Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-02-20
"Go on, GO on! till you see the avdges of

eLlI; E}@s=S<;4z~ SAN~
"Go on, 60 on! till you see the avages of
SIN"
Morningl No books: no idle, listless hours
for me to-day. Plenty to do. plenty to think
about: all sorts of ARRANGEMENTS to make.
Farewell to my moody, sulien life Fare
well to my aimless, selfish existence Hence
forward I should have something worth liv,
ing for-worth dying for, if needs be! Phil
tppa was coming to me to-day: coming in
grief, it is true; coming as a sister comes to
a brother All! after all the weary, weary
waiting, shall see her to-day tomorrow
every day! If a mans devotion, homage,
worship and respect can in her own eyes
reinstate my queen, I shall some day see the
bloom come back to her cheek, the bright
snil. play once more round her mouth, the
dark eyes again eloquent with happy
thoughts And then-and then! what
should [ care for the world or its sneers? To
whom, save myself, should [ be answerable?
Then might whisper in her ear: ''Sweet,
let the past vanish from our lives as a
dream. Let happiness date from to-day"
Although Philippa would grace my poor
cottage for one night only, had thousand
preparations to make for her comfort For
tunately had spare room, and, moreover,
a furnished one. Not that l should have
troubled, when I went into my seclusion,
about such superfuity as guest chamber;
but as it happened | had bought the house
AMI furniture complete, SO could offer my
welcome guest fair accommodation for the
night.
l summoned my solid man. I told him
that my sister was coming on a visit to me,
that she would sleep here tonight, but tina
most likely we should go away tomorrow
he could stay and look after tine house until
returned or sent him instructions what to
do with it, William manifested no surprise
Had I told him to make preparations for
the coming of my wife and five children he
would have considered it all part of the
DAYS work, and would have done his best to
meet my requirements.
He set to work in his imparturbabla, me-
thodical but handy way to get Philippa's
room in trim. As soon is this was DONE
and the neglected chamber made cosy and
warm-looking, l told HIM to borrow a horse
and cart somewhere, and fetch the luggage
from Mrs. Wilson's. He was to mention no
names; simply to say that he had come for
the luggage, and to ask if the lady had any
message to send.
Then | sat down in the room which my
love would occupy and unused upon the
strange but unhappy chance which was
bringing her beneath my roof. l wis. ed
that had an enchanter's wand to turn the
humble garniture of the chamber into sur
roundings meet Tor my queenly Philippe.
l wished that l had, at least, flowers with
which I could deck her resting place; for L
remembered how passionately she loved
flowers. Alas! l had not seen a flower for
months.
Then I drew cut Sir Mervyn Ferrand's
lei ter read it again and again, and cursed
the writer in my heart.
William was away about two hours; then
he made his appearance with some boxes
was delighted to see these tangible signs
that Pailippa meant to keep her promise.
Till that moment hal been troubled BY
something like the doubt that after all she
might, upon calm reflection, rescind the
resolution formed in her excitement. Nov
her coming seemed to a certainty.
Nevertheless William brought no mes
sage; so there was nothing for me to do but
wait patiently until she chose to cross my
threshold.
Although my pleasing labors of love were
ended, l was not left idle. There was
another task to be done to-day. l set my
teeth and sat down, thinking quietly as to
the way in which it might be best per-
formed. Tonight meant to stand face to
face with that black-heartei scoundrel
known as Sir Mervyn Ferrand!
l consulted the time table His letter
named no particular hour: but I saw that if
he carried out his expressed intention of
being here tonight, there was but one train
INV al, brc could l,,+o
way from Roding to the house at which
Philippa had been staying. He meant to
walk, his letter said; this migh5 be in order
to escape observation. The t.Sin was due
at Roding at o'clock. The weather was
cold; man would naturally walk fast
Mrs. Wilson's house must be four miles from
the station. Let me start from there jus.
before the train arrives, and | should prob
ably meet him about half way on his jour
ney. 1t would be dark, but l should know
him. l should know him among a thousand
There on the open lonely road Sir Mervyn
FeTrand, coming gayly, and in his worldly
cynicism certain Of cajolng, buying off, or
in some other way silencing the woman who
had in an evil day trusted to his honor and
love- would meet, not her, but the man who
from the first had sworn that wrong to
Philippa should be more than wrons to
himself He would meet this man and be
called to account.
Stern and sinister as were my thoughts
freely and unreservedly as l record them,
as indeed I endeavor in this tale to record
everything-l do not wish to be misjudged.
1t is true that in my present mood | was
bent upon avenging Philippa with my own
hand; true that l meant, if possible, to take
at some time or another this mans life; but
at least no thought of taking any ADVANTAGE
of an unarmed OF unsuspecting man entered
into my scheme of vengeance. | designed
no murderous attack But it was my inten-
ton to stop the man on his path; to confront
known to me; that Philippe had flel to me
for add that she was now in my custody;
and that 7, who stood in the position Of her
brother, demanded the so-callel s. satisfaction
which, by the old fashioned code IF honor,
was due from the man who had ruth esSly
betrayed a woman. Well I knew that it
was probable he would laugh at me-tell me
that the days of duelling were over, and re-
fuse to grant my request. Then | meant to
see if insults could warm his noble blood; If
my hand on his cheek could bring about the
result which I desired. II this failed [
would follow him abroad, cane him and spit
upon him in rublic pl ,ces.
A wild scheme for these prosaic, law-abid-
ing days; yet the only one that was feasible.
Tt may be said that I should have taken
STEPS to have caused the recreant to be ar
rested for bigamy. But what proof of his
crime had we as yet, save his own, unsigned
confession? Who was to move in the mat
Phiiinna-myself2 We did not even