Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-04-26
either, but of dull unhappincss such

laint shame; they were not his best
ones. He had a ready made suit at
home, but these his mother had made
He wished they looked better. Tho
light in Bissels window cast his long
shadow on the whole ground. 1t
wavered there, shrinking and lingering;
then it pushed on and up to the door.
1t was not the custom in Fence Cor
ncrs to rap; it would have been looked
upon as a useless formality. lie stopped
into Bisscl's large, scantily furnished
rag carpetcd best ROOM
iic gnsped as he stood there. He had
vaguely hoped for little reprievc, but
she sat there by the lamp. alone, bend
ing over some work. She rose ut his Gu.
trance, and came forward little to oiTer
her hand; but he did not sec it, and sho
dropped it back in awkward haste.
won't you take chair I" she said.
She brought one forward. Thornton
sat down. lio dropped his hat as he did
SO, and picked it up with red face.
Then no sat still. lie would have tried
to spcnls, but he knew Inc could not; his
tongue fell thick and immovablc.
IFS showing, mint it ;" said the
school teacher; she bore tho marks Of
diliidcnce herself in her timorous voice
aud look
Thornton NODDED it was all he could
do. He stared at her fxcdly. almost
VIGOROUSLY. His mind wandered back
and strovc to anchor itself on something.
Once he had spent an evening ut Bisscl's,
on the occasion of party and taken hci
hand in one of the game; once he had
ovcrtaken her, in Il wagon, on her way
to school, and given her lit. That
was all He thought it might have been
less hard for him if the Q had been some.
thing more, but that was all his morbid
sclf-distiustfulnrss had allowed him.
The ticking of the clock on u corner
stand filled the silence II was round,
nickel clock, aud it licked so loudly is
TO 70 &C itself upon Them.
'Thnts my school clock" said the
teacher. 81 am all ready for to morrow.
There are my books over there with 1t.
and the rcgi ter"
The school director dropped his mis-.
cradle eyes to the faded stripe in the
carct ut his feet. but he did not see it;
lis hat shook with tho trembling of his
hands.
'''vc ben thinking how many III
have, likely" the school teacher went
on. Ills misery Impaired itself TO
her in degree of nervousness, and sho
let her work drop. 81 had twenty-five
this summer; there's always moro win
tiers, amt thcrc!'
lie managed to say yes. His ewes
were wandering about the room now, his
lips parted us if for air. lie saw new
pane III the window, clumsly putt,cd-a
camphor bottle left Oh the mo!odcon-n
break III the cane seat of char-a
small tub filled with white as,c,s still IN
bloom. lie continued looking at these.
They're renl late, nin't they" said
the girl. They're mine. ported 'em
myself, and guc,s they'll last best part
o. the winter l'vc heard they will, took
care of. 10 you want one?"
She put down her work and went and
picked one. Then, with IL shy laugh, she
took her scissors aud went buck to them,
Maybe your mothcr'd like n few; she
h'nin't got 'om, has shcl" she said.
She made n bunch, and tied it with her
blac thread. Thornton watched ber.
slight girl in n cheap and well worn
dress, her dark hairin girlish braid,
and her eyes mild. This she was, but
wha >iiail tell what he saw! Ills agony
rose, eliminated MS she turned to him;
he clutched his hat ii | its still brim
cracked. She was coming toward him
with the flowers.
There maybe she'd like II few" she
repeated, fnint hcartedly. bat lie did
not hear her. lie felt his fucc afiano
like fire. and II choking in his throat.
lie struggled TO speak, aud did mako an
inarticulatc sound, ut which she looked
ut him i'll wonder. lie loo lcd up ut her
pitlfully-and then fell stumbling.y on
his knees at her feet and buried his face
i'll her skirt, and cropping for her hands,
pulled them down till they pre- ,scd his
throbbing head aud rested there, her
happy, wondering tears falling upon
them.
"Bashful1" said ravo Kinney to
Hanks, the storekcepcr ard like to
know what's your idec O. bashfulno,s IS.
Wy, Jim Thornton walked out o. this
store That night and up to Bisscl's
straight rs string, and told that school
teacher that, own to crcums star ces
that he didn't have no control over, she
couldn't have the school this winter, ncr
likely there couldn't nobody Csc neither,
but If it ID be any consideration to her,
she could have him; tod her that ri hit
up and down, and didn make no bones
OF it. If Jim Thornton's bashful, wy,
the Teller that amt what I'd like to
see. "-trank Lcsligs.