Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-09-23
assumption, because it cannot help it.


the flower beds and lawn, and then-he
saw her face az she told him that sisterly
regard was all that she could ever feel fol
him, but that Chloe Payson would never
cease to pray fer his welfare al long as she
lived.
L was FOOL he muttered impatientiy,
as the noise accompanying the slaughter o.
the bull in the arena awoke him from his
reverie If, instead of weakly despairine
and leaving everybody and everything II
old Virginia to come here among strange
people, l had stald aud faced my fate like
man, who kpows3'
He moved ont of the great, hot amphi
theater with TIE letter still in his hand
The streets were at their gayest, with al
the action and bright color characteristic
of Mexican city on Sunday afternoon
Richly-dressed ladies', with the lace man
tila thrown ever their dark hair; gentie
men in American cut frock ooGts and broat
sombreros, female beggars and flower sell
ers, each with the inevitable baby fastene
to her back by gay hued robozo; police
men, workmen, dogs, horses, carriages and
thu great mass of idle population crowded
the main avenues and rendered locomotioE
necessarily deliberate.
Edward Psyson made his way to hi
room in quiet street, and for the twen
tieth time read the letter he had received
the day before.
GREENFIELD, VA, June -, 1S0-
MY DEAR-Why do you not come backf
Why do you stay away SO long from The
old home? It is ten years that you have
been away, and | only found cut last week
where You were What made you 60 away
SO suddenly without saying goodby to any.
body? l ought not to forgive you, but
Go. You should have thought that perhaps
the trouble which made you go might not
have cen SO had after all, and that people
may not have meant all they said. No one
knows that am writing you this letter,
and perhaps I ought not to DO it, but l am
longing to see my boy again and l do not
care what folks may say. Do not wait to
write but come. CHLOE PAYsoN.
A week later Edward Paysou stood in
the grove of sycamores, oaks and maples,
looking at the stone mansion of which he
| had been thinking 80 sadly amid the heat,
dust and noise of the Mexican amphithea-
ter. 1t was just such morning of which
he had dreamed. The sun was shining
brightly, and ths low hum of insects min
gled with the shiver of the leaves over his
head, as if trying TO soothe him and quiet
the fierce beating of his heart.
'How natural the old house looks. What
little change has been made here in ten
years. 1t looks the same as it did yester-
day. I wonder what my uncle will say to
me. | wish Caloe had said something
about him. We had rather serious quar-
rel, remember, the day before left him.
Perhaps be will tell me to go back again
and resume the vagrant life that know he
thinks have been leading. No, he would
hardly say that to the son of his only broth.
er, after his sacred promise to that brother
to be % father to me as long as we both
lived
Besides he was always hot-headsd, and
no doubt forgave me almost before was
out of the room. Alb, well. I shall soon
know, and what do care, 50 that Chloe
has welcome for me? 1t was near this
spot shat she spoke to me SO kindly, and
yet, oh, SO coldiy, when she told me that
we-cousins-could never be lovers. Ahl
There she is surely?
His breath came short as he ciught sight
OF white dress at one of the open win
dows under the verauda roof. He could
not see the face of the wearer because a
tangled mass of ereeper hung in the way,
but he knew it could be no one else save
the girl las be loved still to think her,whom
he had come thousands Of miles to see.
The white dress moved eway, and he walk
ed siowly across the lawn, noticing on
every hand familiar objects that brought
back his youth in flood Of fragrance.
How weak he felt as he asnended the
steps to the yer snda. Where yas Chloe?
W.,uld she come to the door?
He pulled the bell handle and heard the
clang that he rememb bered so well resound
lag through tho house. He could see it in
his mind's eye swinging near the rear of
the long hall that ran straight through
from tho front door to that opening on the
yard at the back, where the old cooks cab
bages ard tomatoes were carefully tended,
and where it was as much as one of the
kitchen girls life would have been worth
to trespass. He remembered bow the old
bell had, to his youthful Inauguration, pos
sessed ghostly attributes, and bow he used
to fancy it moved of itself in the dusk of
the evening, shaking its head in mockery
and threatening to swallow him up into its
rusty throat.
Listenl There is step in tho hall.
little way, and th 2 flutter of white dress
the door vide open and put OFT his hand
sWhy, Mas'r I,d'ard! Eff l dlia't tinK
you'd come back to 20 poo ole auutie, and
two black hands, in white sleevee, we're
placed on Edward Payson's shculde.', 81 a
pair of hornrimmed spectacles fan with q
crash to the floor.
Yes, auntie. got letter, and came
right back to the old place. How are
you, and how is my un3le, and how is
is'--
His ice falte ced, bus the old woman
did nos q pear % notice it as she answer
ed:
Day is all well, honey. Dern have been
few changes roun here. Come in and let
me give you something to- eat. I've got
some hot CON cakes, like yer uneter to git
when 20 was boy. Come along. 70
uucle's done gone away for all day.
'Oh, Auntie, want you to'-said q
child's voice. and little girl With sunny
golden hair csms running along the hall
just as Ed. Payson used torun some thirty
years before. She stopped when she saw
him and clung close to the flustered old
woman while she looked inGuiringly at
him.
"Yo know, ard. did not know where
20 had gone, but colored,m what works
for Mr.. Sherwood, the butcher, he was hero
and bol me he heard as 20 was in Mexico.
And thought yo'd had little quarrel
with 20 uncle, and p'raps you'd be 500 proud
to come back if he wrote to you, and so
got young Miss Mabel, over to Raleigh's
place, who is just as good as an angel to
col'ed folks and who writes splendid, to
write to you, and'-
tAnd was the lotter from you?' gasped
Edward Payson, rs he looked down at the
golden haired little girl while terrible
thought ran through his brain.
Course it was honey, Want it signed
Chloe Payson, and amt dat my name?'
'And-and-whoi is the little child?'
That? Why, Miss Chloe's of cou'se.
She was married live years ago to young
Mr.. Willard, who. dey say, will be jedge
next year. He is away to-day with yo'r
uncle. But come up stairs and see Miss
Chloe. What fool I is to keep 20 here
with my chatterir, and you been away from
aer for ten years.
But Edward Pa3son, with some excuse
he never knew what-mauaged to get away
from the house and into the sycamore and
maple grove, whore, with the stones Of the
old house just visible between the trees, ;and
the fragrance of the syringa lowering lik
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