Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-02-22
Blue is his favorite color"

Blue Is his favorite cOlor.'
Mr.. Harrison smiled and left the room
and Louise, only waiting to put Harry's
letter safely away in the top bureau draw
or, ran down stairs and into the library to
search for the papers.
Never had her appearance been less at
tractive. 1t amply justified her fathers
remark, and would have given her aunt,
could she have seen it, the heartache for
week. The soiled wrapper was minus
belt, and hung loosely about her; her
hair, gathered in an untidy kuot at the
back of head, was held in place by brok-
en- comb, and dilpidated ruche surround
ed her slender neck. She wore no cuffs,
no pin at her throat, and the braid which
should have bound her dark petticcat
trailed on the floor for nearly yard be-
hind her. A pair of black slippers, worn
/ at the toes, and run down at the heels,
! completed her costume.
While searching in the library closet
for the papers, she came across book on
a subject which had interested her deeply
and forgetting everything else, she threw
herself into chair which stood before
the open CRATE f;e and began to read.
so completely absorbed did she become
that she did not mark how time was fly
ing. Her slippers fell off, and her feet,
clothed IN dark stockings. sadly in need
IF darning, rested conspicuously on the
fender. But she needed nothing, had
thought for nothing but the book which
| SO fascinated her. She was unaware that
the library door had opened. and that a
young man stood upon the threshold, re-
garding her with eyes in W lich astonish
ment and disgust could be plainly read.
Nothing was lost to his view. The
soiled, Ink stained wrapper, the untidy
hair, the dilapidated ruche, the slipshod
slippers and tattered hose made up the
details of costume such as he had never
seen before, and which he fervently hoped
he might never ste again.
"Louise -
"Harry1"
With face suffused with bushes,
Louise sprang to her feet, letting the book
fall with crash to the floor.
II found that I could get off a day
sooner than 1 supposed when 1 wrote you
two days ago. said the young man, in
voice SO stern that the girl scarcely recog
nized 1t as chat of her lover, land I did
not telegraph, thinking to give you sur
prise. | fear, however. that it is an un-
pleasant one for US both,' and without
another word, and unmindful of the look
of entreaty in the eyes of his betrothed,
ne turned on his heel and left the house.
Louise cried herself to sleep that night.
She saw that there was but one course
open to pursue. The next day she wrote
to Harry, releasing him from his engage
nent.
His answer was to return to her all the
letters she had written him.
She never Saw him again, for her pride
would not permit her to revisit Briartown,
and run the risk of meeting him there,
and she steadfastly declined the urgent
invitations of her aunt, who would gladly
nave been instrumental in bringing the
young couple together again.
Years have passed, and Louise Hsrri-
son is well known in the literary circles of
her native city, and has many friends who
both love and admire her. But she has
never married, and the one bitter enemy
OF her life is that dark March day when
her young lover gave her an unpleasant
surprise. Florence b, HalloUeW. IN Chica-
go Standard.