Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-09-27
JUSTLY PUNISHED.
BY THOMAS BURKE,


seemed the most natural thing in tie
world that they should we'd. They were
the children of farmers and from school
days up had attended the country merry
markings together. No 'husling" or
''paring bee Or unite society" was COM
plcte unless James and Mary were there
James Monrosc was II tall, blur-cycd
young man of five and twenty, with light
hair and light mustachc, which latter
all the girls voted, "just too cute for
anything" AS truthful ch-oniclcr, we
must add he was quite conccited and
rather inclined to flirt.
!. Mary Murdoch was brunette, a charm
ing little black-cycd miss who, though
generally light-hcartcd, gay and laugh
ing, had more than once shown that it
was hardly safe to trcspass too far upon
her good nature. Her age was twenty.
One evening in July there was an ice
cream festival in Paync's Woods near the
village OF GAINESVILLE and also near the
homes OF the two betrothcd lovers, and,
Of course, they were in attendance. 1t
was Il merry gathering. Besides ice
cream, cake, candy, peanuts and lemon.
adc were offered for sale, all for the benefit
of the church.
The merry making was mt its height
when II sudden hush fell on the assem-.
blagc and all eyes were rivctcd on n gen
tlcman and lady who were slowly making
their way toward the head dispenser of
ice cream. The gentleman was bowling
right and left, and smiling with great ur-
banity, thereby displaying white and
glistcning set of false teeth to much adj
vantage. Evidently he was on the best
OF terms with himself, and rs IL natural
consequence with all the world. WHY
shouldn't Josiah IIuriom, J. p, the
wca!thiest man in the ncighborhood, be
or good terms with himself.
But II was the young lady who attract
ed the lions share of attention. She
was, perhaps, twenty wears of age,
very tall, with dark blue eyes, and hair
dcnominatcd auburn by her friends. and
REQ by her enemies, of which last il may
be said she had her full complement. Her
form was simply perfection. When [
add that she was rich in her own right.
and the prospective heircss to another
large fortune, | have, perhaps, said
enough to convince the reader that her
lines had fallen i'll very pleasant places.
Her name was Imogene Burton, and she
was on Il visit to her uncle, Squire Hur-
tom. She had tired OF Saratoga, she
had tired of Newport, the White Noun
tans, and Bar Harbor, and therefore in II
sudden freak had left the hitter place for
GAINESVILLE, arriving there just in time for
the lawn festival.
After gazing with some degree of in
tcrcst on the, to her, unusual and anus
ing scene, she seated herself at Il small,
table to partakc of the cream and cake
her uncle had provided.
: She had just dainty raised the spoon
to her lips when blonde young man de-
posted glass of lemonade in her lap
and fell prone upon the grass at her
side.
1t was James Monroe who had been
drafted in as waiter for short period.
and who had unluckily stumbled over Il
chair standing i'll the shadow of tree.
OF course Miss Burton was angry, not
that her splendid satin dress was ire
trievably ruined, but Mt the awIarlness
of the whole affair To have Young
man fling Il glass of lemonade on her
dress and then fall mt her feet rs il sucine
for pardon or her hand, and that too,
before whole grove full of laughing
strangers was very notifying to the
proud and pampered lmOgene.
James arose to his feet with n scarlet
face and commenced stammcring his
apologies. AT first she greeted all his
explanations with Il curt ''it is of no
consequence, SIR" and supcrcilious
elevation of the eyebrows, when suddenly
1t occurred to her that as the young man
was of fair appearance he might possibly
be the means of relieving her of her
ennui.
In fact she resolved to commence n
Irritation with him then and there, and
SO when he had for the fifth time ex-
planned how the whole thing happened,
and bemoancd his stupidity and awl5-
wardness, glancing the while with rue
ful eyes at her discolorcd dress she held
out her white bejcwclcd hand with great
1rankness and smiled on him most
sweetly.
James, though highly delighted, was
somewhat taken aback at this sudden
change of front, but as he, MS has already
been said, was rather inclined to flirt
himself, and was flattered at her appar-
ent interest in him, he made no audible
comments on her changed behavior.
Taking seat at the table he entered
into an animated conversation with her
IN the course of which she artlcssly gave
him to understand that she was very sad
and very unhappy, and that she desired
above all things, a friend who would
sooth her when sad, rejoice with he
when merry, and be true to her til
death.
Miss Burton looked tenderly at Jane
as she uttered the above sentiment nm,
softly sighed. What wonder the youn,
mans heart beat violently, and his brai,
was in whirl7 Was not he hobnob
bing, so to speak, with the beautiful an,
aristocratic heiress of whom the who'll
assemblage stood in awe, whose praise
had been so loudly and persistently sun
by her uncle, the doughty squire.
The good people of GAINESVILLE an
vicinity being early risers were neccssa
rily early retirers; consequently the fest
val came to an abrupt end at far Garlic
hour than Miss Burton's accustomed her