Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-11-10
His True Love.

W blS NiV anu " oAhiAS = SiO"AJ Nl "4N
down the wide piazza of bis splendid
country seat, that warm, starlit July
night. with the waves Of the Passaic
FLASHING silvery through the fragrant
dusk, and the answering music of a
southwest breeze stirring, in low, mys-
terious melody, through the trees in the
park, he was living it all over again
all the only life worth living-and il
dated from the minute be had first seen
Christie Layne's witching face.
1t had happened so accidently-
Chauncey had many time felt almost
terrified TO think how nearly it had
come to not happening at all. He had
been late for his train-sOmething that
did not occur once In a year, so regular
and methOdical were he in his habits
aud n dainty yohng girl, with big velvc-
ty.brovn eyes and carnation-pnk
checks, and mouth like twln straw
berries for; lusciousness Of tint and
templinguess Of beauty, was belated,
too, and The two met, fate ordered, Oh
the bridge TO the ferryboat, three Sec
onds after the gang-plank bad been
bauled aboard.
That IS exasperating TO say the least,
he said, as he turned, with half-yeX-
ed smile, toward his iellow-miserable.
Then, when he saw the radiant, cX
quislte face, in all It's pirllsh bloom and
beauty, there went a feeling over and
through and about hlm that was strange
ly unlike anything lie eyer before
had experienced in his iorty-three years,
She made her broad, white forehead
pucker up into charming little irown
as she glanced from the receding boat
10 his plain, honest face-iust such a
face as woman would lnstinctively
trust out of thousand faces anywhere.
L am very much disappointed. ]
wouldn't have missed it for anything
my friends will meet tie train. anc
wonder what has become of me-
She turned back, disconsolately, to-
ward the ladies' wal; 'ng.room.
'Ifyou Sill allow ne TO be Of ser
vice. he sad, gravely, with that &C.
MISUNDERSTANDING sensation thrilling all
over him. Twill telegraph for you
and, as l have also 10 wait for the next
train, l will be most happy to see yor
safely TO your friends
Thanks. very much! Please dc
telegraph for me to Mr.. Seth AdIian,
at atPatuna,-Broadway, and explain.
am his niece, Christie Loyne.'
Chauncey's face suddenly frightened.
Mr.. Adrian Is a valued friend Of
mlue. l am quite sure lie would trust
you with me, and lie smiled. MY
name is Ralph Chauucey-my place o.
busness-Wall street, city,
That was their very informal miro.
duction and, four hours later, Mrs.
Adrian repeated ii, tremendously, IL
her OarlOr. And then
Well, it bad all happened IN the win
ter, nearly all Of which season Christie
had spent with the Adrians, IN their
palatial home in Patuna's beautiful
Broadway and the consequence was
that Ralph Chauncey hal asked tho
girl to marry him and she had not said
him nay.
In all the wide world thore was not a
happier, prouder man than Ralph
Chauncey as he paced the piazza of lis
home, that warm July night.
Two hours before. he had fair Chris
tie in his Farms, as he bade her good
night al her fathers home IN the city,
and the remembrance of her kiss. light
and dew, as the touch Of flower, lin
gered warmly with him.
i will be so gooG-so good to her J
he was thinking, rapturously. She
shall have everything in the world she
wants-there shall not be wish un-
gratlfed that can hear her express OF
imagine she thinks. Ny bright, bOnDy
little darling, that has flooded my grave,
quiet life with such blessed sunshine
Ny little Christie 1 wonder how it,
ever, ever came to pass that she could
care for me?'
1t certainly did seem somewhat
strange, when a purely disinteres.ed
party took it into consideration. Chris
tie Layne, young-twenty or more
years younger than he; she was ra'
dainty beautiful, gay and girllsh. while
her betrothed was grave, quiet, almost
retiring in his disposition. and possess
ing very few claims 10 being considered
a good-looklng man.
But be was so thorough ly good. He
was as gentle as woman, yet every
whit manly and resolute in whatever
he did or said and, with might and
force that sometimes half amazed HIM
self, he loved the girl who had promis-
ed to be bis wife, who had let BIN
clasp her 10 his heart. and received BIS
ardent kisses on ker smiling mouth.
Yes, he was approximately, per
fectly happy; and into that rapiurou'
peace, that brooded like blessing owe
him, q friend of his entered, that same
summer night-St. Elmo, honest an'
true, and sarcastic and plain'spoken
but whose out~and-out ireeness o
speech had ,never touched Chaunce.
until this occasion, when, so very nat
urally. Chrlstie's name was mentioned