Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-07
CAST ASIDE.

No one mad ever accused Agnes Warnc
oil being nervous person, and she had
been, On the contrary, noted for her
GOODNESS the composurc with which she
could hear amd calmly dismiss the most
eloquent and impassioncd lovers. and the
apparent hardness OF her heart. The
beauty that had INA L. her the ,lndsDulctl
belle ni two Sc;>onS WAS of the statuesu,l.
order, perfect of form and feature, cold
and yet winning. for she was without
fortune, and yet had suitors who alorcd
her
!! was Il nine days wonder when she
allowed her engagement TO Gardiner
Lawrence 10 be announced. Gardiner
Lawrence. y man OF genius, an artist.
bnt Il mass whose total assured income
WAS six hundred dollars year, and who
had yet to climb up tine ladder 20 fame
or fortune. True, lie WAS Il handsome
man, with ready flow of conversation.
lad Travelled and read. and had dark eyes
that many woman had sighed to have
look tcndcrly upon her. Yet that Agnes
"arnc could marry II poor man, an artist
Yet unknown to fame, was marvel TO
those who knew her best
have SAID she WAS not Il nervous ner
son, yet on one December evening, when
her engagement was six months old, she
was iidSctins about in the parlor of her
aunt 5 house, as restless as ii every nerve
III her body was nnslr,mg. She pIccd
MP and Gown the room, she struck a few
chords OH the piano, she read II page in
thr last new novel, and every moment
She glanced at the clock. As it struck
eight III ,ilvcry tones, the doorhcll rang,
and - few moments later Gardiner Law
renee entered the room
III 81 thought you would never come,
she said, im!a; icntiy, yet coldly.
ii "Iour nn.c said eight O'clock he
Sgcpiic'l, trying vainly to match her own
Slicy tones. Agnes, look at me. II can.
moi he that I'LL is ut an end between us.
love yoI 50 truly. 50 ,lcvotcdly, and
nave believed in Your loyc-as firmly rs |
did in my hope of heaven
Il ihpu"ht we had settled all that"
WAS the reply, still in that tone of i'm
patience and coIdncss. "You promised
iO return my letters
"Thcy are here Sine. YOU 10 longer
love me, they have lost their value, and
1 do not desire to keep them"
lie placed sealed package upon the
table, and turned, rs ii to go. For an
instant She stood quiet, and then the
forced composurc gave way
"Stay!" she cried. ''You shall not
believe have deceived you so far. |
did love you! Gardiner, Gardiner, | do
love YOU! No. Do not touch mc-do
mt anal.
stand! | cannot live inpovcrty, | can-
not! believed that love would com
pcnsatc for all, but | did not understand.
have nothing OF my own, but | have
lived all my life in luxury. Nv aunt
denies me nothing, and | believed she
would i'll time become reconcicd to nv
marriage with you. But she never will, ,
And now, since Mr.. Dclmaync has Of
fcrcd himself toVle-"
"Why go over the old ground again ~
Gardiner said, i'll quick, passionate ac-
cents. "1 Ou can be the wife of a mil
ionairc, man old enough To be your
grandfather. You can have control of
wealth, all the luxury your heart desires.
What matters it. that you trample upon
as pure, devoted ii love as was ever Of
Tered to woman, that YOU crush II
heart that was all Your own, blight an
ambition that worked only for YOU. Let
these tutlcs so. You will be John Del
mayne's wife, aud II shall survive it
L am not made of the stuff that drives
despairing lovers to suicide. Believe
one, can, in time, so pile CONTEMPT upor
my love that it will be quite buried. Il
zmarts and stings me now, but l will
conquer that, and no guest at your wed
ding shall. have brighter smile tina,
minc!'
He bowed, formally, and LETT tn,
house, to walk, walk fast and withou
aim, until the gray dawn drove hin
homc
Agnes Warnc, stunned by MS passion
ate outbreak, sank into an arm chair an,
wcpt the bittercst tears of her life; wen
tor him--for misunderstanding tina
neyer again could her heart open to sucl
perfect love and happiness rs she In,
held in her grasp for six months, ant
Chen thrown aside forever.
She had met John Delmaync at Sara
toga, and continued her Acquaintance
during the autumn trip with a party O
friends. She had smiled upon him
gwen him every encouragement Will
writing and receiving daily letters tina
sept her love for Gardiner Lawrence eve
before him--evcn in her own h-rt
Not deliberately was her trc.chcr
planned, but little by little; her aunt
constant pleas for her wealthy suitor. he
own love Of luxury, tempted her unit