Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-09-13

was alone in her pew and cried silently
all through the service. Nancy's heart
SO went out to the poor woman that when
they met in the aisle she pressed her
hand impnlsivcly, saying in Ia quick willis
per, Mrs. Armitagc, l am sorry for
YOU
II don't want any of your sorroww
was the sharp response. s'It's fine to
talk, but you and J know well enough
who's the cauSeof it all. One word from
you would stop it now if YOU were sorry
enough,"
Poor Nancy! The clock was on the
stroke of IL that night when her lover
(thc doctor finally took his leave, and
she was free to pace the moonlit sitting
room from end to end with set lips and
wide, gliitcrng eyes She did not cry.
She felt as if she WAS going crazy, and in
her desperation she dill not care il she
did. Hour after hour passed, AMI still
shc paced there, till her rigid face showed
Whitley in the first faint gray OF morning.
sob, would he gol-could he .o!-
would nothing happen to stop himl"
Scarcely Knowing what she was doing
Nancy, hatless, slipped through the door,
and trailing her dainty blue skirt through
the grass ran across the fields To the
Armiiayrs'
1t was all still, AID dark, and dcwy.
She heard the town clock strike 3 rs she
paused on the outskirts of the old fash.
Toned ilowcr-gardcn behind the house,
anu shrank behind hedge OF blossomy
lilncs, whose potent otlur sickcncd her.
Suddenly she saw him for whom she
watched quickly approach the spot. and
he stood with folded arms look ing down
mt her a moment before his amazcmcn,
found vent in the exclamation, .'Nancyln
lie had never seen such utter abandon
and agony Of shame MS that with which
the poor little maiden hid her face and
covered i'll the wet grass, with the cry,
sob, what shall | ,lol Don't speak To
mo! Go away" and burst into ii storm
of tears.
For answer he gathered the little wet
figure in his arms, slnoothcd the tum.
blcd curls, tried To warm the icy hands.
and did moi dare to question, whlo he
soothcd her in his tcntlcrcst way
"Takc me home, said Nancy, as soon
as she found strength to speak at all.
81 shall do 10 such thing" was the
decided answer, ms Johns discngagcd
hand lifted her face 50 that he could see
it, ''till you tell me why you came.
Nancy, | couldn't help hoping little
when SAW you here. Don't make me
give il up! | thought my pride would
support me through anything, but am
afraid it wont, " he ended sadly.
"I'm so glad il won't" brcathcd Nan
cy, in tones OF heartfelt relief. "But
somcbody'll see us. Take me home,
John, and III tell you all about it,"
How different seemed the way home.
with John ut her side But Nancy was
in no hurry TO ''tcll all about it." She
only said, ncrously, holding Johns
hand in hers: "Promisc me you won
SO away"
"Ah, but l want another promise
first
Nancy looked bac& nj thc plumy
hedge, whose shelter they had left, and
said, with a half smile "You see the
lilacs amt out Of bloom yet, John, and
am-sorry, ms YOU said I'd be-"
"And the doctor!" asks the critical
reader
All, Nancy is no model of maiden.
hood. She is only a faulty young girl,
crring, and loving, and suffering, plny-
ing her part in one of the tragedies that
are played everywhere in the springs and
autllmns, in the time of snow -drifts rs
well rs in the time of lilacs.-New York
World.