Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-07-13
sTAUNToN, VIRGINIA, FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1883.
his boots with his yellow silk pocket hand
kerchief, and to adjust his thick, dark

3 ANAS
locks before he raped on the door.
"I'm glad I'm not there" said Alice
Hopkins, with a long sigh of relief.
And then, having cooled her face and
hands in the transparent spring, she sat
down to think.
To her, reduction of her scanty salary
meant nothing less than starvation. AS
things we're she could scarcely pay her
board and other expenses.
Aud sitting there in the shifting shad-
ows OF the wind-blown branches, she cried
a little, to think how solitary and friend
less she was IN the world.
Miss Negley. however, was in very
different mood.
"Come ~ she had answered, brusque-
". to the knock at the door, without
taking the trouble to move from her seat.
And when Mr.. Barthorne entered, he
espisd her sitting stiff, silent and
Sstraight.
.."Good afternoon, Miss Negley !" said
the trustee, depositlng his hat on the
nearest desk and venturing on an apollo
get,c bow.
Good afternoon. Mr.. Barthornel' Miss
Negley answered, with just about as much
warmth as an icicle in her address.
II hope l do not lntrude, said the trus-
tee eivilly.
ooh, not at all !" said Miss Negley.
"A-hem ~ said the trustee. evidently
i'll at ease. cit amt easy to breach the
business I've come on, Miss Negley."
"I should think not" said the lady.
But called just at this hour, when 1
expected to find you alone"
"Oh, yes. I haven't any doubt that you
did" Miss Negley interrupted him in ac-
cents of fine sarcasm. "Even you, Squire
Barthorne, would be ashamed to hint at
such thing before the poor, dear chill
dren.n &,
"Eh 20 said Mr.. Barthorne, insti net
lively retreating pace or two, for there
was something pythoness in Miss
Negley's attitude, as she rose and darted
her head forward at him to emphasize her
words.
"Iknow what you're going to say, y said
Miss Negley; and I won't listen to
word of it-not one word No one but
set of, narrow:minded misers could have
thought of it. I'll leave Wyndale school
first''
."Well, we'll, no harm done," said Mr..
Barthorne, clutching at his hat. elf I'd
have known that you'd taken things as
hard as this"
Elbow did you suppose was going to
take 'em 2" said Miss Negley. with scorn-
full laugh. ''Did you mistake me for the
dust under your feet ?"
II assure you, ma 'am, that nothing OF
the sort was in my mind,'' humbly uttered
Mr.. Barthorne. II wish you good after
noon |"
He hurried out, remounted his gray
steed. which, poor beast. was just compos-
ing itself for a comfortable doze in the
sunshine, and rode off, making. to Alice
Hopkins intense dismay. straight for the
shady cedar-woods, where she still sat ar
ranging ferns around the ribbon OF her
pink sun bonnet.
"There's no use trying to run away, ="
thought she. Il may as we'll stay where
I am. And after all, why should be
afraid of Mr.. Barthorne 20
Mr.. Barthorne checked his rein as he
saw the pretty young school teacher there
under the cedar. He nodded pleasantly
"Fine day, Miss Alice!'' said he, wiplne
his brow with the Identical yellow silk
pocket handkerchief which had but now
served as buster for his boots.
YES" said Alice, standing like some
fair wood nymph beside the spring G.
ssPlease, Mr.. Barthorne, what did she
say 2"
"What did who say ?'' said the middle
aged gentleman, turning scarlet.
ssMiss Negley. Don't think me lntru
siye.,' she added ''but know all about
| it,
1.-THE duce you do p said Mr.. Barthorne
oWhy, she wouldn't let me get in word
edcewise-that's what she said. Perhaps
however, I've had a lucky escaped"
"But Won must OWE that it Is hard,
said Alice, earnestly.
Hard 2'' echoed Mr.. Barthorne. 81
should have supposed it would have suited
her exaetlyl Butt a new idea bursting
athwart bis brain, there's as good fish in
the sea rs ever were caught out of it! Miss
Alice, what would you say if 1 were to ask
you;to be ray wife ?'
Alice Hopkins looked at him in amaze
ment.
81. Mr.. Barthorne ~ she exclaimed.
"You are young enough to be my
daughter, sure enough said the worthy
man, not without some bitterness. "But
I'm not so very old, either, and I've good
home to offer any woman who will take
pity upon my loneliness"
LONELINESS %
Alice looked at Mr.. Barthorne in sur
prise. It had never occurred to her little
innocent heart that Mr.. Barthorne, in the
big white house. with the pair of horses
and the close carriage could ever be lone.
ly. And perhaps there was something in
the dewy brightness of her eyes, as she
raised them to Mr.. Barthorne's face, that
emboldeued him to plead his cause with
more energy.
IT should love you very dearly, Alice,''
be said, with tremble in his voice. 81
would be very good TO you. Won't you
answer me, Alice2"
Her head dropped there was an instant
of silence, aud then she said in low
tone:
Eyes. Mr.. Barthorne, I'll marry you. -
he bent and kissed her forehead.
'You III not regret it, my lass," said he.
''And you're the very girl I would have
yioJyod o,f Of tho,,oond Tim rJod NOM