin Kate,'' said one day when we
were alone, lii and Cissy having rushed
off to get some flowers, could not any
! doctor make you weN?"
She looked at me with wild, strange
gaze, which almost startled me, before she
replied, and then in a way that made my
heart beat, she sobbed out
"Only one-only one!" and then, as if to
herself, in low whisper, she added. ''and
before he can come shall be dead dead!' ,,
She did not know heard her last words
and | sat chilled and frightened, gazing at
her till my sisters came back, when, as we
frequently did, we sat down about her:
Lii got upon the seat, Cissy sat on the
grass with her head against one Of Kate's
hands, which hung listlessly from the cor
ner where she leaned, and I. threw myself
on the grass at her feet, so as to look UP
into her gentle face, which had now be-
come calm, with it's old weary look.
sCousin Kate" said Lii, s'tell us another
story I-Mu@
"No, no." I said.' "don't ask; she isn't
so well today .
eyes," she said, quietly raising her
head and looking at me, II am better to-
day."
''Tell us one Them said Cissy eagerly;
zone you never told us before"
There was a silence for few minutes,
and as l gazed up into Kates face, l saw
her eyes close and a sort Of spasm twitch
her lips; but the next minute she was quite
calm, and then with the leaves whispering
around us, and the twittering of the birds
coming now and again in the distance, she
said in low, sweet, musical voice:
ssOnce upon time in the days of long
ago, when people were very, vecy happy on
this earth, there lived prince who was
young, and handsome, and true. Nearly
every one loved him, he was so manly and
yet so GENTLE"
''And he loved a beautiful princess y
put in Cissy.
1 saw the spasms cross Kate's face
again, but 1t was calm directly after, and
| She went on:
mo, dear,'' she said. he did not love a
beautiful princess, but poor, simple
girl, who loved him, too, with all her
heart; and they were SO, so happy. When
the flowers blossomed they seemed to
blossom only for them, and the birds sang
their sweetest songs for them in the sun
shine"
Eyes, and they were married, and lived
happy ever after,'' cried Cissy. eco on
There was once more that piteOus look
upon Cousin Kate's face. seen only by NE;
but it passed off, and she went on.
"No, Cissy, they were not; for the poor,
handsome young prince had enemies
cruel, bitter enemies-who slandered him.
and said that he had false keys, had open
ed the treasure-chests of great man, and
stolen away his gold and precious stones. y
s'Oh!" whispered Cissy, now deeply in
terested.
"And,'' continued Kate, s'they took che
poor prince, and there was great trial,
and though he declared that he was inno-
cent, the wicked people who slandered
him and bore false witness against him,
prevailed; and the great judge said he was
to be cast into prison and wear heavy
chains, and be kept there for tWenty-one
long years"
"Oh!" cried Lii.
eyes," said Cissy, II know, and then
the simple young girl who loved him went
and unlocked the prison gates, and struck
off his chains and set him free.'
mo, no. cried Cousin Kate, and her
voice altered terribly, SO that was alarm
/ ed, though could do nothing but gaze up
in the wild face before me, for now
change came over it. ''No,'' she cried,
"the poor girl could do nothing but sit
and weep and feel her broken heart beat
beat-beat, in its own prison, wearing it.
self out till-till she died, and-Oh, Frank!
Frank! what have we done that we should
suffer thus!'
I leaped up to throw my arms round
her, while my sisters shrank away alarmed;
for Cousin Kate turned away from us with
a bitter wall, buried her face in her hands,
and leaned half over the arm of the old
garden seat, sobbing in a wild, hysterical
way, such as I had never seen. skate,
dear Cousin Kate" sobbed; but even as
I spoke there was a hasty step on the
gravel, the bushes were dashed aside, and
the shadow of tall man was cast over
us. -s.,-.--.
kate darling!" he cried, catching her
in his arms, as was thrust rudely aSlde,
II am innocent and free!' ..,l
She did not hear him, for she gave
faint gasp and sank back insensible.
We three girls were almost stunned; but
we saw the tall, thin, pale-looking stranger
hastily lift poor Kate from the seat, and
literally run with her to the house, while
we followed more slowly. ~
As,we reached the porch it was to meet
papa running out, and in very short
time he returned with the doctor. But
this doctor was the wrong one; the right
one had come to US at the garden seat, and