Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-02-07
Love orc Or e'oldf
.which shall It belut

which hy befCfs her.! " p 2 sTalt 5l9l
p AadsosfEecSner surely. Broad fiSldI
from whiehsthe harvest had long sine
been gAthereds even the, Aftermath
nothing nov, remained save the brist
ling stub6Ey upon which thes autum
rain was hling&-drip, drip drip. Ovel
head, . dull, gray, sky, with the sul
sodden ,grpH earth. The whole worl
seemed rob6d In that one, sombsr col
or. - y G s7fs9 f,9l . r. lsff-. .
And to hat young girl who ,stoo
tnsre; neg yes sweeping impatientl
~ G1s1 tbs i sla seemed the dfe-rie't pictur
She was5oung and had beauty; tn
hears wttnn her breast throbbed wit
ambitious desires and l0nginGa; sh
wanted t6lIiss up above all these sordid
common surroundings, and get withii
her propef4p 4phere. She longed forwealtl
and luxury; her beauty, craved cost!
setting. yet she was but poor farmer
daughter, and lived ID an ancient re
farmhouse, In the midst ofgray, old corr
fields, from whence the green had fed
Itseemed to her, standing there wear
lily, as though the green would neve
come back again. the azure to the skie
or the song to the bird.
Yet she was deciding Q momentoui
question that day, and one which va.
destined to affect all her future. It wa
this: W
Arnold Lee, q millionaire, had askee
her to become his wife. But he was ole
and gray and wrinkled, and her heart
belonged to an0ther-RichaYd Lyle
But Richard was as poor a. she was
and and-and the glfttering bait which
the old man held out was very tempt
ing: /
Violet was tired of poverty, and thu
constant battle against the fills Of thia
life. She wanted to get away from II
all she longed to live In q palace, and
wear silks and jewels, and have all the
money she desired. And all this could
be gained by merely saying yes to Arm
old Lee!
But how could she? How could she
wrench from her heart the love which
occupied it, and glorified her life with
all the glories of pure and innocent
affection, and bind herself to this grim
old man for the sake of his gold? Yet
Richard was 80 dreadfully poor! Vio-
let's heart sank a. she remembered 1t
all. And she must decide quickly, fol-
in two hours time Arnold Lee would
come for an answer.
.'Violet!"
The girl turned to see her mother
standing beside her-a fretful, complains
ing woman, who spent her daily life In
bewailing their poverty.
SWELL, Violet" she went on, ''have
you made up your mind +? To think that
you should ask for time to decide such
q matter! Why. girl. should think
you would be 80 gratified at Mr.. Lees
proposal that you would tell him yee
without moments delay"
"Mother, do you really advise me to
marry that old man just for his money,
when you know that Richard and
are"
"You are not really engaged" inter-
rupted her mother. hastily. mo, thank
heaven and the understanding between
you, such as 1t is can be easily settled.
you cannot afford to refuse him! Why,
it will save you and Us all from the
depths of misery. Tell him yes, Vio-
let"
She left the room and Violet to her
flashed into the girls clear eyes.
II will nOt!" she cried, setting her
white teeth hard together, and clench-
ing her little hand fiercely, II will not
marry that old man! have decided
at last? Poverty with Richard Lyle il
preferable to life of gilded misery !"
A tall figure coming across the sodden
fields met her gaze-the color famed up
into her cheeks, her eyes shown with q
dewy light.
"Dear Richard ?" she whispered to
herself, he is coming; I will meet him
and tell him all !"
As she spoke the slow rain ceased fall
ing and a single blue streak appeared in
the sky. Throwing waterproof cloak
about her, she opened the low window
and stepped over the sill. Gathering
her skirts about her she darted forward
across the wet door yard, and met her
lover at her gate, "Oh, Richard" she
cried, stopping short, II want to tell
you'll"
She paused in shy confusion.
"You have decided, my darling?" he
whispered "well, Violet, which shall
it be-love or gold ?"
She slipped her little hand in his, and
the shifting color came and went In hel
fair cheek.
"Love, Richard!" she murmured,
softly. II shall not marry that old mar
they cannot force me to do It'll"
For q long time the two conversed to.
gether in low tones, and at last they
went away together through the gath
ering twilight down to the village lying
prim and silent in the evening shadows
And when they had returned to the
old farm. house Violet was Richard
Lyle's wife.
Quietly she slipped into the house, and
up stairs to her own room.
She had hardly lain aside her CLOAK
and changed her dress when her moth
"Violetv she began querulously,
make haste, can't you? Mr.. Lee hai
been waiting for you downstairs for thu
last half hour. Have you made up youl
mindW
Violet's face crimsoned.
EYES," she answered, softly, her eyei
shining with the light of 1--we, II have
made up my mind!"
Mrs. Vane caught her in her arms.
"God bless you, my child "she cried
for to her heart there was but one deci-
sion possible, ''now we shall know nc
more poverty-no more pinching ant
turning to get along In the world You
have saved US, Violet !"
But Violet had no words to utter
What would her parents say when they
knew what she had done? She wen
down. stairs and entered the shabby lit
tie parlor with its dingy carpet and old
fashioned furniture.
Mrs. Vane, sitting there, was already
turning over in her mind q hundret
plans for the future. They should hav'
|a new house, new, soft carpets and fin
furniture, and live and become pe0pl
of wealth and position.
She glanced up as Violet entered, ant
her heart misgave her ~ she observed
the girls pale cheeks and frightened
air. She arose as though to leave tn
room.
Old Farmer 'Vane, who had come ii
to entertain their distinguished visito
until Violet should appear, arose also.-
But Violet moti0ned to her parents t
remain.
"Do not go,n she cried her sweet voic
trembling . little have nothing to 81
which I cannot say in the presence o
my father and mother. Mr.. Lee" Oh
added, abruptly turning to the old mil
lionalre, who had arisen and stood he
fore her deferentially, "you have don
me the honor to ask my hand in maj
riage. Of course with the disparity be
Ix-oov, no fhoro oos,1d ha M uV1ssnt30vH Z