Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-08-03
ONE ARM-TWO SLEEVES



sesscd, however, in an only child a
daughter, upon whom her romantic
mother had inflicted the nanc of Are
thusa.
This was too much for tho good pco-
pie of that section, and as she was such
a bright, rol y-poly little kitten of
creature, "Puss" she was called by her
father, and "Puss" she was to all her
friends and ncighbors.
Adjoining the Puryear estate was
that of old man Holmes, und Walter,
his son, was as brave and ambitious II
young fellow as ever carried heart,
eyes, and tongue in Il most prcscntnblc
anatomy. He was not satisfied wi h
the humdrum, sleepy life of the val
Icy, and when offered position, at
sixteen years of age, in great ma
chine shop in the North, he eagerly
took it, Many times he had been com
ing home, but something always pre-
vented. He had learned and advanced
quickly, ard was in love with his trade.
When, however, five years had nearly
passed, his parents wrote him. III tone
he could rot resist, that they wished
to see him enter upon manhood under
the old roof-trccs, and that he must
come to them and pass his twcnty-iirst
birthday.
Walter was of the same mind, espc-
cially as he had accepted a position as
locomotive engineer upon a Western
road at high salary. The place was
one he had long desired, the free, dan
gcrous life exactly suited his nature.
He went back to the home of his
childhood, a man every inch of him,
and proud indeed were his parents,
He had little time to stay, and stuck
close to his old mothers side. Puss
Puryear did not see him for several
days after his arrival, because the
morning he came she left for short
visit to the county scat.
The evening of her return she was
| walking alone near the river bank,
swinging her gypsy hat in her hand,
enjoying the south wind which tossed
her hair and cooled her face:
whistle and Il come to you, my lad,
Whistle and | II came to YOU
Though father and mother and all should so
mad
Whistle, and 1 Il come to YOU"
she sang liltingly, rs she tripped
along.
IF | only knew you, and could vent
IRE to say how much l should like to
whistle"
She looked up and met pair of dark
eyes sparkling from swart face. The
man made bow deferential enough to
atone for the freedom of speech, and
she smiled:
"Then you don't know me?"
What Puss! | know the smile
and dimples now. But l did not cx-
pect to sce-to see"
A young lady of the venerable age
of sixteen, you mean," she said, laugh
ingly.
That is just it." replied Walter;
"thc little PUss in short dresses that
said 'goodby' to five years ago was
certainly very different from the Miss
Arcthusa | meet now. | remember |
kissed Puss farewell; Isuppose | could
not salute Miss Arethusa in the same
way on return ?"
Il am very certain You could not,
Sir Walter. But for mcrcy's sake, not
that Arathusa; I'm Puss, the same as
| ever"
That was not the last walk these
two Young people took along the river
bank. Walter, instead of taking his
| intended tour during the vacation he
| had given himself, remained at the old
homestead until the last moment, tax
| ing uSt time enough to reach his new
post of duty on the date specified by
| contract.
Before he left. the old, old story had
been told, and when he this time part
| ed with Puss Purycar he kissed good
| by Oh the lips of his bctrothcd.
In year he was to come for her
| His letters We're JOY to her heart, his
| intelligence and excellent training
gained him the highest reputation
and, Young in years, he was yet the
most trusted engineer on the new and
| great road.
The year was almost up, the people
of that quiet valley were already an
ticiTating the excitement and frolic Of
the wedding, when the frequent letters
| ceased. Puss waited for several weeks,
sure that the badly managed mail
matters of that sleepy section were to
blame. Then her Southern pride was
reused and she wrote no more, aud
| tried to convince herself that she did
not care. Newspapers We're few and
poor, only one little local sheet ever
reached the homes about there except
at the houses of the largest planters.
Spite of pride, the girls heart was
breaking, her health gave way rapidly,
the old doctor could do nothing for
her, and she became the shadow of her
former self.
Il do not want to die" she told the
Doctor, Il want to live for my mother
and father. l am all they have. But,
oh it is so hard to live"
A few months after she was pur-
suaded to make visit to friends at the
county seat She went because it
would please her parents. The second
| day OF her visit, while alone in the sit
| ting-room, her entertainers being busy
with household affairs, she picked up
Richmond newspaper, an old one. in
which something had been wrapped.
In flaming headlines she saw the ac-
count of n terrible accident on the y.
\. Il. r.. r. In great type she read of
the hcroism of the engineer, and that
mans name, Walter Holmes, stared
her in the face.
When her friends entered the room
she was lying senseless. Soon revived
she read the whole story, how her