Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-02-27
hollows and meerschaums.


cause hers to waver and droop. glad 10
shelter themselves behind the white lids!
Why. at parting, IS the little white hand
SO hastily withdrawn from the close. VAIN
pressure of his? Why, after he has go'e,
does she gaze so tenderly at the hand she
had SO hastily withdrawn, raise it almost
to her lips, and then suddenly let it drop
at her side? Why? I can tell you that.
She loves her husband with her whole
warm, passionate heart. And Tor year
or more has been living on husks. He
considers his whole duty done when the
table is bountifully supplied, the wife well
dressed, and does not WAIVER in his allie
glance to her. Possession has dimmed
the bright lustre of his love. and SO, the
wife's heart is hungry for it. and this old
admi.er, whom she gladly threw over for
Charley, is welcome to day for the sake Of
the ripple he makes on this dead-sea mon
osony. down which she is. slowly drifting,
and his eyes cruise hers to droop, and his
hand pressure causes her heart to throb
because there is love in the eyes and ten
|
She does not care one iota for this Ray
Remington Still, she has hungered SO
long. that this crust is not so unpalataDle
to her as it would once have been. There,
sir or madam, you have the explanations
AS for you, Mr.. Jones or Robinson, IS
there so much difference between your
conduct and that of this Charles Thorn
ton of whom write, that you can afford
to pass the lesson by as not applicable to
YOU? If so, Mrs. Jones or Robinson is to
be congratulated. She is a happy woman,
and God bless you, sir, say L, and l wish
there were more like you.
Now 1 am not going to make OF this
Ray Remington flend incarnate. No;
he was simply what would be termed
genuinely good fellow; which means he
was witty, generous, warm friend, no
body's enemy, and little, just little,
| weak, and lmpulsive enough to follow up
his own desires and inelinations, rocking
| little of the cost or consequences to him
self Or others.
| He had been very much in love with
pretty Mrs. Thornton before she became
Mrs Thornton-when she was pretty Lou
Tremaine-and had asked her to change
her name for that of Remmington. But
pretty Miss Tremaine was very much In
love with some one else, and a few months
thereafter made herself and that other
4 supremely happy by going through GER
tain ceremony at Grace chcrch. resplen-
dent in white satin Brussels lace. And
Ray Remington, with a dull gnawing
pain at his heart, acted as grooms man.
and there was not tremor in his voice,
though the brave face was colorless, when
lie congratulated the bride and groom and
wished them bon voyage.
He had met Mrs. Thornton several times
since her return from her tour, but never
alone, as to day, and he found it danger
ously sweet to. sit there gazing into the
lovely eyes and at the dear, tender little
m outh of his early love.
But let US return to Mrs. Thornton.
She stands there in the center OF that pref
tv room, with white, white face, and a
wild, frightened look in the sweet blue
eyes, then bursting into passionate flood
of tears, throws herself on the nearest
chair, drops her face in her hands. and
her hands on Che table before her. Five
ten-ffteen minutes pass. The sobs grow
fainter and fainter and fainter. at length
silence reigns save an occasional chlrp
from the canaries, and the ticking OF the
pretty French clock on the mantel. A rap
at the door arouses her and James enters
with cluster of violets. There is no card
nothing to tell from whom they came;
but she knows only too we'll. In the dear
old DAYS. when she was Miss Tremaine,
two such clusters were left every day at
I her door, one bearing Ray Remington 8
card ard the other Charles Thornton's.
How long ago it seems and how chang
ed the violets are! AS fragrant as of OLD
and as quantity pretty their dear little
faces all awry. but somehow they almost
make her cry And she lkens them &c
lit lie, fearful blue eyes, and kisses them
tenderly. pityinely, and then-thrusts
them hurriedly into the open drawer OF the
the table. closes it, and turns to meet hel
husband, whose step had announced his
coming.
!, A moment later she is excessively pro
f., voked at herself for thrusting the vlolets
out of sight. Why did she do 1t! ohf
a could net have told you. Perhaps she fel'
instinctively that her husband could hard
! " approve of her receiving even so trifiins
gift as wee bunch of violets from h1'
old rival, Ray Remington.
Well, the thing was done, and there wal
r no help for it. Were she now to take tnen
' from the drawer. Charley would certainly
e require an explanation as to how they go
o there, and surely it was queer place II
r which to put pretty, fresh flowers. Bette'
/ not say anything about them. And shoult
f she speak of Rays visit? Yes; she woul(
i surely tell that-but not now--after din
;. ner. Charley was always just a tribe i'm
Y patient-cross-wh he was hungry. oht
:. would wait until after dinner. But befor
e the desert was brought in, while she wa
8 eating her salad, her husband asked to D
i excused.
i ~There was a most interesting article Il
:. the Evening spouter" on the Chimes
s question, which he had commenced in tn
d omnibus on his way home, and becom
q deeply interested in
u And off he went. and when the dalpt
n cup custards, fragrant Mocha and 'usclou
g fruit were brought in there was trouble
some lump in the white throat and sus
y picious moisture in the blue eyes OF nj
a wife, and the custard was tritied with Io
II or tzua Of I'll,