Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-03-01
THE ROCK BY TIE SEA.

GLOW absurdly disagreeable you can make
yourself, Jack. But therein not going to
quarrel with you. How much longer are you
going to keep me up to abuse mea' and Ruby
laughed aloud in her usual saucy, tantalizing
manner. Jack looked at her, his face as black
as thunder cloud, on which wasswritten
stern determination, but shewas insn no way
appalled, by it. On the contrary, she looked
at him gayly and carelessly, as If she were
perfectly Indifferent to him or his moods.
miss Howard" he began, Miss How
ard, she mimicked mockingly; "sinee when.
praya How cerenonious we grow, to be
sure"
He resumed, as if she had not interrupted
him; 81 will not detain you but moment
longer While am convinced that at the
present time you are perfectly heartless,
owing more to the unhappy way of your
bringing up and to the influences and fash
ions Of society than to natural hardness Of
heart'- s"Oh! thanks, thanks awfully,
you are too good" she broke in again. laugh
ingly 1t was all as good as burlesque to
her. accustomed as she was to lovers rant
ings Il am as firmly convinced" he went
on, in SO calm a tolle that it should have
warned her that this meant more than an Or
binary tiff; that you love me, but, with
your natural perverseness, will neither ac-
knowledge it to yourself nor me-"
AS he said this-with an air of Judge
pronouncing sentence on some unhappy pris-
oner-with his gray eyes fixed on her face
with the sternest gaze they were capable Of
in spite of herself the bloom ON her SOFT.
round cheek deepened to bright red, and
for an instant her saucy, hooking eyes fell
before his. A transient smile passed over his
gloomy face at this evidence of his power and
left it even gloomier than before. AS he re-.
garded the lovely, half shy face before him.
he commenced again bitterly: ''Ands why
will you not yield to that love and make Us
both happy2 | viii dal YOU You do lzot.
wish to be tied to one, to receive the love and
homage of one is not to your taste. Oh, no.
not for years to come. If would wait pa
tiently, and in the meantime be always ready
to dance attendance on your whins. not no.
ticing any one else, and always keeping in
the background when a desirable Irritation
came up, then, perhaps, if you didn't meet
some one you preferred to me, after keeping
me in suspense all that time, you might gra-
ciously condescend to marry me. But | de
cline, to become the slave of any woman;
and, as much as love you, am going to
leave you forever
''Ha, hal" and her sweet, low laugh rang
out like chime Of silvery bells. "The plot
thickens. Ple,.se go on; it is as lovely as
play"
81 know and feel" said Jack, earnestly,
that we are especially suited to each other,
and believe that in time you will realize the
truth of what | say and will regret me, even
as regret you now-but no more. I've al
ready said too much-more than intended.
Good-by," and with q deep bow he turned
and left.
swell, of all thingsl" she murmured.
"Foreverl Fudge III see him tomorrow
On the promenade the same as usual He is
delicious do like him the best when he as
serts himself He is grand when he gets en-
ragged. He looks SO stern and glares so, and
is SO unapproachable that am almost afraid
Of him-the darling. If don't look out he
will end in making me marry him before tho
season is over. Of course l shan't marry
any one else, but I'm not going to hurry my
self, there's plenty time" After which sage
conclusion she went up to her room in gay
spirits, thinking of the good time she would
have in making up with Jack as she had done
4 number of times before.
The next day Miss Ruby failed to meet
Jack as usual. In fact week passed, and in
all that time he had not called She had
missed his presence from ball and opera and
every place that she had graced with her
bright presence. At last, making few in
luiries. she found that Jack was cut some
where on the broad ocean Oh his way to
China TO join his broahcr, tea merchant.
and was likely to be absent a term of years.
Although outwardly Ruby managed to
conceal the shock she had received, she could
not conceal from her own heart that some
thing had gone from her that she missed and
onged for with an indescribable longing and
a wild regret. 1t was all the more madden
ing chat no one was to blame for her sorrow
but herself. The old places had lost their
charm. Everything end everybody was in
sipld, fat and monotonous Ali if he would
only return, how gladly would she aclalowl-
edge her love, and how gladly would she
marry him at the earliest date he might men
ton. Had she known his address at that
time she would have written to tell him of
her love and penitence.
Four years after Jack had gone Ruby was
at a fashionable watering place. She was
still the belle of every assemblage. Her in
difference and utter carelessness, combined
with her rare beauty, brought her scores of
admirers, whom she drove almost mad with
Der GOODNESS. She was still as lovely as ever,
but in her big brown eyes there was shade
Of sadness, and a slightly absent look which
gave touch of soul to face that had here
tofore sparkled with wit and glowed with
eavety and high spirits, but had lacked feel
Ing. Now it YVES perfect. Ii Jack could
o1,ly see her now.
Oue day she was taxing her morning stroll,
aud feeling al Inaceountable depression of
spirits. Fer great eyes were wearing their
most absent look, and as they wandere1 over
the crowd that was ever coming and going
she started violently and her delicate. high
bred face turned as white as the filmy asce al
her throat. She fixed an absorbed gais on a
vehicle that was slowly passing Ths occu-
part was broad shouldered. grand 'eoking
man dressed in gray. His shapely head
was crowned with q white stra" hat,
pair of large, disfiguring spa Hsacles
of colored glass completely hid his el y. his
firm mouth was shaded with long 3rown
mustache. and between his ips was he in