The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-03
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we'll 1eI uearG was Iull or burning
pain, and she wished that she were dead.
But her pride upheld her, and no one
guessed how sho suffered
She was so glad that she had never
told any one of her engagement to Will
liam Ritchie, and could join in all their
merry talk when it was publicly known
that Mr.. Richie had cut out the gen.
erals and majors and captains and colo
nels Of army society.
AS for William, he was greatly con-
graduated. and when the major went
back to his quarters with his daughter,
/ in something Of hurry, there was talk
of trouble with the Indians. It was I'M
derstood that William Richie was to 20
out In six months time to claim his
bride and bear her away before the very
eyes Of all those envious warriors.
The major did not profess to be pleased.
That girl who could marry in army
society should choose "a civilian"
amazed him. he openly confessed. But
"a willful woman must have her way
Cora was Of age-full five and twenty.
William Richie is very nice" Mrs
Afford said.
mo doubt, the major assented. "But
Cora might have had general"
How glad Genie was when they were
gomez How soon she left off her acting.
Her mother opined that she had been
too gay that summer. Mrs. Richie,
who was broken hearted at her Will
liam's choice, came in sometimes and
was apt to wish herself in the tomb of
her forefathers. But William never
came. He correspondent voluminously
with Miss Cora Standish, who made him
Jealous of now one officer and now an
other, and no felt that he received little
sympathy at home.
AT last the time arrived when he was
to go to claim his bride. Between hor
TOR Of having her brought home. "to
ride over her head" as she expressed 1t,
and fear that they would induce cher
William" to take up his residence among
them. Mrs. Richie was quite distracted.
'She Is your cousin" she said to the
girl one day. "or I'd say what I think of
that creature. She might. have kept
herself with her own kind. Why should
she carry off my boy?-
Then Genie felt 80 much sympathy
for the bere6ved mother that thew min
gled their tears.
Mrs. Richie would not 90 to Wills
wodding-Dot she, indeed!
She went SO far as to hone that when
he returned he would find her dead of a
broken heOrt. But she packed his trunk
for him and put in new Bible as he,
wedding gift to Cora. Then VIII de-
parted
What with Wills popularity, his moth
er's despair and the doubt as to whether
the young couple would come back to
llvo or settle down at tho fort, this wed
ding made great deal of talk, and when
time passed on and neither telegram,
letters, nor anything else in the shape of
news arrived, there was some excite
ment. Had there been "troubbe with
the Indians the newspapers would have
revealed the fact. This silence was very
strange.
Old Mrs. Richie was sure that VIII
was ''weaned from her already" and
consigned herself to despair. Genie read
over and over again n poem which began:
Married. married, and not to. me!
Is 1t dream or cGLn It boz
and pasted it in her scrapbook, and was
reading it in the honeysuckle arbor
when an eXpressman paused at old Mrs.
Ritchie's gate and hauled from his
wagon one solitary trunk with "W. R."
upon it. Later Will himself walked ND
the road alone, with his portmanteau In
his hand. and stood at his mothers door.
Something had happened. Genie
would have been an angel if she had
grieved over the fact AS it was sh.
felt that her little bit of revenge was
ready for her. and revenge was sweet.
and with merry laugh she skipped
over to the fence that divided the gar
dens and called out:
why, how do you do, Will? Where
is Cousin Coray'
Will turned and looked at her, and
came straight toward her.
"When l reached the majors resi-
dence your cousin Cora had just eloped
with Colonel O'Shaunessy,' he said.
GAS the major and Mrs. Colonel O'Shnu
nessy's brother are out hunting the
colonel, ! thought would return home,
though kindly invited to join the sport
"Oh" cried Genie, with all the hor
ror of an innocent girl. "a married
man? Is she like that-as bad rs that2'
lit is pretty bad" said William.
But I'm glad found her out 30 soon.
Later would have made it tragedy for
me-and all your fault, Genie!.
"Mine?' cried the girl.
Eyes" said VIII. when you gave me
back my ring you threw me into her
hands. Before that it was only a fiirta-
ton. never intended it to he anything
else, for my part. But when you used
me SOL
II used you col" said Genie. why,