Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-06-30


And all OF its powers for pleasure or pain
Been slowly and sadly proving.
Here the sweet girlish voice fa!ters, and
Jessie Gray signs as she picks up hAr sew
lng again. She is sitting in the halnIapcS
under the apple tree, and very pHettypic-
ture she makes. At least Arthur Thorne
t inks so, as he walks quietly up the path
and over to where she is sitting.
81 don't see why you should sigh, Miss
Jessie; there cannot surely be any apph-
cation in that song to yourself.
"How your voice startled me, Mr..
rhorne did not see you coming on ac
| ..tunt of tile intervening trees.'
AS she Says this Jessie looks up at him.
vainly trying to suppress the blush that
rises to her face.
s.Of course there isn't" she continues.
referring to his remark. II was not think
ing of myself, and suppose sighed uncon-
sciously."
IL didn't think it could apply t., such u
| ,eartless little coquette." says Arthur,
| folding her little brown hand u trifle long
| r than necessary.
Noticing this. Jessie draws it away and
'rhorne throws himself on the grass al her
| fptt. While they are talking we will take
i ;,icture of them.
! Arthur Thorne is unquestionably hand
5 nat. A perfect blonde, tall, wr.l-formed.
lud features rs finely cut as those of the
urest cameo. He is the only sun of very
/ ,ealthy NV York widow who is spend
the summer at Newport. Arthur has
.een will! her until about three weeks ago,
when he suddenly tired of the round of
fashionable gaiety he was indulging in,
nd bidding his mother hasty Ego nd-by"
he started off and soon found himself in Il
quiet little New Hampshire village Upon
questioning different ones, he was direct
| ed to Farmer GraY's pleasant farmhouse.
| where he received a'cordial welcome and
WAS soon lnca' ed.
OF course the plain though comfortable
room, with its great feather beds, WAS
something very novel to this young
gentleman still everything WAS so sweet
aud clean that he rather liked it, and de-
cdsd to stay as long as he was contented.
At first he thought few days would suf
flee; but when he caught glimpse of his
kind host pretty daughter he changed his
| mind.
Jessie Gray is indeed pretty enough to
attract any one, either young or old. She
is just eighteen a pretty, slight. girlish
figure, short black hair curling over her
proud little head and low, white forehead;
mall, straight nose, and the sweetest
litGle mouth in the world. But best of all
are the beautiful gray eyes. that one min
ute fash fire as she says something unusu-
ally sancy, and the next crow sad and ten
der as she listens to some touching story
that awakens all the sympathy of her
warm womanly nature.
Gone, don't be so industrious, Miss
JESSIE" Says Arthur. as he tries to take
the sewing from her. / want you to come
! for row, as it is too lovely an afternoon
to stay away from the water" And he
looks at her with coaXing expression
that she-poor little girl cannot resist.
So they started off across the fields and
soon reach a very pretty lake nesting in
the midst of Farmer Gray's broad acres
Unmooring dainty little boat just large
enough for two, they get in and are soon
sent Swimming over the water by Arthur
Thorne's master strokes. After while he
stops, and resting On his oars looks up to
find Jessie's beauti' j eyes fixed on him
| with an expression 10 them he has never
before seen
''Of what are you thinking. little girl
You are not half as jolly as usual ?"
AS he asks this strange feeling comes
over him, and he suddenly realizes why he
; has been so contented during the last two
weeks. Yes. he loves her, not as he has
thought he loved dozen other girls, to
tire of them 10 week but with the strong
overmastering love that comes but, once
in life time. He longs to hold her in his
arms and tell her of it, but thoughts of his
proud, naughty mother drive back the
words; SO he only takes her little hand in
| his as he waits for her answer.
81 was thinking" says Jessie, in her
low, sweet voice, show much shall miss
you when you really go, and how very
pleasant the last two weeks have BEEN"
This is too much for him to Withstand,
and in another moment Arthur's arms
were around her, and Jessie's curly head
is piIlowed on his breast.
"My darling little girl" and his voice
is inexpressibly tender as he speaks, 'do
you realize how dearly love you, and can
you feel any of that deep love for mep''
"Arthur, fear you already know that
l do" and Jessie's glorious eyes look
bravely and tenderly up at him.
Two more weeks pass. which they snioy