Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-06-17

ITO be continued.
J. A. w.
A Story Successfully Told.
Pretty, plump Mrs. Archibald Steele
wrote the following paragraph in one OF
her letters to her husband the other day :
sJohn must come down here at once,
whether YOU can spare him or not. Our
dear little Laura is greatly taken with a
tall. thin young man with a hooked nose
and thin lips, called Stuyvesant. It is
whispered about the hotel that he is a
verv good match, and has the veritable
blood of the old Dutch governor in his
veins. must say that it has queer
way of showing itself for the young man
is az pale as O spectre; and dressed in
that white duck, with his sunken eyes
and bilious skin, is enough to frighten
one. have grown to hate him, while
Laura is growing to be quite the con-
trary. I am afraid. All the evening he
leans up against the wall, never dancing
or opening his mouth, save to give vent
to some hateful sarcas tic criticism upon
the scenes around him, and yet dear lit
Tic AduA0' Cy 90 60 tAhpF43 @Af VIZ FS..4
er pretty eyes about-are perpetnally
beseeching him for attention. In the
daytime he is always with long, black
horse, that covers more ground with its
legs while it Is going than any other
out to drive behind it, and vanishes out
of sight with the bony creature, l trem-
BILE to think how dreadful it would be if
II 81 hn p
and parcel Of this Wretched man and his
beast. So I think John had better cope
down at once. Iquite long to see his
handsome face and hear his honest voice,
and think it is about time that John
should tell his little story to Laura, and
have things settled comfortably"
put the letter of his wife in his waist
coat pocket, and, picking up the morn
ing paper, scanned through his gold
trimmed spectacles the news Of the day.
Finding nothing therein to refine the
exceedingly satisfactory condition of his
affairs, he put 1t down, smiling as only
a prosperous, eontsntea downtown
merchant can smile. He was one oi
those happy exceptions to the ordinary
rule of morals with whom everything
an excIamation-point to that effect. II
he ventured little hazardously in trade,
fortune trimmed her sails to favor him.
IF he set his heart upon anything rslat-
ing to domestic felicity, all the elements
of art and nature conspired to bring it
about. So when he stepped to the door
of his office and beckoned to a young
man with a strip OF commercial paper
in his hand and a pencil behind his ear,
with the general air of briskness and
shrewdness about him that betokened a
successful downtown merchant en-
bryo, Mr.. Steele smiled the third time
with the air of one who was not at all
afraid of any bilious, blue blooded OBJ
stacle that might be thrown in the path
of domestic happiness which he firm
ly agreed had been arranged by an Om-
nipotent hand.
HJohn," said Mr.. Steele, closing the
door of his private office. and looking
upon his young clerk benevolently,
"f'ye got an order from Mrs. Steele
which / wish you would attend to-"
"Certainly, SIR" said John; 'shall /
go out and get the articles myself?"
"Why, the fact is, John" said the
merchant, enjoying his joke more and
more, s'it's only one article-a rather
bulky one. It was bargained for long
time ago. I think you will have to go
down with it, john" .s
Down to the ses- shore !" said John,
getting a little hot and fiusteTad. "Is it
a very valuable parcel, sirW
"Well, perhaps your natural modestJ
may depreciate its worth, John. Mrs.
Steele and I think a coed deal of it, and
Laura, too, am sure, does: The COM
modify is yourself, John. MIRA. Steele
wants you to go down and take a little
holiday there"
When the name of Laura was men
toned the young mans face grew more
fIustered and hot than before.
"You are very kind, sir" he said, and
Mrs. Steele is more like an angel than a
woman"
"Rather solid and plump for that"
interposed Mr.. Steele, but liking the
phrase nevertheless.
"But 1t is simple Madness" pursued
John, "to dream of further happiness
than I enjoy now-your affection and
that of your wife-my position here;
don't dare, / can't hope for anything
m.>re. Oh, Mr.. Steele, / can't tell her
NV sto,-. She would turn from me
with horror .ud aversion. Let me at
least enjoy the p4 ssenI;m r., =.
"And in the mean ae aaeG, soa,e Gaaavsr, We.
GUS, bilious, blue-bloodeo eoaeafei Will
carry her off from us all.
Then Johns face grew pale and >teln !.
"If there is the slightest feeling upon 1. 81
part fOr-for any one else, then, indeed,
Mr.. Steele, my case is hopeless"
The commercial paper fluttered from
his hand, the pencil fell from his ear,
and he leaned his head against the desk
and trembled.
"Why, who would suppose you could
be such coward ?n said Mr.. Steele. i'm
petuously. ''You shall go down with
me this very day."
All the way to the sea- shore Johns
face wore the look of one who had re-
solved to storm a deadly breach, but who
did not hope to survive the attempt.
Even the ocean, when it confronted
them, wore threatening look. Upon
the horizon pile of clouds formed q
background wan and gloomy, q great
black mist lay in the zenith, and dense
red vapor almost touched the water.
IA very nasty sea" said Mr.. Steele.
John snuffed it in, his eyes dilating,
and his head high in the sea.scented air.
A tramp on the hard, wet sand, and
like meteor long black horse shot by
in the mist, leaving for
John the memory of a charming head,
crowned with blonde curling hair, two
kind eyes bent upon his own, and a
white waving hand extended in saluta-
tion.
"John." said Mr.. Steele, ''did you see
the face of that man? I count upon
your saving Laura. Did you see his
thin, cruel lips and treacherous eyes? ?'
"I only saw Laura, sir" said John
simply.
Later on Mr.. Archibald Steele and hi
plump, pretty wife were alone together
in their private parlor. Her dimplel
hand lay lovingly in his, and her shape
ly head fresh from the hands of thu
coifeur, rested recklessly on his should
ers.
Suddenly the door opened, and ther'
was heard the rustic of silken drappery
A still shapelier little head. and freshe
from the hands of the coiffeur, all un
rumpled by the audacious hands o.
mortal, peeped in at the door. Laur
was pale; her little white hands wer
clasped together, and her musical voic
trembled.
"Oh, papa, mamma, come directly !
Skvpy -