Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-08-07

| lent exclamation. His face was purple
his eyes blazed with wrath and pain. H
| held up the ring before Frees astonishet
! gaze.
"What in the name Of" began Free
But he was unheard; Jack turned swiftly
and ran like mad man back to the Hi
cottage.
Sallie was walking the porch in al
agony of doubt and trouble. Her brie
rest had cleared her perceptions, out i
had not yet freed her from the state o
mingled perplexity and stubborn decision
into which she had worked herself. Sh,
was not yielding, but she was wrecked
and regretful.
Suddenly Jack appeared before her
flushed and glaring, his excitable temper
ament reused to its highest pitch.
- "Are you insane?" he cried, seizins
her roughly by the arm. "Do you wan
to drive ME to perdition with your wicked
crueltyp In Heaven name, explain your
self" And he fairly painted for breath
Let me go!" she uttered, sternly; 81
will not have you to touch me. Address
me as if yoL were at least gentleman.
Jack was goeded to frenzy, and answer
ed intemperately; SO the miserable quar-
rel ragged high. No explanation was Civ,
en-: mutual recriminations passed back
and forth. At last Sallie taunted MIN
with an alluslon to his Irritation with
Laura Beamis.
80 it is for petty Jealousy that you
treat me SOP" he cried
mo, she answered; at is because
know you to be dishOnorable.
At the word Jacks heated face turned
pale as death. The two foolish people
were now at white heat.
at is lie" said he, in voice of om-
inous calm. And she. as sternly and
quietly, sent him from her, with orders
never to return. So he turned upon his
heel and left her there, and their bond
was broken.
After this the days went on quietly
enough. Night succeeded day with re.
morseless regularity. No one knew what
Sallie Hill suffered; no one knew what
she would have given to recall her bitter
words. She had cast Jack away without
counting the cost; she had learned at last
that she could not afford it; she was
bankrupt in happiness. Gradually the
slim, naughty figure grew sighter and
less erect; the proud little mouth soften
ed, and let fall words of pity with greater
readiness than of old She was growing
meek through pain. One month changed
her as a year might have done.
Talking one day with Laura Beamis, who
was growing stronger and more cheerful,
she looked down at her ringess finger
with deep detection, and Laura, following
here yes, said, suddenly;
"Sallie, hoped you would have mar.
ried Jack Arnold. | knew him in l.;
he is such a good fellow He and once
had little innocent Irritation, before
before--well when | first lett Rockdale,
and | have always since thought of him
as friend. You're not engaged to him?"
"No, replied Sallie, in tone which
forbade inquiry.
$50 that was all she thought. 81 be-
lieve have lost all for nothing-for moth
ing! But it is too late.' Still her pride
never dreamed Of bending.
But further revelations were to come.
At last "Pinafore" company visited
RoCkdale, and Salie, seated by a rustic
swain, who basked in the cold light of her
rare smiles, heard with languid pleasure
the immitablc opera. Suddenly, like the
Jest of a mocking fend, there broke upon
her ears the fatal words which had helped
to destroy her peace, the familiar "What!
never?" "Hdrdy ever" Strange words |
to be associated with heartache andmisery!
Yet, absurd as it may seem, they were
to Sallie's ears, freighted with drearier
spell than the ancient caballstic muttcr-
ings of witch or wizard, or the fateful ut
tcranccs of the oracles. For this, this
mere quotation, this idle joke, she had
wrought herself into a state of vlrtuous
and angry suspicion of the
man she loved. And she lost him. This
was the bitterest touch; yet more was to
come.
When she reached home, Aunt Trib met
lcrwitha rueful countenance. "My grief!
Salhe," she exclaimed, "a don't b 'lieye you
.reated Jack Arnold right. Here's let
.er from Free sayin' Jacks down with
.yphus fever, or somcthm' like it, and he
says You've killed him, and that we must
,ome down to l. right off. But, law
ne! what's he thinkin of, wantin' you to
'un your head into a contiguous diseased"
Auntie Trib's words were often changed
1t birth, like the Captain and Ralph,
when she spoke in haste). "Why, you
might as well face smallpox as typhus-
not but what I'm sorry for Jack; but of
,oursc we can't 60"
Got" cried Sallic, who had snatched
he letter. TRY to keep me, that's all!
must 60 to-night-to-nightl It's typhoid,
not typhus, auntie. Oh, if | could take ii
md die! Oh, Jack! Jack" and quiet,
lignifed Sallic broke down, and walled
ike u child.
They could not 90 that night; there
vas no train till daybreak; but Sallie
made ready for their journey with feverish
,nergy. Her poor bewlldered aunt remon-
;tratcd feebly, but in vain; she was whirl-
ID off in the early morning light, and sat
n a half dazed condition on the train,
with her best bonnet all awry, and with
Sallie's white innexible face beside her,
gazing straightforward like a mournful
Fate. How the young, proud heart had
Deen humbled that night in prayer and
ears Would the journey ever end?
1t ended at last; and Jack, whom, am
bound to say, not quite so i'll as Free had
represented, awoke from sleep to fnd1
bending over him-not the fair avenging
goddess of his late dreams, but the sweet
whom he loved. OF course he
'orgave her; Of course he recovered.
What would you expect2 He was tender
md vehement, and grief and perplexity
md remorse had broken MIN down, but
he was vigorous; and Joy and confession
Ind forgiveness restored him. OF course
,ou knew from the first how the story
would end; 1t is but a foolish story of
empest in teacup. But Sallie had
earned lesson which she never forgot.
How Jack laughed when he heard her
'xplanationl "As 'Pinafore' was the
,ause of our dispair," he said, ''let Pima
ore express our newly recovered happi-
less,
And he began to sing, feebly and incor-
ectly, but still heartily.
ooh, Joy! Oh, rapture unforseenr"
Free and Auntie Trib stood by like
kindly chorus, smiling benevolently.
"I'll never be so foolish again." said
,oor Sallie, meekly.
"What! never?" Kissed Free, in n stage
Whisper. |
mo, of course she never WILL" cried
luntie Trib, failing to recognize the Joke,
llthough it had been explained to her
,reat many times. With which exhibition
i innocence the old lady drought down
he house" as Capt. Corcoran himself
ould never do. But you see her audience
vas SO very happy.