South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1885-03-27

not TO give IT TO him. I'll think il o.
YER Then she opened the drawer of
her bureau IN which she Kept valua-
bies and money and thrust the letter
in and locked it up.
She had time To think the matter
over before Jim came In. for he was
late, and that grrl' grew more dis
tasteful to her every moment.
'Going. TO the picnic. Jim?' she
asked, as they sat over their tea
And Jim answered that he hadn't
thought OF it.
I'D go if l was you, and take YOUR
Cousin Miranda said the old lady. =
Sue expects it, | guess And jim.
only moved by the remembrance of
Nelly Barlow. and wish to make her
Jealous. agreed TO the roposiuon -
lie took Miranda to the picnic next
day, aud Nellie was there, and saw
them together aud remembering her
uote, Written IN u moment of sottuess,
when the wish Il, recall ce, tain angry
words che h d said 10 JIM, wa, strong
npon her, she grew sick With shame.
She had he q out her hand.n tecou-
citation, aud he had not taken it
Could any thug make woman more
lndignan ? After that she never even
looked al him.
Old Mrs. Wadswor,h having KEEP,
Jim's letter few days, felt that too
much explanation would be necessary
We're she To give ii To LIni after 80
long Il delay. Besides 1t would be
we'll for her son that ne she uld not
see II. lie would, oil course, marry
his cousin Miranda only second
cousrn-a girl she liked; and who
would never set herself up above her
lava girl who did NOT,
ike poor Nellie, look agg!avatingIy
stylish.
But Jim did not marry Miranda.
No one will ever know now whether
Miranda WOULD nave accepted hin. or
not. Alter aA hie she married Mr..
w isemau, who was better Oft than jim,
and Old enough to be his father; ~ d
burnt with resentment against her
Old lover, size chose II new one, Il d rk,
moody. silent sort OF man who carri-
ed her away To the city, whence there
came rnuiors now and then that che
was not happy, that her husband led
u wild life. Once some one declared
that he was a very mailman in his
Jealousy, and locked her IN her room
at times But M one knew whether
IL WAS rue or not. Her parents would
never Say anything about her.
As for James Wedswortl., he had
gone TO church To- see her married
and had gone home with a, headache
tho next day he was delirious a
BRAIN fever had set in and the doctors
shook Tics Ils;sds over him What
he said in his delirlum only. his moth
er understood but II she could have
und0iie the u ed that she had dope, she
would have ,habhed Hcaven~ For
wee.'s he lay at deaths door. aud
then pale shadow crept about the
house-the wreck OF bright, handsome
jim y ellsworth. HIS beauty was
gone, and no one felt sure about lis
mlLd. lie answered senslbly enough
Wien he Vas sloken TO, but voiuLta-
MY he never spoke.
Alter awhile lie grew strong enough
TO do farm work, and did what his
mother suggested. & she grew used to
Ills altered Ways And so matters res
ted when te y ears fir, III her wedding
daN, Nelly came back TO her fathers
home III ii widows cap. And the
people OF kornhllI learnt that her Lus-
band was dead, aud began to wonder
whether he had let her money.
jim. p.owiDg ia the adjoining field,
saw her os she ) upon the old home
stead porch, aud stood, tor a moment,
staring at her Ther he left his plow
IN the fur ", ms horses standing
where they were, aud went home.
lis mother saw hun coming. le
trampcd over the beds OF vcyetabI j..
and trod down tie young corn lie
sought no path. As the bee flies he
sought the doorway at which his
mother stood staring at hm. and
walked INTO the kItchen past her with.
out look.
jim, my boy, said the old woman,
6 hat u IT.
lie made her no answer; but went
10 hI !Oum and strait ut 10 bed For
hours be never spoke u her. Then
he began to babble. lie uttered
NeIiy'o name he reProached her
with inconsistency Inc called her ten
der names IN one reath aud cursed
her IN the next Then he "a one
wild cry and sprang up IN his bed aud
dropped back again. with his eyes
-iarug toward heaven lie was
dead the mother knew that before
the told her 90.
= ae mex da coli stood in the
iow-cel,d parlOr. and in IT lay "a pale
statue with closed e, es-all that was
lett OF JI,u WadswOrth. one by one
the friends aud neighbors came softly
-. Il