Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-04-10
Molly's Experiment.
BY EMMA A. opPEn.

SOhhiOhSO hCAI DlOnQuJt Sulu
Molly, merely, and commenced mend
ing the lace rutilc of a white apron.
Harry strove for like indifference
and composure. This was made difficult
by the fact of Molly's older sister, Celia,
having gone behind Motley for the pur-
pose of communicating her sentiments to
the caller, in dumb show. Her senti-
ments seemed to be humorous despair and
resignation.
"Whcrc is the schoola" Harry inquired,
stifily.
"Four miles north of here. District
number twelve" said Molly.
"Hayc you-positivcly engaged it7
For the life of him, Harry could not
help gasping. He had been at dance
with Molly the night before, and she
had worn pink roses on pink China
silk gown. Not that the Paines were
rich; but-good gracious !-neither were
they poor.
"Ccrtainlyls said Molly. az applied
two weeks ago, and 1 had card from
the directors yesterday. 1 am engaged,
and am to begin next week"
Molly went to the work table for
some thread Molly was rather petite,
with pretty complexion, straight
small nose, charmingly moulded
mouth. Sho was always rs proudly self
posed as though she was twice eighteea
and half, and to-day she was, to Harry
Burton, mnddeningly SO.
"For how long q terma" he queried,
the bewildcrcd, exaspcratcd, miserable
feeling which had taken possession of
him deepening every minute.
"Ten weeks"
Molly threaded her needle.
''Until February, then!" Harry muir
INJURED. "Shall you-come homo for
Sundaysa"
"Probably not Often" said Molly.
"Are you fixing that thing to wear2"
Harry demanded.
"This apron. Yes. You eau hardly
be school-tcacher without an apron, !"
said Molly.
She raised her pretty brows lightly ut
his angry vehemence. The sun struck
through the window on her hair, which
was n rich rcd-brown; her lips, softly
parted, showed her white teeth; her blue
gray eyes were lowered.
Harry Burton, throbbing with his
honest love for her, which had been long
growing within him, suffered such a
wretchcd pang that he WINGED.
He would not be treated so like n boy
"A babyl He would not pretend
anything but disgust for the nonsensical
prank she was playing, it seemed to him,
chiefly for his tormcnting- succeed.
ing, if so.
"Good-by, them" he said, coolly ris.
ing. "I'm going to Pomeroy to-mor.
row, and if you leave next week, good
byp
He shook hands with Celia warmly and
with Molly distantly, and stallSed out.
Celia took him to the front door
Celia was pretty, too.
az don't know" she murmured, frown
ing in sympathy with the irate young
man, and smiling because she couldn'
help it, "what ais Molly. It's ridiculous
We've all talked and argued and implored
and here's the..result. was sure she't
back out, and haven't said word t.
any body about it. I've been positively
ashamed to. But she's going to do it
she actually is-and now it will have t.
come out. don't know what all the girl.
will say. If she'd ever done anything o.
the kind before-or if she needed the
money-or lf-anythingl But for Molly
to do it'll"
Celia laughed, helplessly.
But this was unsatisfactory.
'Don't you know what her reason is
anyhow3" Harry asked, bluntly.
| {lnlio 6rOnpa1 har euac J1a;n<< n ,vo
man and sister, she thought she knew
But how could she say to Harry Burton
that she suspected Moily's freak to hay,
not very remote connection with him
self2
That she was fairly convinced tina
Molly was hurt, or mcensed, or jealous
or-being at seq as to the cause, Cell,
could not rightly gauge Molly's emo
tions; but she knew something wa.
wrong.
How could she tell him that she
deemed Molly's startling act to be re-
bellious, indignant attempt to even mat.
ters-to show him her indifference-tc
go away from him altogether, and lei
him see how serenely she could do it.
Celia knew not the reason of her pretty
sisters dudgeon. How, then, then, could
she impart to her pretty sisters admirel
her vague suspicionsa
He was an admirer only-not fiancee.
1t would be manifestly improper. Celia
remained silent
"Well, good-byl" said Molly's nd.
mirer.
His tone was funereal; SO was his ex.
preston. He drifted down the path as
though it made no difference where he
went to. He OWNED that Celia wa.
laughing, and he did not care. He felt
desperate.
| He told himself that he would 90 over
to Celia in n minute, if she wasn't spoken
for. He was sick of Molly's freaks and
whims. In view of this absurd affair, it
seemed to him that she always had been