Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-09-23
she heSlJaueu.
"whens" asked he, indifferently yawn-

ing.
Cannot you guess?"
"No" But he shut his mouth suddenly
and the Sits of his eyes grew a bit more
narrow. He was listening now.
"Well-when found out about
"Whata" hefamily friend looks away.
"Herl" the pauper says slowly.
"I-er," stammered the family friend.
"When he told you about her didn't he
tell you that he had told me?" demanded
the pauper.
II don't know what you are talking
about" said the family friend uneasily,
shutting his eyes.
Here the pauper laughed. TWAS long
laugh, but perhaps not very merry.
"You goosel" she cried airily. "Why,
when he told me he said you already knew.
Do you think would have alluded to it if
had not been sure of thatS'>
There was moments silence; then:
mo wonder you forgave himP' said the
family friend in low, moved voice.
For minute the pauper was astonished
at the wild dance all nature executed.
Then the sky came down with crash and
broke into jewels, from which she found
herself plaeidly picking bits of sand.
''Why do you think it SO natural a thing
for me to have forgiven him?" she asked,
and her voice was perfectly even and not
ct all husky.
Because" said the innocent family
friend, mo matter how sorry they were,
few men would have confessed to their
wives I never knew he had," and then
be tried to change the subject, but the
Piiuper seemed strangely persistent.
81 took time to think it over" said
the pauper, breathing hard on the dia-
monds.
cit was noble to forgive. thought it
ended rather suddenly for an affair which
had been going on SO long, don't you
know?" The family friend began to feel
a trifle awkward. Perhaps he had said too
much.
But the pauper sighed in gentle way.
"He always admired that type of beautyl'
"Yes?" The family friend looked sur
prised. 81 never thought her at all pretty.
But there was something about her which
seemed to charm most men," Then, after
pause: "She was rather fetching people
always looked twice. But she wasn't half
as stunning as Hem! Aren't your dia-
monds clean YETI"
''Nearly. You were about to speak Of
the other one" So there was another one.
How many? wondered the desperate pau
per. And she had never dreamed the man
she loved could be false.
"Ah-well-that amounted to SO little!
But did he really tell you all these things?
You knew about both!" A cold perspira-
ton seized the family friend.
"Oh, yes," answered the pauper placidly.
They had been rich-these other women
rich in charm-or beauty. And she was
a pauper. He had returned to her-had
always loved her with the best of his ma
ture This she still believed. But when
q woman loves man she wants all. And
she had never been-could never be-all-
to him.
stThere he comes now" exclaimed the
family friend. He looked much relieved,
and arose and shook himself like big,
faithful dog.
He never knew that the pauper had been
as artful as he had been artless.
81 shall have to make the best of it!'
said the pauper to herself, as she gathered
her diamonds into her little embroidered
handkerchief and passed into the house.
''It can never be any different. No woman
can hold man to any greater extent than
is in her nature"
At dinner that night the family friend
quite enjoyed himself, and the husband
waxed affectionate over his wife.
Mot every man has wife like miner'
said he, with a genial glance across the
flowers at the pauper.
81 should think notr' said the family
friend with much emphasis.
And the pauper smiled at both.
And each day and each night she
thought about it. A gentleman who was
by turns both frivolous and grave has
said, ssOn every height there lies repose."
You will recall the fact that his name was
Goethe. And that saying comforted the
sad little pauper who went about wearing
her diamonds very bravely, seeing each
day women who had none and who were
yet rich. The pauper was climbing. One
day she reached height.
Upon that day she looked in her mirror
and said:
IT forgive him."
And we all know that life is like clock
It stops for moment. We give it little
shake and the wheels move on.-Johanna
Stats in Truth.