The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1882-12-29

thrown herself into her lovers arm
but his chilling face and manner in
stantly checked her and she received
his cold kiss with a sinking heart,
only saying:-
ooh, Valentine, I am so glad!''
"Wcll, am not glad!" he said i'm
patiently. "What did you do this
for T.etty?"
"Do What for?" she askel, in in
tense surprise.
"Come here-disgraced yourself
and me-"
"Disgraced-Valentine!"
:, eyes; but what are you here but a
hired scrvant-a mere. nobody-a
working girl? Isn't that enough,
Letty?'
"But I could not beg, nor starve
nor steal. What could 1 do?" she
asked. st..
"You could have stayed with your
cousin" >
"Valentine, he never invited me to
stay" ...<
-'sBut no doubt he would if he had
known you wanted to. Write to
him now, lefty, ask him to take you.
You can make him like you well
enouge to give you marriage por-
tion, We can't marry on air, Lefty.
SBut we have hands to work." she
declared earnestly, blushing as she
spoke. .-.l
ssBother work! l don't like work:
I must have money-and I tell you
Lefty, it I marry against the wishes
of my folks I'll get nothing from
them-nothing." -... /
"They oppose it then?''queried
Lefty, with a Sparkling eye: -
aNot yet. They don't know tire
change in your position; but, Lefty,
if they find out you are here as a
mere teacher, couldn't even get
them to call on you, much less to re-
ceive you into their family as an
equal; couldn't indeed, Lefty"
Lefty rose to her feet and slowly
drew off her engagement ring.
She was pale her eyes glittered !,
but her voice was quite firm.
"You need not try, Mr.. Sever
ance. They will never be called
upon to receive me into their family
for 1 will never enter it. Here, I re-
turn you this ring. may be a
teacher, but I am honored and re-
spected here, and a thousand times
happier than I could ever be as your
wife, now really know your nature.
"WelI, I'm sorry, you know,
Letty," stammered Valentine, shame
facedly, but taking the ring; I wish
this had never happened, but I don't
see how we can mary if you presist
in this" .....-
81 shall presist, I tell you, Mr..
Severance, am honofed and happy
here; that is Il. You wanted your
release, and now you have it, and I am
glad / know you before it was to late
Farewell, Mr.. Severance, now and
forever
She turned and swept cut of the
room, leaving him with che ring in
his hand, in doubt weather to call
back or let her go; bat selffshness tri-
um phed.
He eonfd not marry q poor glrl,
and so he left Lefty Westinghouse
to fight the world alone, alone while
he went back to finish his travels.
Two years later, Valentine
came home again, heavily in debt,
and not having forgotten Lefty quite
| as he could have wished, for he did
not.care as mucbSfor her as he could
for any one.
It was to hot to stay in the city,
and in three days he was down in
the country with party of freinds.
The morning after their arrival, as
he stood with two of his companions,
lady and gentleman passed them,
and something made Valentine turn
and look after her.
"Who is that?' he asked.
"The greatest catch of the season,
replied one of his friends. She come
after we did, last night. That is
Miss Westinghouse, the great heiress
Westinghouse! I knew Mis-.
Westinghouse once, but she was no,
an heiress."
| Was she the daughter Of a whole
sale merchant who died in Londor
two or three years ago?
| t.Yes;-she was"