Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-03-19

trimony. The guardians OF the four chill
dren were the master of Deersileld and the
mother of Caroline, who very harmonious
ly ruled these incongruous elements given
into their care by a strange Iate. belle
and Jane were not difficult to manage.
Joe, gentle lad, gifted with wonderful
talent for coloring to the life, and afflicted
with a stammering speech that made him
reticent Of talk and shy OF compromising,
was devoted almost to the degree OF soil
tude in his ceaseless application to his art
Caroline was tease and romp, forever
in disgrace.
It was no matter of surprise to jos that
on the morning after Charlie Evans fancy
ball the daughter of the Regiment was in
solitary confinement as punishment Of
some objectionable act. She hailed joe
from her window as he crossed the lawn,
motioning to him that she wanted to let
down basket for provisions, as she would
not and could not eat ''dry bread"
Joe had been her forager before; her
slave he always was. To say the truth,
he loved this wild, naughty, self-assertive
playmate of his with all the secret fervor
of boys heart. Caroline was aware of
the hidden sentiment, and imposed upon
the homage egregiously.
Joe having satisfied himself that the
coast was clear, received the basket which
Caroline dropped from her window with a
cord. The basket contained a three-cor-
nered note
DEAR JOE Its perfectly shameful that
Pm locked up. should starve if it were
not for you. All did was to go up in the
cupola last night with Charlie Evans to
And it WAS so nice up there. we stald an
hour. Mamma was awfully angry. so
was Ben, for l WIS engaged for two dances
with him, and missed them both. Oh,
Joe, you ought to have been there! it was
very poky in you not to come late, as you
promised.
Tell Nan to send minced veal if she has
any-I think she mustard plenty OF
bread and butter land some brown sugar
| to spread,) and some pickles, and d piece
! of cold chicken, and anything else that is
nice.
| CAROLINE.
A quick, sharp flush crossed Joe's face
as he read this note, not in disgust, as one
might imagine. at she mundane appetite
of his fair goddess, but at the one sentence
of the note not marked emphatically with
underline; Sup in the cupola last night
with Charlie Evans"
Joe smothered his jealous pang, bribed
Nan, the cook. literally, and sent the bas
ket up to Caroline, so heavily loaded thai
one ounce more would have broken the
cord.
Mamma, from recess OF the library
window, caught glimpse of this transac-
ton. but by the time she reached the thirc
story, unlocked the door and confronted
her prisoner basket and contents had alike
vanished Caroline's lips were extremely
red, but otherwise there was no sign that
anything had been devoured. She sat in
the window SPACE breaking bread into
crumbs; a fioek Of wood birds hoyare6
around her.
IL cannot eat dry bread, mamma sh'
said: shut my birds do; they seem to low
it,"
Carrie, Carrie, what a girl you are!'
said mamma. She meant to be reproach
full but her voice was not stern; she wa
viewing her daughter in one Of those win
ming traits that Offset her hidden ways
Caroline, often unkind to people, to ami
mails she was always kind. Every dumI
beast at Deersfeld loved her, from the AL
derney COW, whose affect ionate face sh
stroked every morning, to the last littl
golden down chicken of the white hen
brood. She had broken to saddle NOR
than one spirited colt. and her pack of pc
dogs numbered many Of formidable breet
one bloodhound.
The rosy checked, bright-eyed Carri
was an attractive creature as she sat il
the sunlight feeding the birds, which, an
sWering her call, sped from the grove anG
alighted fearlessly On her head, her hands
land her shoulders. Mammals forgiveness
was won by the picture.
To Joe, looking from below, the vision
was even more picturesque; the dormol
window in the gray roof, overhung witt
vines of woodbire and Wistaria, the darl
recess relieving the sunlight figure, thu
smiling face welcoming the birds.
AS years passed on, the three pretty
| la oo