Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-12-30

her mother drink out of the silver
bound gourd which always hung there:
"Sir," without moment's hesitation,
might have a job of work in your hop
felds2 We have come from the city
mother aud there's no living to be
picked up there, AMI my mother is all
ing, and we thought the smell of the
hops might do her good. Please, sir,
we'd work cheap, if only VIC might
sleep in the barn and have bit of somc-
thing to eat between whiles."
81 don't want you to work chcapr'
said the squire, assuming an aspect of
unwonted gruifness to cover the sym
pathetic thrill in his voice. III never
grudSed moneys worth for good, honest
work. AS for the barn, my housekeepcr
can put you in one of the vacant back
chambers over the kitchen, and there's
always enough to cat at Pendextcr
FARM"
"Pcndextcr Farm!"
The woman who had bean sitting on
the messy cattle. trough slowly lifted her
head here aud pushed back her worn
| suu-bonnet.
"Where are we, lsora7 Whittier have
we comet knew man by the name
of Pendcxter, once, who"
EYES," said the squire, who had given
"a little start at the first sound of that
low contralto voice. at was |, Clara
Caprivi! To think that Fate should
have brought us together again after all
these ycarsw
The pale woman struggled to her feet
aud clutchcd ut her daughters slim,
strong arm.
''Lct us go, Isora, said she. eve
We have made mistake. Give me nv
shawl. Quick! Let us go !"
"But, mother, why1" soothed tho
girl, who scarcely as yet comprehended
all this by play. "Don't you hear what
the gentleman saysa We can have work
here aud food and shclterl Mother, sit
down again You ure trembling all
ovcrl"
az tell you, child, you don't knowl"
said impatient Clara, possessed with
sort OF wild, unreasoning terror. "Wf
we must go!"
"Clara," said the squire, he himself
assuming the direction of affairs, ''the
child is right. Let by.goncs be by.
1
you from my door7"
Clara looked into his face.
"Have you forgiven me. thcni" said
she.
Forgiven you2 Yes, years and ycars
ago. LIE! us be friends again, Clara"
For his heart ached to see how pale
and wan she was-how haggard were
her checks and how like smoldering fire
the light burned in her sunken ewes.
She told him; all that afternoon while
pretty Isora was stripping the clustered
hops from the vines with a dozen girls
us pretty and as blooming rs herself.
How her lifs hau been an iimless wreck;
how Gallo Caprivi had been no count
after.t,l, but nameless pretcnder, with
neither honesty nor honor; how he had
lcft her, with the baby Isora on her
hand, to shift rs best she might for
herself, and was killed in gambling
brawl; how she had struggled on for
years, constantly feeling herself less
able to wage unequal warfare with the
world.
Clara" said the squire, when she
lad finished, "@hy didn't YOU come to
mc2'
"Because had wronged you so deep.
ly," she faltered.
"You might have known would have
been kind, even to Caprivi's child.
Well, it doesn't matter now. You arc
here, and you must stay here. Do you
hear me, Claral Must Bless my
heart! You'll grow stronger in these
country breezes, and that pale girl Of
yours will get II color in her face"
So they stayed Mt the Pendexter Farm,
and beautiful Isorn Caprivi grew fairer
to look upon with every passing day.
"Clara," said the blunt squire one
day. "tlat CIR! of yours is prettier than
ever you we're"
al know it, said Madam Caprivi.
And as she spoke the words, pane
of jealousy struck sharply through her
heart. Yet, was it not natural enough
that Squire Pendexter should take note
of Isora's opening loveliness7
And in her room that night, Clara
wrestcd with her own heart aud con.
quered it.
Gle will marry Isora," she told her,
self. "Isora Is beautiful, and he is in
! ShS pi'u'C vi iiIC. II IL us IL SHOulu ne.
While II am only wreck, waiting on
the shores of time for the final billow to
come and sweep me away. God bless
his noble heart! God bless my sweet.
souled girl! And God grant that they
may be happy together for many, many
long and happy years"
The squire came to Madam Caprivi the
next day, with rather an embarrassed
face.
at is coming" thought Clara. 80
knew it would"
"Clara," said he, ave a question tt
ask you"
She held cut her hand with smile.
"Ask it, then. freely said she
graciously.
"Should I be making fool of mysep
if, at my age, l were to marryl"
"You would be doing the mos,
proper and natural thing in the world"
Clara answered, still smiling. althou sh