Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-08-24

Oh a thousand men. There was no reason, no
reason in the world, she told herself, why it
should be any particular one.
Yet, as luck would have it, it was John
Ashton! No, not luck. Chance rarely favors
such men as he. All that they have is won
by hard endeavor, and persistent faith and
dogged watchfulness. Luck is more apt to
buffet them, to call out all the slumbering
forces in them and show the stuff of which
they are made He had turned and followed
Miss Vanderpool at respectful distance
that afternoon he had met her on the street.
1t was getting late, and he had some old fash
loned notions, now almost out of date, preju-
dicial to woman's going about at night, un-
protected, upon the streets When he saw
the lonely direction in which she was tend
Ing, he had followed still more resolutely, for
he knew the character of the men along the
water front better than she. And who could
tell whom she might meet in that wretched
place at such an hours When she stopped to
look seward he had gone down over the
marsh, both because he had some instruction
to give to his foreman and because he feared
she would discover him in turning back. He
had been first to hear the wild beseeching
cry, and to realize its purport; to start out
with party of men provided with lanterns,
planks, ropes everything needful; to man a
boat and row fercely up the slough, flooded
at high tide, directly to the spot where a hui
man hfe-so precious to him. was going out;
to throw himself out upon the morass, brac-
ing himself on the planks they had brought,
and finally, like the true knight he was, to
gather the unconscious girl in his arms, COW
cred with mud as she was, and wrapping his
coat about her, bear her to the place she
called her home
But John Ashton was not the man to claim
any recompense for the service he had rem
dered. The more serious her peril, the
greater the risk he had run on her behalf,
the more need that he should be delicate and
distant IN all his bearing toward her; that he
should try to make her forget he had ever
pressed any claims upon her. He would not
have come now had he been his own free
agent. She saw that the moment he opened
the door, and shrank from her own thoughts
He surmissed the look upon her face, and in
terpreted it in his own way. So she disliked
him so much that it CALLED her to think that
he had put her under such obligations. Well,
well! If he had had time to consider, it
might have been better to have left it to one
of the men, Or, at least to have con cealed his
own connection with it.
''You are feeling better, Miss Wander.
poola'
There was not note in bis voice beyond
the ordinary requirements Of courtesy. She
answered him in kind.
''Quite well now, thank you Won't you
be seateda" motioning him to a chair.
81 thank you" But he still remained
standing, his hat in his right hand, his left
hand-was it her fancy, Or We're the fingers
nched2--hanging easily beside him.
II came" he said, in a matter of fact way,
'about matter Of business. tried to speak
to you on the street today. You were not
willing to listen. You were right. It was
not the proper place"
"You mistook. It wasn't that. was pre-.
occupied: couldn't have talked then-with
any one," she explained, hurriedly, and in a
low voice. He scarcely noticed her words.
and did not at all comprehend them, but
went on, in a formal business way:
GA matter of business. 1 was authorized
to conduct some negotiations with you. They
concern the Vanderpool estate"
Weak as she was, and broken as she was,
she could not suppress little laugh, only
half Jnirthful, but wholly sarcastic The
Vanderpool estate! What had there been OF
it since she came into possession of it but an
inextricable tangle Of debt and litigation,
lapsed contracts, and forfeited rights!
''Now that we have got ready for work we
are in position to negotiate for the tidelands
There are seventy acres belonging to the
Vanderpool estate. lam empowered to make
you the following Offer"
He drew paper from his pocket and
named sum which took Miss Vanderpool's
breath away. Enough to restore the lost
glory of the Vanderpools. Enough-more
than enough-to buy back the old home
where her mother had died and she was
born; enough to restore her to the life of at
huence to which she had been bred; enough
to place her forever above the reach of the
petty privations and raking cares that had
sat SO heavily upon her but yesterday. She
raised herself up ON one elbow and looked at
him. Her eyes, always large, shown with an
unnatural brilliance. He thought her exult
ing over her restoration to wealth and
power
81 won't ask you for an answer now" he
said; perhaps you would better consult a
lawyer. May say to the company that you
will give your answer in writings''
He was moving toward the door, not even
waiting for her answer, for he had deter
mined to give her no opportunity to refer to
the events of the day. He was arrested by a
single word:
s'John!"
No woman ever speaks in such way to a
man she does not love, but the men do not
always understand. John Ashton did not
understand. He came back and stood by her
side, looking down doubtfully into the shin.
ing eyes raised to his own, then quickly
turned away. He was only man after all,
and had some bitter recollections to steel him
against any betrayal Of weakness. Besides,
she was a rich woman now, richer than she
had been in the days when he had assured
her he would have been too proud to ask her
to share his life.
"John, are you going-sop He under
stood then; slowly at first, with a dawning
comprehension of all the words meant to him
and to her. Then heaven itself seemed to
open to him, as be gathered her into his
arms.
Had any other Vanderpool ever made over
lures to the man she loveds Would the
cheeks of the dead and gone Vanderpools
have Redeemed with modification could they
but have witnessed this shameless betrayal Of
her hearti Somehow Miss Vanderpool was
so happy that she did not care. And as foT
the money
SIT would have seemed like curse if il
had parted US, DEAR" she said.-Flora Haines
Loughead in The Argonaut
A Queer Theatrical G--.rn-
A strange sort of theatrical crank has
been discovered in Paris at the Ambigu. 1t
is woman who sits nightly in ole of the
galleries and learn the pieces by heart 1t Is
said to take her eight days, and she recites
with the actors in whisper. Her neighbors
are surprised to hear her answering the cues
before the actor is heard.-Chicago Herald
Found Use for Him.
ooh, Mrs Smith, do please introduce Mr.
Jones over there to mer' cts no good, dear
he won't dance" "No, 1 know; but 1 want
to sit out win him; he goes with my dress 50
beautifully. "-London Judy.
Kaffirland's Fantastic Cradle.
One would hardly go to Kaffirland for d
fantastic cradle, and one almost as queer
as it is fantastic, at that Yet he would
find such one there The Kaffir baby, when
he comes into the world, is put into cradle
or bag made of antelope skin, with the hair