Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-03-20

again. You care nothing for the boy.
You have other victims in plenty. Why
not spare him2 There is another reason
which should appeal to your generosity.
He Is engaged to young girl, n cousin
of his. She is very sweet, very lovely
and she loves him dearly. II she knew
his fancy had been unfaithful to her it
would break her heart.
Curious changes had been sweeping
over Mrs. Percival's face as she spoke.
She held her fan before her eyes and he
could not see her. =, AS he finished he
stood up and locked down on her. The
fan dropped and a countenance SO rigid
and white that it startled him was upheld
to meet his glance.
"You despise mel" she said with low,
vibrant intensity. "You despise me
and your coming to me on such an GRAND
proves it'll"
"Laural" The old name, the name he
had called her by tefore she became tho
wife of the man now dead, sprang to his
lips before he knew what no was doing.
She had risen likewise. She seemed
to wavcr. She leaned back, still covered
with this new pallor, against dainty
cabinet laden with pretty baubles that
clinked together at tho impact.
"You think me aippant, heartless,
soulless, vilel" che said.
The mans slower nature was bewild-
cred, overpowcred by this sudden out
break. She had been to him seven years
before oil that she said. She had trifled
with him for n richer wooer. Her
treachery had taken the color and the
SAVIOR out of his life. He had forgiven
her but the hurt she had done him would
never heal. And yet at that moment,
though he believed her to have been
drawing poor Ramon Suarez on for the
heartlcss qualification of her vanity,
though his cause was righteous and JUS
tice with him, he felt all ut once bcreft
of support from truth or reason before
that new strange ring in her voice.
He stood there stupidity, unable to
frame connected sentence. And rs he
thus continued. she, with an inarticulatc
murmur, swept from the room.
u - q
"My mother has arrived from South
America, and-Mercedes."
Ramon Suarez spoke abruptly, stand
ing in Hugh Thatcher's bachelor apart
mcnt. He was very pale. Thatcher
looked up swiftly.
"Ahl Well, 1 am glad to hear it,
Ramon"
The younger man gave sort of snarl-
ing laugh.
iI don't doubt itlb
He suddenly flung himself down before
table aud caught his head in his hands.
"But it won't make any difference, if
that's what you mean" he said hoarscly
with white lips. 'I'm past helping
now. Mercedes my mother-may
know or not know. I won't change
anything"
"Great heaven, mani" cried Thatcher
sharply, "have you lost all decency9
Remember what you owe to that child.
Do you wish to kill herr"
"NIercedcs won't die of my incon-
stancy, Ramon said sullcnly. "She may
gricvc awhile. Blu. she will say to her.
self that am base wretch, and she will
forget me-.
"And do you fancy" asked Thatcher
slowly, after n moment. "that Mrs. Per-
cival will marry you once you have
broken your engagement"
The young man looked up.
"ThatcherI What do you mean by
taking that tone with me2"
~ am asking you plain question"
Ramon started up and walked the
length of the room. When he came
back there was look in his eyes, look
of being driven to bay, of stolid, hunted
desperation, that gave his companion for
the first time an insight into the full
depth of his passion. Before he had
thought it largely boyish fancy.
Now
az don't know whether she will marry
me or not. But-shc would better-she
would bctterl She has. treated me
shamefully for the past few weeks
'shamefully. But she must not try to
play with me. Thatcher, there are times
when I almost hate herl Yet would die
for her omorrow-to-night-this very
hour!"
Il 81
Hugh Thatcher went about for the
uSAb INV etuJS Will uuuullub SCHSc Oh
some impending catastrophe hanging
over him. He had kept out of the way
of Ramon's mother, fearing lest he might
be questioned with regard to the change
that had come over the young man. As
for Laura Percival, he had not seen her
since that visit three weeks before, and
he had been in dreamy bewilderment
concerning it ever since. He had under
E'stood.nothipg of it oil. He had never at
any time understood her when it came
to that. He only knew that,a dull ache
he had thought stilled at last had formed
Epart of his consciousness from that after
noon on. His going to her did Ramon
lno good; he had not fattered himself
that the growing coldness she had evil
IDENTITY evinced toward the young man of
late had been the fruit of his expostula-
tons, and rs for himself-well, it had
been easier for him before he had seen her.
If it could be helped he would never see
her again. 49,.
He came home heavily from his club
-one night with these thoughts in his