Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-04-25
A BACK DOOR ROMANCE
ny DoEA READ coopALE.


fricndcss and plain--;t least she had
always been called plain, although really
there was something quite charmin.
about that wide forehead. with The dark
hair rolled smoothly above it, and tn,
tinid. vet speaking dark eyes. Poor
jenny! she had never known more than
stolcH peep at herself in Il full-lcngtll
mirror. ana the high, inaccessible hand
glass that hung in the kitchen gave nc
iiaticrinS view Of the small, childish
figure and red little hands But she WA,
simple creature, and by no means i'll
content with her place us house maid and
waitress ut the 1ngalls's large mansion,
especially now that the winter was break
IN. up, and her lover would soon he re.
iurniny-or so she believed.
lie had started out with his knapsock
SS5lo seek his Siortule-+thni stalwart voIn.r
3 + csf ptefy With the shihdsomc black curIs
SIC yd .Abefslss slln y qlss there had been !.
i, hc jet sl,Rd promised To come
* nv the enSs Of q year. il all went well
with 'hiS'work ,ihdhc kept the same mind.
"But If shouldn't turn up" he had
said although why should she think
about ti;.,:-''it | shouldn't 30, back
after all when Valentine Day comes
we'll count ii nll over between ms. and
it's likely You'll soon have an eve
to some other chap bcsi,lcs me- Faith
full innocent little icnri. had il ever
dreamed OF letting Il stranger suppant
him, although almost twelve months had
rolled by without bringing hrr tidinys ut
all! Her lovcrs hand was not us clever
with the pen as il was with the SAW and
the chscl, and Jenny herself looked on
spelling a. one field iur the exercise of
original talent. Had she MOI discouraged
the nllkmam'S repeated attentions, and
never even looked at the grocery boy--s
beautiful youth, with eyes like the bl,,cst
oi tur1uoiscs! And now, the time of
Alcck's return approached, she felt in
her hear; Il sort oi mysterious energy.
the blessed lrcmonilion of Il day Of new
duties and cares. AT night she In,
awake III ncr bed, starn. at the wall.
and planning ont how she would braid a
large rug, and make Il shade for the
lamp. with roscttos on the sides. SIN
worked with fcvcrish activity now
through the whole afternoon, securing
the knives Ia Il really unnatural bright
ness. and invcnting Il quite new pattern
III cutting the newspaper edge that
adorned tie kitchen shelves The
kiichena tialrYas her province, and all
;. ilss,shisl sksiili5ns were = matter OF as
/ iillcl pride }rr - those of the parlor
HI. q fsopl, are To. you, my dear
is1 mot only tiinctl and re-
y Out the whole place was
IA phteDe. Immediate test OF the strongest
@fleanin"s and facilities of her nature.
There was the cook, il is true. vino dis
pnted this kingdom with her. but the
cook was II middlc-igcd woman, "a littlo
lame III one foot and >ubduc, ny years,
who WAS not disposed To work mischief
to .Icnny's arrangements.
At last Valentines Day came. n dnv
after ones heart, and Jenny was dressed
very early, in new cotton dress. bcaui-
fully trimmed with frillS nj the throat
and the wrists, and tied with a new
piece oi ribbon. 1t was very warm for
the season. The first hyacintll bios
somcd ihat day, and that seemed good
omen for the futurc-this little one
dwelt great deal on the future, and
had but few thought, for the past. Yet
the hours wore away, and .Alcck did not
appear. There WAS no further prctcxt
for dclsyin" the eating of dinner, and
Jenny could barely taste of the fried
meat lalls, which were seasoned with
onion to please him. And then at last
night came on and the gates were shut
10, and the great tears rolled down her
checks and Kissed on the stove as she
WAS turning the Omclc,tc for supper.
Tor she had hccn learning to cook, and
WAS skilful and dcxtcr0us Indeed. her
hands trcmblcd so much that she
dropped the large platter itself when she
waited on table, and the omelcttc fell Ia
the floor and was ruined forever.
"Why, Jenny, what on earth is iii,
matier:' said Miss Marie, rathcy sharply.
She was not an ill-tempcrcd girl, but the
mishap was disconccrting: the more Sc
because her tiance WIS ut table beside
ner. -fe fr 4. lei ave,
IL think l must be a-going to have
chllls and fever responded poor Jenny,
in high-pitched,s unnatural voice,
flushing all over the face, which had
grown somewhat thin during these few
weeks of anticipation. 81 think you'd
better send me down to the hospital
miss"
Hospital? Nonsense. If you're il
wen take care of YOU here iinswcrc,
Marie, quite kindly. She was going t,
aparty that night, and had on a light
blue dress with rose colored sashes
When she went up to put on ha. dress
she called Jenny and gave her two pill.
bitter, detestabie pills-which did moi
cure her.
Poor Jenny she had fever indeed
but it was that fever which our forebcar,
< haveknown since the sons of God frs
looked on the daughters of men; ant
the aguc that followed was such a chill
as can only come from the near breath
'>t,aQf calamity. El
\ Md now there was to be n wedding N
< -Nsc of the Ingallses; Miss Mari,
b. sSs GetrOthed were to marry ono an