Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-11-12

ceived of.-Read this!'' he took note
from his pocket, tossing it towards me.
Tell me what it means for I have never
found OUT It bore date of two years
previous:
"MY DEAR SIDNEY-In reply to your
message I can only say, it will be better
for US both if we never meet again.
| agnes KINGDOM"
"Agnes Kingdom" l exclaimed. l had
not recognized the writing.
you do not know her!'' he asked
quickly.
''You wrote to ME of her, you know, y
1 answered, evasively, ''but have no
memory for names.''
''But tell me what it means,'' he repeat
ed, absorbed in his first thought; II have
studied those few words more than all my
cases put together"
! "What was the message?" / asked.
| ''Oh, of course, ought to tell you that.
j Agnes was thrown from carriage be-
tween two and three years ago, and her
head was badly hurt. They sent me word
that day, but I.could not go to the house
before the next evening. For month
there was but little change. I went to see
her as often as could-every week or ten
days. AS she could hardly speak or look
at me, 'twasn't much comfort"
lone day 1 called and was told by her
sister that her husband had taken Agnes
to Colorado and had been gone week.
She had left no message, and 1 could not
find that she had any thought Of me in
leaving. 'Twasn't a pleasant surprise.
She was away five months, and never
wrote to me. One evening l caught
glimpse of her at the opera as the au<
dience was leaving the theatre. I met
her brother in the stage the next dav.
"Oh, yes," he said, in answer to my
question, s'Agnes has been back several
weeks.''
I leave you to judge how you would have
acted in my place. l was hurt more than
could tell. I wrote her a note telling
her that IN view of the way she had left
the city and her silence from that time
on, should wait to hear whether a call
from me would be welcome. This was
her reply. Of course did not go to see
her-I have never seen her since.''
''And up to that time. said, ''had
you suspected no change of feeling?"
Nothing. She was always her own
sweet, loving self, and in thinking of her
since, l have never been able to recall an
impatient or angry word
Had you ever given her occasion for
any?" was my natural question.
''Not that 1 know Of. You have al
ways found me pretty good-natured sort
Of a fellow, jerks, easy to get along with,
haven't you?''
"Tell me,'' I said, ignoring the question,
''why you were not married long ago. 1t
is ten years, at least, since your engage
ment to Miss Kingdom"
ooh, as to that was his answer, ''you
know would never marry unless l could
support imy wife IN luxury. For long
time my practice was not sufficient for
thas. Then was IN Europe for a couple
of years, working up those Government
cases"
s'And travelling good deal, too;" inter-
rupted, enjoying yourself pretty well on
the whole, recollect.''
ooh, yes, enjoyed it, certainly"
"And after your return ~
''Then 1 got into politics, a good way be-
yond my depth, as soon as got home; ran
for representative that year, though I
wasn't elected. But the excitement had a
fatal fascination for me-gave me no time
/ to think of anything else.'
There was long pause. We heard the
town clock strike one. The fire was dying
out slowly.
"Why don't you say something, Jenks?',
Sidney asked, impatiently.
because if I say, the only thing can
say, the thing really and truly believe. 1
doubt if you ever want to hear me speak
again, Sidney Meredith.
$50 on;' he said, shortly, sits all right"
" think" I said, "that from first to
last you have utterly failed to appreciate
the woman who was faithful to you for so
many years. She has always filed sec
OnQaTy place Ia your llIo-
"You do not know how I loved herr
''That is just what do know" I said,
'syou never loved her as we'll as you loved
yourself, and everything you have told me
only proves the fact. In her greatest need
of you, you failed her the most completely.
When it became your turn to feel the
slight. the omission, the ignoring-what-
ever you please to call it-you were disa-
greeably surprised. What reason had you
to expect anything else +? You went to
see her every week or ten days, you say.
Why, for month it was doubtful whether
she lived or died! Do you think that she
felt that her life or death mattered much
to you 20
sHow do you know" he asked, quick
ly.
had not meant to tell him, yet there
was no reason why should not.
IL met her afterwards Colorado
s'And she told you"
Nothing. was her physician. 1 saw
for myself p
'And you love her jerks ?''
The words were great cry. My face
had told its own story. as it had done once
BEFORE"
"Hopelessly," l answered. ''She will
never know it. Alice Kingdom is woman
who will never love twice. She filled in
your life the place of a neglected, disap-
pointed woman, until the position grew in
tolerable. Don't wonder at what she has
done. only wonder she did not do it
years before.''