Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-08-08
STAUNTON, VA, TUESDAY. AUGUST

pocket and fell upon the crimson carpet
She bent forward and picked it up
with low laugh.
(which of Dicks friends is sufficient
ly foppish to perfume his letters,
wonder?" ~ 1000 3se,5..
Then she turned the right side up and
looked at it. And then che saw-what
Nothing very terrifying, certainly
Only thick sheet of embossed paper,
stamped with monogram, in azure and
gold, incomprehensible as monograms
usually are.
A woman's letter, decidedly-written
in pretty, scrawling, irregular hand
Enthusiastically womanis.
The bird like song died on Dolly
Everett's lips; the soft, bright color
faded slowly out of her face; the blue
eyes grew wider and startled, as deliber-
ately, though almost involuntarily, she
read the few words on the page before
her.
The note ran:
t''DiCK,. .DARLINo-I have missed you
dreadfully Of late. Come! Exercise
diplomacy o-night, and slip away.
hate her for keeping you from me. Be-
sides, Gerster is in town! Is the hint
too broad? In spite of all, Dick, ever
your EDITH"
That was all but it was enough. For
q few moments Dolly's eyes, blazing,
terrified, stared straight >at the fatef0l
sheet, as though they would shrivel it
up with their blue fire.
Then she flung it shuddering from
her, as though 1t were venOmOus thing,
and could sting her.
h<v 6ov 81 20 fr
Dick-her Dick !-yes, she told herself,
with an air of defiant proprietorship.
hers only.
She crushed her hand tightly togeth-
er, till the diamond next to the plain
gold circlet cut the white flesh cruelty.
Then, as horrible suspicion leaped
to life in her brain, with low moan she
slipped from her chair and crouched
shivering against the great shaggy over
coat.
Her fears took tangible shape. What
if he had gone to meet this woman? For
the first time he had evaded answering
her questions.
And how guilty and hurried he had
seemed-so horribly happy and light
hearted, too! A thousand words and
glances, before almost unnoticed, now
flashed upon her. She snatched up the
note again and looked at 1t.
It was dated the evening of that day.
"Oh, Dick, Dick !" she cried, wildly,
chow could you? And-I loved you
sov
Then, with a sudden storm of sobs,
she broke down altogether, and, bury
ing her face in the crumpled overcoat,
wept and wept as if her very heart was
breaking, the graceful little figure shak
en- and convulsed.
The fire burned low in the CRATE under
coating of gray ashes.
Eleven! Now she did not pause to
listen to the silver music.
Footsteps came along the sidewalk,
up the steps; latch key turned eau
tiously in the door, She neither heard
nor stirred In the hall, Dick paused, q
curious smile on his lips.
"Dolly's asleep, sure as fate J"
He divested himself of hat and over
coat, and humming popular air, turn
ed ttse handle of the parior door.
"And listen w. Il tell you of the ba--"
te,$'; Goodness H. what's the mat,
His song came ah untimely end as
he caught sight of the sobbing, shaking
little figure on the hearthrug.
He took one stride toward her, but at
the sound of his voice she had sprung to
her feet with crimson cheeks and dan
gerously sparkling eyes.
"Stand off, sir! Don't dare to touch
mel"
"Great heaven! Dolly-"in direct be-
wilderment
Don't Dolly me! !" facing him like a
diminuIive tigress-"don't dare tO!"
"Dollyv
Don't mention my name so soon after
hers-this Edith to whom you are
Dick, darling!"
ODDLY"
"Can you find no other word with
which to defend or vindicate yourself
except the repetition of my name?" this
last with unnatural calmness.
The temperature had waited around
from the torrid to the frigid zone.
Have you gone-mad ?" slowly.
Scornfully she flung him the crumpled
sheet.
He snatched it eagerly and read every
word. Then he lifted q face of, If posi-
BILE, more intense, utter bewilderment
than before.
Where did you get this, Dolly?"
"There!"
"Therev in blankest establishment.
She pointed dramatically to the tnm-
bled OvercOat.
"There ?"
He glanced from the note to the coat,
from the coat to the note, back again to
Dolly.
She was longing desperately to steady
= xnioo on1 oti1l hop h on fl 8ai a Of1 "
to ask him how he liked Gerster, just to
exhibit piece of stinging sarcasm but
she could not, to save her life.
There was blank silence q moment,
then Dick walked over and picked up
the overcoat.
Hark K f! what was that? Not laugh,
surely?
Yes, q laugh! The maddest, merriest,
widest peal that ever rang from human
lips.
There on the hearth-rug stood Dick,
the coat fallen loosely on the floor, his
hand b on both hips, and laughing-well,
he was.
"Dick !" in faltering amazement.
"Yes!" howled Dick. lob, Dolly,
And then he was roaring like circus
uud' 6CnOOAOOy oS0AA.
q )ick-tell mew
q len, seeing her white, anxious face,
he brew suddenly grave.
"Dolly, did you look at the envelope ?''
II saw nOne."
he showed her the slip that had flut-
tered unnoticed under the table.
She read the address:
RICHARD HARVEY, ESQ.,,
1872 South - st., City.
Dolly, did you particularly notice
the overcoat?" ?"
a tremulous "NoW
'iLook See that velvet collar, those
buttons, this pocket. book! Is it my
overcoat ?"
Nc. no, noW
She was sobbing in his arms now.
''My darling! But" bubbling again
into boyish laughter, "what a glorious
joke! To think that I should walk
hom me in, and that you should mend,
Dick Harvey's overcoat! Wonder if
hib folks are going through my pockets
now? Who's Edith? p His sweetheart,
whom he has to sneak off to see, be-
cause of a formidable heiress staying at
his house at present, to whom his folks
are trying to marry him. He told me
all about it."
"Dick, ,"-shy arms went creeping
rcpund his neck, and blue eyes grew lu-
through their tears-"I'm never
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