The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-24
ing to mako it up by next NALL swear

She dragged the money sho had
brought from Laurel Run from her
pocket, and, counting out the sum, re-
placed it in the open package. lie ran
quickly to get the scaling wax, but she
motioncd him away as she dropped the
package back into the mail bag.
No; as long as the money is found in
the bag the package may have been
broken accidentally. Now burst open
one or two of those other packages a
little" So she took out packet of let
ters and bruised their official wrap
pings under her little foot until the
tape fastenings were loosencd. "Now
give me something heavy" She caught
up brass two-pound weight, and in
the same feverish but collected haste
wrapped it in paper, scaled it, stamped
it, and, addressing it in n large printed
hand to herself at Laurel Hill, dropped
1T in the bag. Then she closed it and
locked it; he would have assisted her,
but she again waved him away. Send
for the express man, and keep yourself
out of the way for n moment" she said,
CURLY.
An attitude of weak admiration and
foolish passion had taken the place of
his former trcmulous fear. He obcyed
cNcitcdly, but without Il word. Mrs
Baker wiped her moist forehead and
parchcd lips, and shook out her skirt.
Well might the young expressman
start at the unexpected revelation OF
those sparkling eyes and that demurc-
ly smiling mouth at the little window.
Mrs. BaScr!''
She put her finger quickly to her
lips, and threw world of unutterable
and cnigmatical meaning into her mis-
chicvous face.
There's u big San Francisco swell
takin' my place at Laurel tonight,
Charley"
"Ycs, ma'am."
"And it's n pity that the omnibus
way bag happened to get such sha1-
ing up and banging round already, COM
ing here"
'Eh?"
81 say" continued Mrs. Baker, with
great gravity and dancing eyes, that
it would be just awful if that l1ecrful
city clerk found things kinder mixed
up inside when he comes to open it.
wouldn't give him trouble for the
world, Charlcyn'
~'O, ~ tiiil ike you.
$50 you'll be particularly careful on
my account"
Mrs. Baker" said Charley, with inf
mite gravity, "if that bag should tumble
off dozen times between this and Lau-
rel Hill, III hop down and pick it ND
myself"
THANK you! shake"
They shook hands gravely across the
window ledge.
And you ain't goin' down with us,
Mrs. Baker?"
"Of course not: it wouldn't do-for
amt herc-don't you sec?"
''Of coursc''
She handed him the bag through the
door. lie took it carefully, but in spite
of his great precaution fell over it
twice on his way to the road, where
from certain cXclamstions and shouts
it seemed that n like miserable mis-
chance attended it's elevation to the
boot. Then Mrs. Baker came back in
to the Office, and, us the wheels rolled
away, threw herself into chair, and
iuconsistcntly gave way for the first
time to an outburst of tears. Then her
hand WAS graspcd suddenly, and she
found Green on his knees before her.
She started to her feet.
Don't move" he said, with weak,
hystcric passion, "but listen to me, for
Gods sake! am ruined, | know, even
though you have just saved me from de-
lection and disgrace. | have been
NADIA fool, to do what have done,
know, but You do not know all-you
do not know why did it-you cannot
think of the temptation that has driven
me to it. Listen, Mrs. Baker. have
been striving to get money. honestly,
acknowledgements to look we'll in
your cycs-to make my self worthy Of
you-to rake myself rich, and TO he
able to offer YOU Il home and take YOU
away from Laurel Run. 1t was all 70,
you-it was all for love of you, Betsy
my darling. Listen to me-
In the fury, outraged scnsibilty, in
diGnation and infinite disgust that filled
her little body at that moment, she
shonld have been large, impcrious, god
dcss-lilic, and commanding. But God
is at times ironical with suffering
womanhood. She could only writhc
her hand from his grasp with childish
contortons; She could only glare al
him with eyes that were prcttily anc
piquantly brilliant; she could only slap
at his OBTAINING hand with plump ant
vclvcty palm, and when she found lei
voice it was high falsctto. And all Sic
could say was: leave me be, looney
or III scrcam!"
lie rose, with Il weak, confused laugh
half of miserable atfectation and hall
Of zeal anger and shame.
"What did you come riding over here
for, then? What did YOU take all this