Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-04-29


cited voice rang out upon the air-the
voice of Martha Gaines-saying.-
"You are on impudent little brat, and
I'll send you home. How dare you set
up to teach me how to treat my hus-
bandY'
A low, sweet voice answered.
"You need not be so angry. Cousin
Martha. I only said thought Robert
Alderman deserved wife who loved
him."
"Fiddle-faddle-lovel You senti-
mental schoolgirls do talk such arrant
nonsense. Robert Ackerman is moon
ing old bachelor who wants wife to
manage him and keep his home"
The sweet voice rang out more clearly.
s'Robert Ackerman is a noble, true
gentleman, man to honor-a man to
love And if he marries he wants
wife who will love him, and make his
life glad and bright"
'My good gracious n gasped the as
tonished old maid.
"You think more this minute" con-
tinued Susan, "of his house, his money,
his carriage, and his table.linen than
you do of him."
"Well, suppose I do. Perhaps you
would marry him for love-"
Here the sweet voice broke in sob,
and Susan fled from the battle. field.
Robert Ackerman walked home very
slowly. For many weeks, ever since
that meeting in the cemetery, he had
felt as if his lost love, the hope of his
young manhood, had been restored
to him. Every hours intercourse with
Susan brought back the long-buried
dream of happiness more vividly. But
he had crushed down all hope. Never
could he link that bright, dawning life
with his sad, memory y-freighted one.
But this mornings experience gave him
a new hope-a hope that made his
breath come quickly, his heart throb
suffocatingly. He could not bear such
suspense long, and in the afternoon he
had wandered to spot in the woody
where Susan had brought her Ieedle
work often, and where Miss Martha's
keen eyes had never fallen upon the two
as they chatted by the hour of books
travel and so forth. As he expected, he
found Susan there, but she was pale and
shy, had evidently been weeping, and
shrank from him as she had never done
before.
| Very gently, very tenderly, he wooed
the sweet, blue-eyed child, till he,
golden head rested on his breast, and
she whispered
| II cannot imagine greater happiness
than to be your wife,"
Miss Dorothy Ackerman was all ready
to return to Meadowville when hel
brother presented himself in the draw.
ing.room of the house where she was
visiting. He surveyed the ancient gar
ments in which she had arrayed herself
for travel with such manifest DISCUS
that it awakened in her mind indignan
surprise.
"What are you looking at me in tina
way for% she asked sharply. ''Thi
| dress is good enough to spoil with dust
Come to look, you are wonderful,
spruced up yourself. Why, your sui
is new-new gloves, Of"
II wish you to dress yourself hand
somely, Dorothy, to attend my we'd
ding"
''You can't be married till we get t
Meadowville," Said Miss Dorothy
'Martha surely never came here wit
oup
"I told you some time ago that ha
, no intention of marrying Miss Gaines.
'.Then who are you gong to marry
, "Susan Desmond"
, "Miss Dorothy simply stared, with
, creeping horror that her brother ws
going mad.
'She is Philip Desmond's daughte
, my Susie's niece"
,''What are you talking about? Phil
. Desmond hasn't been married but"
"Twenty years. Susan is eightee
, just the age of my dear, dead darling
Miss Dorothy had soft place in b
: heart, hard as she seemed, and she hs
loved her brothers betrothed in tn
! long ago when they were all Joun
r Her voice was very gentle as she aske
8 "Are you sure she loves you, Rober
= She is very young
"a "But she loves me, Dorothy l
!, not fear for my happiness. sister"
~ And Miss Dorothy meekly seleot'
the richest costume from her tror
"a seau to attend the wedding, stopping
her way to the church to buy gift
n her little sister in law, that proved DO