Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-04-12

thayo beenlwilling to confess.
~ t.Well, Eye done it, and there's al
ehd Of sthe.matter" said Libby, with
rrebellious shake Of the head. "St
4 no ,llsc, i'm leotufing me. Uncle Ton
i shall fina,out that Tin not entirely with
fSGt ,resourcest Il hundred dollars fo
tho story, besides all the fame it vii
idbring, .mc, .Alicel, ten dollars from the
plum. iam-and there, you SEQ, is enough
to buy. quite q neat little trousseau fol
marrying the -widower. People dom
i of .nnderclothcs' as much Us they did
and v",-.
"Libby," urged Miss Markham. care
you really in carncst"
tibbie broke out into q little hystori
cal laugh, .,y-'"' 60
"Alice," said she, "I'vo thought Of
nothing else and dreamed of nothing
else for n week. And it's stran9c-so
strange that never have received an
answer to any of tho three communica-
Just then little Tommy, the younges,
hope of thc'house'of Morse, came trot-
ting across the sere meadow.
ooh, look here, Lib. |" said he. "Thc
storekcepcr he's found lot o. letters us
got hiq,away under the meal bags. where
they was sortih, the mail on Thursday.
They calculations. Pete, .tlid puppy, done
tit-he's, chuck. full of mischief and
tricks; sand tho storckecpcr he give me n
lemon ball If I'd take these to you. l
was lickiu'. tho inside of the molasscs
lecg, with Johnny Piper and Sam Stokes,
under the countcr-+,"'...
Libby grasped the letters, and even
by that imperfect light, Alice could sec
1.-THE snow and crimson chasing each other
! across her face. 81.
They were already inside the little
gate, and Libby; caught at her COM
pahion's arm with nervous hnstc.
4. "Let us go UP stairs to your room,
Alice, she whispered. ."Thcre is al
ways such a swarm of children in the
keeping room, and one mover can have n
moment to oncsclf.o Besides, there is
Honly that lamp in the house, and l cant
read by, oandlc-light." .'ai
Side by side, in the school-tcnchcrs
apartment, by the light of the flicker
ing; strong secuted KEROSENE lamp, Libby
, and Alice opened thc,lettcrs.
Tho first, whose envelope bore the
stamp of the Titisiiold Literary
CLARION, was brief enough The editor
regretted that Miss Morse manuscript
had proved .unsuited toliis columns, but
would return it to her address on the re-
ccipt Of sufficient postage stamps to de-
fray the, cost of transportation by mail.
''Fhcre'sH an end of that" cried
Libby, ,passionatcly, tearing tho letter
in two and Ringing its fragments on the
ground. 3 So
/, The second was an elegantly written
note, on scented and mouogrammcd
paper, from the Secretary of the
Wompn's Barter. Establishment, stating
that Miss Murscs kind favor per the
Rackdwnxcn Railroad Express, had
been sampled. and. had unfortunately
proved to be below the standard which
the establishment had ct ,up. The box
awaited her orders, and Mrs. Gcraldus
Gcolfreys remained "hers truly" etc.,
etc. @'
"lt's ali nonscnscr cried breathlcss
Libby. STANDARD of excellence, ill.,
deed! It's all favoritism. There's n
rlng-I know there isl The whole thing
ought to be exposed through the news
papers"
The third letter was brief enough. 1t
was from well known lawyer in New
York, stating to Miss Elizabeth Morse
that her communication, together with
numerous others, had been found among
the effects of Il notorious swindcr, who
had fed from justice about week
previously. 1t was returned to her,
with q wcll-meant warning to avoid
such traps in the future. Most of his
dupes, it was stated had incloscd money,
rings and photographs to him, but she
was fortunately among the exceptions
Poor Libby! she burst into angry
tears, with her head on Aliccs shoulder.
"Oh, Alice" she cried, "what fool l
have bcenm
And Miss Markham was cndeavoring
to console her, when Tommy came clat-
tering up stairs to shout ut the keyholc
that ''suppcr was ready, and marin had
been frying ilapjacks. and there was
some real maple molasses on the table,
better than that on the inside of the 1cg
ut Billingses' store!"
Alice went down. She knew that it
would give mortal olfense to Mrs. Morsc's
houscwifely pride TO neglect this sum-
mons; but Libby flung a hood over her
head, and rushed out into the cold night
air.
al couldn't speak to any ono Just
now," she pleaded. "You'll keep my
secret, Alicc-won't you'"
Just there at the gate stood Job Lind
ley, black shadow against the star
light.
"Libby"
1t was all that he said, but the one
word was so full of devotion, allegiance,
tender appreciation, that Libby stopped
inyoluntarily.
1t was healing balm to her hurt spirit
and wounded pride.
~ was coming TO ask you to 20 TO
Swope's Corners with me tonight" said
he. "Thcrc's to be concert there, and
But is anyth ng the matter, Libbyi"
he asked, checking himself in mid-cx
PLANTATION.
"Yes, Job, should like to CO." said
Libby. otis very good of you to ask
me-"
"But you're in some sort of trouble,
Libbyw exclaimed Job. "You've been
crying? Has your uncle been cross tc
youl Because, Libby, you needn't stay
under his roof unless you choose. II
you'll come to me and be my wife,
Libby, there's nothing you need ask fol
in vain. 1t may sound abrupt to you,
this love story of mine but it's hccr