Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-11
CHATTER ".

| At the END or inc week your BIduulalHeI
came back. / met him III the hall.
ITS ali right, - he whispered as hekissed
me. That was all. but we understood
! each other, and drew long breath OF re-
Sitting by Courtney's bed that night he
| gave us the news of the day, glancing now
ard then OF the Richmond Examiner which
he held. But Courtney was restless and
| evidently cared nothing at all for the latest
! OUTRAGE. whatever II was.
did YOU leave Miss Arnold safe, sir y
he asked at last, hall shyly.
| Your grandfather looked at him in some
amusement.
That question does not reflect much
! credit on me-" he answered, running his
fingers through Courtney's hair caressing-
| lv. "Of course LETT her safe. Eve letter
| from her TO your Jenny. We reached l,ich-
mond lust in time. Her friends were on
| the point of starting North, and she de-
/ cided TO 60 with them-but read her
| letter"
IT was the merest note-just to say that
! she had concluded not TO return, her love
1 TO YOU and best wishes for all-no more
! than that. 'She does not waste words" |
/ said. lightly. Would you like 10 see 1t,
/ Courtney
/ tossed the note to him. He read it at a
/ glance, but said nothing until your grand
{
| doubtfully. .,,
1T is very STRANGE" he said. "She
| docs not give any address. What does 1t
mean, jenny Why should she leave me
| like this"
How do know. my dear boy?" | an
swered. 81 suppose she VIII write TO you.
| There was no occasion for her sending me
| her address. She is not IN love with me.
| DO he reasonable, Courtney"
When did my father say she would
| leave Richmond?" he asked. not heeilng
me in tAe slightest degree.
THE middle OF next week-about We'd
nesday.
lie lay silent after this until your grand
father came in to say goodnight TO Us.
Courtney called him over to the bed.
e. want 20 tell YOU something" he SAID,
II think can say IT better II YOU SIT down
here and put your arms around me.
There. that is nice Now, Jenny, you
sit there where cen see your face"
He was silent moment and then looked
at me point blank:
You TWO ere in q conspiracy against
me-" he began very slowly and distinctly.
Your grandfather glanced at me guiltily,
but It was too late to back out OF the accu-
seton.
part" Courtney went on, but 1t Is not.
I love her like YOU loved my mother, sir
like YOU love your Jenny. 10 love Ike
that cannot be wrong
Your grandfather drew a deep breath.
Courtney" he said. how can YOU think
of it? OF course YOU cannot marry her.
/ cannot give up to YOU in TINS. IL is out
of the question. Everything is against It.
1t is best for her to 60. She saw that 1t
was best"
You are very hard on us, sir" said
Courtney slowly. re tired TO lie back on
his pillows. but your grandfather held him
"Foolish boy" he replied, petting him
as might have petted you. " used to
thrash you some half-dozen years ago. DO
you suppose hurt you for the pleasure 1t
gave me!"
Courtney laughed ncrvously. Il sup
pose there was some moral in VIM" he
| said. but / don't know that the moral
made the tbrashing hurt any the less.
| Jenny" he added suddenly, you knac
| she was not coming back. You BpO,C Won
sent her away. What did you tell her?
! But, there | can guess. You need not
| tell me. o. Jenny, how could YOU. My
poor little girl" He was very weak.
/ The tears come easily when the body IS ex-
/ hausted, and in spite Of his will the tears
| came. Your grandfather made last stand.
! Courtney" he said. this Is very child
/ ISL. You will make yourself i'll. It's no
use crying for the impossible"
Il love her So" SAID Courtney, as If that
! swept away every obstacle. He looked up
with the tears still on his lashes. hey
! glistened IN the light. Your grandfather
! bent down and kissed them off.
There" he said with an awed express
sion: you had your mothers face then.
| What can do? She is against me, too.
/ You shall have Alice. | will 90 for her to-
morrow. There are better things IN the
world than pride and aristOcratic lineage
/ and great estates. Love IS better"
/ Courtney leaned closer against his
/ breast. That is sweet" he murmured,
Ito hear you say that. Hiss me, too;
Jenny, and forgive me both or you. L
/ couldn't have lived without her"
Ii was not very agreeable to think Of her
! being brought back in triumph after had
/ sent her away. l had never dreamed of
/ your grandfather siding with Courtney.
| Who would? He had never given way to
! us in a matter of any Importance, and IL
was against all precedent that he should in
/ this. I had thought 1t pro- able that
Courtney would fight 1t out with him, tut
/ the idea of MS Welding at the sight OF
/ few tears and some especial momentary
/ likeness it seemedincredible.
He went for her the next morning.
what did you tell her, JENNY" he asked.
/ as helped him on with his overcoat aud
I found his hat. ] told him Just what had
passed between us.
"Werl. Welt" he said, Il wish YOU had
never brought her here, Jenny, but it's all
| for the best, J suppose. We can always
say that when there's nothing else TO say"
1T is not for the best" [ cred. ct is
| too bad 10 let Courtney throw himself
| away on that common little thing. What
will the Wareths say when they return ?"
You talk as if Courtney were really en-
gagged to Katherine" he answered sharply.
| | wish you mad let things alone. Jenny"
| 1T amounts TO that" / said, hut there
was no use continuing that discussion"
| He was angry with himself and, man like,
/ took it out on me.
| After the carriage drove away went ont
| on the porch and stood there, looking over
! the wide stretches of meadow and wood
| land. IL was the loveliest old place. The
/ house was butt up III the midst of great
grove of oaks, on one Of the highest hills
| along the James can feel the wind now
Z blowing through my hair. The leaves had
/ lust begun to fall and the ground was scar
| let with them. They sparkled like jewels
on the white stone floor of the porch IN the
October sunshine and dew. And the
river-I dream OF it at night sometimes
/ have never seen anything to equal that
view of IT from our ball-door. One could
see il for miles and miles. That morning 1t
was ike sllver--curying,g cleaning, uaSn1ng
away. away, until it was lost III the purple
ridges that shut in my beautiful valley
from the rest of the world. All, Crissy,
child, no wonder that / stifie here in this
great city, You can never imagine what
my old home was like. You have never
been there since you can remember. You
can never dream how felt to think of a
stranger, an alien. iuling there, for knew
it would be Courtney. Your grandfather
had the English idea-he thought that the
estate should go TO the eldst son. Thought
of her, her relatives. her children. 1t
might even 60 from the family altogether.
Sach things had happened before. / hated
her. went up to my room and locked the
door. l could not bear to see Courtney
that day. He was Just able 10 wander
about the house like ghost. and presently
missing me came knocking at my door,
would not go out TO him. told him had
headache and wanted to sleep. After q
little he went away and heard him out
on the lawn with you.
CHAPTER V.
Five days went by. put the best face
on the matter after that first day, but
had made up my mind TO take you and 20
back TO Richmond as soon as possible after
she came. We had widowed aunt who
knew would be only too glad TO come and