Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-02-17
GUYS DISAPPEARANCE.

Ere am alone with the night
GUYS DISAPPEARANCE.
AS little Miss Bertha Finch came down
the village street to the railroad station in
a high wind, with that dry brown hat of
hers curling up cutely on her head, and a
glimpse disclosed of the sweet pink face
which she carried bent down against the
dust-c]ouds, you might naturally have
thought of aroustus blossoms in their pale
brown leaves. She was so small and young,
and fower-like and shy. AS 1 remember
ed her she seemed to be looking down hal
the time, or else it was only that she was
so short as to make direct glance into her
face no easy matter; SO that when she look
ed into ones eyes she had to turn her own
upward.
Yet she could be saucy, too. There was
a good deal Of independence about this
small slip of womanhood, in spite of her
shyness, her pathos, and her tiny figure
Bertha" her mother once remarked, lis
as set as cat if she chooses to be; and you
can't tell why she takes her whims, no
more than you can why cat does thus
and SO; but when she's once got notion,
she acts it out"
And she had taken whim, Jhis particu-
lar day, to go to town by the railroad that
went poking around the country in the
neighborhood of GIyddon as Informally as
plow, running such mild little trains I'D
and down, that Bertha felt as if all she
had to do was to call out s'Gee- whoa!' to
the engine, and it would obey her.
This whim of taking the cars was a mild
one, however, compared with her freak of
a few days before. Not to put the reader
in suspense, will state that she had re-
fused proposal of marriage from Guy
Atlee, a reasonably good and promising
young man, who had been to the high
school with her in earlier days, and pro-
posed now to graduate from the position
of bashful lover to that of a proud hus-
| band.
Gus had position as clerk in the post
| office and chief store of Glyddon, while
Bertha's father was not very well-to-do
farmer; so that the young man had the
argument of worldly prosperity on his
side. But then he might lose his position:
and somehow Mr.. Finch, though he lived
in rather broken-down old house. was
always important in town affairs. At any
rate, Bertha rejected the young man gayly,
yet with sense of her superiority that
was quite serious.
What is your reason? Don't you love
me?' asked he, in business-lke way
They we're standing at the time Oh little,
unfrequented stone bridge, with a blue
and white sky reflected in the water be-
low, and birds singing around them in the
young green boughs.
eff L did, do you suppose I'd tell you."
returned Bertha, with irrepressible mirth.
II suppose it's because you're proud,
then," Guy inferred, becoming gloomy.
II think am proud of knowing nv own
mind,'' she admitted, (which all girls
dOn't.''
Il wish you'd tell me the real reason,n
uuO uAiOIuuuOLO AOYCl lCSuubu.
"Well, then. - said Bertha, more roguistl-
ly than ever, you're too young"
Guy kicked the bridge in his impatience.
"I'm month older than you are,'' he de-
clared, peremptorily.
II never should be able to look up to
you,o his companion assured him.
This was SO absurd that Guy laughed in
spite of his state of provocation. He was
nearly six feet tall, and she hardly five, so
that, taking the proposition in it's linear
or perpendicular instead Of its spiritual
sense, Bertha was egregiously wrong
However, "Then you can LOOK down to
me-" he replied. And as they were both |
at that moment peering over the SIDE of
the bridge, she adopted his counsel literal
ly, for there he was. or appeared to be,
gazing up out of the placid stream from
the midst of mimic sky. A white cloud
reflection encircllng his head made him
look prematurely venerable, and Bertha
confessed to herself that he was really
handsome.
"Well, I'm going home now" she said,
presently. "You wait here, 1 think-it !
will be BETTER
Upon this Guy became sarcastic. "How
long shall wait 20 he inquired. "About |
thirty years, I suppose, till my hair turns
gray"
eff you like,' said Bertha Finch, not
'daunted in the least.
ITS nothing to you, see," the young
man replied, bitterly, suddenly feeling very
suicidal.
"What waiting thirty years p laughed
she. "Oh yes, that would be very seri-
Gus thing to me. But don't suppose I
shall.7'
She bad turned back to say this, but as
she resumed her retreat immediately, he
was left alone in another moment. Guy
debated with himself what hu would do.
He was terribly stung by what no consid-
cred Bertha's heartlessness, and for mo-
ment or two the idea Of throwing himself
into the river, where he had just seen his
own image lying SO seductively, occupied
his mind as facile though watery solu-
ton of his trouble. Then he thought how