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

But to this there were three objections
In Jhe first place, it was not certain an
other girl would have him; secondly, Mis-
Finch might not become an old maid; an,
nhally, he loved Miss Finch. At last b
said TO himself, 81 know what I'll do; III
disappear
| And he did.
No young man could have been bette
situated for INDUCING in this popular mod
ern pastime. He had no family in town
MS counts were correct to cent; hi
habits were irreproachable. There coulC
not be consequently, any distress to pa
rents. or suspicion of peculation, or dis
graceful reason for his dropping out o.
sight; and the mystery Of The thing woult
be complete.
In fact when it became known that b,
was no longer IN the village, the theory OF
suicide was the one Immediately adopted
for the usual reason that there was no evi
dence to sustain it. Suicide? And howl
For what motive? Nobody could tell bu
it was settled that the cause must have
been disappointment in love, although al
testimony on the subject went to show
that for day or two before he was last
seen the missing young man had been in
exceptionally good spirits. IJ was propose
| 20 organize a search after him, and even to
drag the river and the ponds; but Post
master Pound announced that this would
be useless. ''Atlee left a message he
SAID, stating that all such deings would
be labor thrown away in confederation
OF which he produced paper signed by his
late clerk. 1t could not be learned, either
chat any one had seen him near the water
or, Tor that matter, anywhere about the
railroad. The last person who had had
sight of him had met him on the street to-
ward evening; Atlee had passed on into
the dusk, and that was the last seen of
him.
1t was with some idea of relieving her
mind, l think, that she betook herself to
the railroad this windy day for a trip to
town. An old man with copious white
hair, gold-bowed glasses. and a f1at-crown-
ed feit hat. who sat placidly at one of the
Car windows, reposing his hands on cane
which he kept remarkably perpendicular,
was good deal struck by her fresh and
sweet appearance as he saw her blown
along by the wind to the depot; and, as
luck would have it, when she entered the
car-true to her Instinct Of preferring age
to youth, and finding all the seats half fill
ed by very dapper young men, or very dir
~ AID disagreeable middle-aged ones
Bertha selected the unoccupied portion of
this very seat where the old man was med
ltating, and nestled down into it as cozily
as young martin in the maternal martin
box. 1t was in keeping with the slight
recklessness of her general character that
she should Immediately extract a paper
novel from her pocket, and begin to read,
despite the desperate efforts of the train to
joggle her eyes out of her head and the
print out of the page.
"Windy day, young lady," said mild
voice in her ear, so affably moduated that
she felt as if it could hardly be the voice
OF stranger. 1t was the old man speak
ing to her.
"Yes," she assented, pleasantly; 81
thought it would blow me away"
"You are rather mite Of body to Fight
it out with such breeze,'' remarked her
new acquaintance. s'But it don It seem to
hurt ye, to judge on it from the roses in
your cheeks. Lord, remember in the
days when [ was courtin' how I used to
like day like this. 1t made my gals face
shine just so; and I amt too old to take
pleasure in it yet"
Bertha felt her face 'sshine'' still more
than before at this speech, which she rated
as trifle familiar, coming from stran-
ger. But then the man had white hair,
and, after all. it was not unpleasant. She
smiled. with some embarrassment, but
said nothing, and resumed reading, while
her fatherly companion seemed to become
absorbed in recollections of his youth. Be-
fore long, however, he said: II suppose it
hurts your eyes good deal, reading in the
train, don't it p
cit does sometimes,'' she admitted,
somewhat annoyed at this second opening
of conversation, for her story was inter
esting. But determining to resign her
self, she laid the book down abruptly, and
looked straight at the old man, who re-
turned her gaze genially from the midst of
his whiskers and spectacles.
$50 you live in Glyddon % he inquired.
eyes
"l'm acquainted there some. used to
i've there.7
"You did !" exclaimed the young girl,
frightening up at once.
The old man began asking questions
about various people in the village, and
inally mentioned Atlee, 'He came from
'he place where woodruff, Yer
folks thought he was a likely |
enough young man when he started down
% Glyddon. How's he doing now p"
Poor Bertha blushed and shook with
rs much feeling Of guilt as if she had per-
'onally superintended the closing of Guys
career with a violent death. Somehow !
his bland, fatherly old PERSONS interest in
lin gave her new perception of the mys-
cry and awfulness of his fate.
"Oh !" she exclaimed, ''hadn't you
heard ?'
'What he amt dead ~ responded her |
leighbor, with quaver in his voice, But |
Immediately he added: ''No, he can't be- !
should have heard of it. Perhaps you |
mean he's married %
At another time Bertha would have
aughed at this absurd juxtaposition, and !
wen now had the impulse to answer, mo,
It's not qnite so bad as that" But the |
mention of marriage came too near her last |
with Guy to make it wholly |
,onical, so she merely said: 'sHe's gone
AWAY, nobody knows where; it was quite |
sudden and unaccountable.'
Afteraa good many expressions of grief
md wonderment, the old man wound up