Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-07-22

ou inOr9f tnan one
occasion, saved him from making a tri.
umphant ass of himself. If it had not
been for his long head, it is more than
likely that he'wculd have fallen desper-
ately in love with that bewitching
.governess Of the Hastings, with whom he
had spent several weeks in the mountains
one summer five years ago. But he had
given himself time to think, and had
fed between two days, much to his later
satisfaction.
Then there was that dear little Miss
Dixon, whom he had met at the seaside.
1t had been glorious cvcning-that
last. They were sitting on the veranda,
where they might see and yet be unseen.
The soft, dreamy strains of Strauss
waltz floated out from the ballroom.
There was the pale, silver light of the
moon, the murmuring ripple of the waves
on the beach-and all that sort of thing.
which you have read about SO MANY
times that you have learned to skip it in
the novels.
Welll Elsie was going away-too,
too soon. They had talked in signs and
murmurs for half an hour; Arthur's left
hand cllsped Elaie's dimped right one,
his right arm was about her waist; both
heats beat vigorously, as hearts will on
such occasions, and Arthur had Just
opened his mouth to tell Elsie what she
had been waiting for for two weeks,
when there was step close at hand, n
rustic of skirts, and the cooling voice of
the maternal Ferris said
bptr vnItr nor6op b,f will ,,o.,
please excuse Arthur few moments2
There are those miserable business affairs
that must be attended to in time for the
late mail"
And thus was he saved second time.
for Elsie had not cent, and neither had
he-at least, not many of them. There
were several other occasions when his
own long head, or his mammals, had
helped him out-for Arthur was some
what susceptible. But it is not of these
have to tell.
His time had coruc. The in.eyery-
way-desirable young person had pre-
sented herself. True, she was not so
young as she had been; but, then, that
was mere trifle. She was Just his cwn
age, of as good family us his own, and
an heiress of considerable degree. She
was not-well not exactly handsome, and
was rather inclined to what is politely
called plumpnesa; but Arthur's mammu
and Arthur's long head gave their ap-
! proval-and Arthur did not care who she
might be, SO long as she possessed the
above qualifications, particularly the one
involving very neat fortune in her own
right.
Besides, Arthur was getting bit des-
pera.e. In fact, he had so far exceeded
his own. salary and the maternal allow
ance (Which, by the way, was rs large as
Mrs. Ferris could afford), that nothing
short OF miracle, or q matrimonial alli-
ance such as he mad been SO long seek
ing, could save him from getting into
very deep water.
And thus 1t came to pass that this
winter found HIM engaged to Miss Ber-
nice Field, much to the satisfaction of
his mother, who was visiting in Now
York, and to whom he had, like tine
dutiful son he was, sent the gratifying
news ut once.
He was disappointed, however, on one
point. He had pleaded artfully for an
early wedding, but Miss Field had set
her foot down with much frmness and
said he must go through long proba.
tionary period-all of which Arthur
failed to understood. He had always
been noted for his persuasive powers,
and had fattered himself that Bernice.
with her gentle, clinging, bud like ways,
would succumb at once.
Now, be it known that Miss Bernice
Field had not arrived at years of discre
ton for nothing. Neither had she, 6
not unprcpossessing young person, with
nearly n half-million in her own right
passed through the experiences of ter
seasons without gathering unto herself
much knowledge of the ways and vile.
OF wicked man. She had had, us might
have been expected, offers to high
number; but, thus fur, the gentlemen
concerned had failed-by reason of thei
unanimous desire to touch her purse-tt
touch, in the first place, the all-import
ant key to it, which was hidden away il
her bosom. And Miss Bernice Fielt
was worldly-wise in her day and genera
ton.
She was certainly IN love with Ferri
there could be no doubt of that.
is quite as certain that che was very seri
ously in love with him; but with tn
, wisdom born of experience, she did no
let him know one-half of what she fel
for him.
If any one had told Ferris that he VIA
just now in very shaky position, h
| would have scoffed. His chum T.,
Q Cross, who was spending the winter a
the house during Mrs. Ferris's absence
had once suggested tina. ''there's many
J Slip" but Arthur merely shed shol
q at him, and whistled serenely.
/; 1t was in this frame of mind that, on,
evening in February, he ran lightly III
the steps of the Field mansion to call OF