South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-03-08
from my arm and stood quite still
before me. a ssa9

before me. sa7
Me! o. did you say mes'
And then saw the moonlight fall.
ing on her face, aud it was not the
face Of girl shining with happy con /.
fusion when she hears the s,ory OF
his love from the man she prefers.
It Was pale and shocked, and she hid
it from me in her hands and burst
into tears.
needed no other answer. Iknew
my suit was hopeless.
Don't cry. dear said ], i never
thought to wound YOU
Thought you knew, she went on.
sobbingly, j though. my uncle might
have told you. l am to marry AIR.
Norris. got letter from him to-
day. O!caD yon forgive mef'
She stretched out her little bands
impioriogly. ! took them in mine.
and kissed them-they were sacred
to me; they belonged to another.
and l kissed them while my heart. was
breaking.
Forgive you! my darling l
said, II would forgive you If you kill
ed me. l think. Don't grieve. Annie,
will Try TO bear it,
We parted at her uncle's without
smother word, and I went home to
the motherly heart that knew
would suffer with me, but whose ten.
der sympathy would uphold me in
this hour Of bitter trial.
The next day ! sent my resigna-
ton to Washington, for my mother
and i agreed to leave the village
where We had passed so many quiet
years. It was in the afternoon
OF the same day that the letter of
which / had spoken. that l now knew
was for my rival, attracted my atten-
ton. / took il up re!uctan,ly-I
felt l would as readily have touched
poisonous snake-and was just
about TO put the postmaIk on when l
saw that the stamp upon it instead
of bein2.a.postal one, Was a revenue
stamp and that the letter, instead OF
speeding off On wings Of love to New
York, must be consigned to the dead
Letter office in Washington. With a
thrill of savage delight flung it into
the box appropriated to the reception
of such castaways and went on with
the evenings work. With that work
went ON mechanically, but
my thoughts were not agreeably en-
ploy ed. That tLen was the answer
to the mlssiye which she had received.
Blu. ii should be long before be would
get it-get it too late perhaps for an
explanation for misunderstanding
between lovers had often arisen from
slighter cause than the non arrival
of an expected letter. Ipictured him
waiting and longing for the letter
that would not come, and she, poor
girl, how her tender heart would be
tt rtured by his imagined neglect
ing. She, / knew. would suffer in
silence. and ! fondly hoped that he
would do the came. So locked the
mail bag and waited for the messen-
ger TO carry it 10 the station. The
! express would pass In an hour and q
half. And then astIuggle began in my
heart. The mis-stamped letter SEEM
cd to look reproachfuliy at me from
tue box into which : had thrown it,,
and seemed 10 whisper co me that
one little act Of mine could send 1t
unimpeded on its mission.
No one, believe, unless he was
In my situation, actuated by the same
despairing, sel6shly hopeful feelings
that were overmastering me, could
understand what a base impulse L
conquered when at last, after an
hours temptation, | took that letter
from its resting place, substituted q
postage stamp for the revenue one,
opened the mail bag and let it 90.
Then after IL was done some hot
tears u.hed to my eyes. II was my
last hope, and / could not help. in
dulging some weakness over is
grave.
The next mail from NewYork ar.
rived three days after. I hadtbe poor
satisfaction Of seeing the result OF nv
good action in a letter In the hand
writing of my rival. addressed to A n.
ME. making its unwished for appear
snce, as l knew it would, and shortly
after DIR. Merrill took it away with
him as he called for bis mail. Loun.
gers came In and out OF tho Office and
went away, finding me little disposed
for conversation. Nothing yet was
known in the village Of my scquisi.
ton, so I was spared the pain Of lis
lening TO congratulations that was
in no mood TO hear. When went
home that evening 1 Was surprised
to find my mother absent, and sill
more surprised when, on opening a
note she Lad left for me, learned
that she was with Annie OF DR.. Mer.
fills, and that was to follow her
there. Hopeless as ] felt, the pros
pecl of seeing Annie again promised
me only paiaful pleasure, but still
tue thought Of being nenr her had a
sweet and sad fascination that l
could not resist. When | reached
the doctors I found himself and my
mother seated in bis Office, 80 intent
on the moves Of u knighIs gsmbit,
that mere nod on my entrance
showed their consciousness Of my ar
rival. Annie was not there found
her In the DnrlDr standinO on Tho