Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-09-27

the heiress and proceeded to seek out his
deserted and till then forgotten be-
trothcd. He found her seated near the
entrance to the grounds, having with her
an old lady whom she had prevailed upon
to remain with her until her recrcant
lover made his appearance. She was very
quiet, and MS they passed near the large
lantern at the gateway leading from the
scene of the festivity, james noticed that
she was deathly pale and that there was
an ominous glitter in her jet black eyes.
The evening was wonderful one. The
stars shone brightly, the moon was at the
full, and cool breeze unsteady rustled
the leaves and famed the brows of the
moody lovers rs they silently wendell
their way toward the home of Mary,
which was near by. At last james broke
the irksomc silence with the query:
elbow have you enjoyed yourself this
evening, Mary?"
every well, twas the reply; ''it would
be super1uous for me TO repeat that qucs-
ton, for saw you were enjoying your
self immensely. You doubtless found
Miss Burton II very entertaining com
panion."
uiuf ltpiitu JslIucS. DIG gave
me n very cordial invitation to call on
her tomorrow afternoon preventing"
600 you intend doing so?" asked
Mary, in II scarcely audible voice.
81 do" was the curt reply.
"Thcn," said the young girl, "you
need never call on me again. We will
hcnccforth be as strangers. Here is your
ring" And before the dumbfoundcd
james could reply she hurricdly drew
their engagement ring from her finger,
thrust il into his hands, and, rs they had
arrived mt her fathers gate, ran up the
gravclcd walk and into the house without
Il word Of parting.
"Litslc spitlire, said James to himself.
''rhc idea of acting in this way just be-
cause | converscd with Miss Burton n
short time"
lie did not seem to realize that he had
spent nearly the entire evening in Miss
Burton's company, ncglccting his be-
trothcd to such IN extent that even the
dullest took cognizancc of and comment
cd upon it,
On the following afternoon after max
ing more Than usually elaborate toilet,
james presented himself ut the door of
Squire lIurtom's staring white house and
inquired of the trim maid Of all work
who answered the summons of the bell,
if Miss Burton was in. The maid replied
i'll the affirmative, ushcrcd him in to the
chest ROOM where he found the hcircss
deeply absorbed in the latest society
novel. She closed the book mt once, and
rising from her seat greeted him very
warmly.
They were soon conversing rs AMIGA
| bly, and apparently rs intimately us
friends of long standing.
When ut the end of two hours (Which
seemed but rs two minutes to the infat
uatcd James, he arose to take his dcpnr-
turc he was warmly invited to call again.
He did so on the very next day, when he
was treated with greater kindness if POS
siblc than on his former visit. They
played several games of croquct together
| during the course Of which it was arranged
that OH the following aftcrnoon they should
take u boat ride on Lily Pond, small
lake in the neighborhood, noted for its
white and fragrant water lilies. He also
took her out riding behind his span of
blood bay horses, and on one occasion
escorted her to church where the hcircss
created an immense sensation rs she swept
down the central aisle in her trailing,
rustling silkcn gown, while he with head
erect, silk tile in hand, and curlel mus
tachc, was the envy and despair Of all the
young men of GAINESVILLE. Even the
gray haired old minister was visibly dis
concerted ut the sudden and uncXpcctcd
appearance of so much style and elegance
and lost his place in the chapter he was
reading, for be it known, Miss Burton al
ways mado it Il point TO arrive late at
church rs we'll ms at all other public gath
crings.
In less than two weeks it was whispered
about by the gossips that James Monroe
and Mary Murdock had quarrclcd, that
the engagement was broken, and that
he was excepting steady company with
that stucRup, rcd-haircd city girl ut
Squire IIurtom's."
And it must be said it was all true;
james had become infatuated with the
fair lmogcnc aud danced perpetual at
tention upon her. Her dainty ways, her
city bred airs, her varying moods, and
''C'S tiiS inht SuC WIS III
ready wealthy and destined ut no distant
day to become still more so, wrought
such havoc in the heart of the unsophis-
ticatcd youth that he resolved at the
first favorable opportunity, to use n
phrase much in vogue in those parts, to
''pop the question"
Accordingly one pleasant afternoon
when he and Imogene were seated on IL
rustic bench in the very grove where was
held the memorable icc-crcam festival,
he, after much unwontcd stammcring,
pumped down on his knees and proposed
in the most dramatic manner Imaginable
and was greeted with loud and ring
ing peel of laughter. He had never
heard Miss Burton laugh before, and the
sound, however birdlike, or flutclikc he
might have considered it under other
circumstances, was, just at that moment
far from pleasant to him.
"AIarry YOU" she said, when she could
fully control her visibility "OIarry IA
farmera And I suppose you would ex-
pcct inc to milk the COWS, and sweep,
and cook and wash, as do all the good
housewives of GAINESVILLE and vicinity.