The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-07-07
NEW SERIES. VOL. II, NO. T..

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It slightly behind her.
II can show it you," said "Sighi
l. from my Heart
"Did you write that review ?' she said
half rising and bending forward to make
. up the fire.
j could not see her face, or might
A have been tempted to tell lie.
! eyes, wrote it" said. Its smart
, don't you think so? ~
ut is smart" she replied, alters pause
as though she was reading it over again,
Every smart
'Ill lend you the book to look at,
, continued. Its the greatest trash you
ever read. Awful rubbish
"Thank you" she answered coldly,
still reading the paper, with her face
turned from me.
''Such irresistibly comic stuff, that TO
My Hero = | couldn't help quoting the
refrain
| His locks are gold,
His looks are bold,
My Hero!
Ha hap
My laughter stopped almost in it's birth.
| was looking over her shoulder ON to the
| paper, when u full round tear fell with a
"blob," as we used to say in the nursery,
on to the page in front of her. That
'blob" went straight to my heart. 1
caught her hand in mine, may have
gone on my knees, don't know what 1
did
''Mrs. Winterton Katel" l cried.
what is it? What is the matter? Tell
me! | can't bear to see you unhappy.
How can l serve you? 1 came here to-
day to tell you-yes, indeed-to tell you
that love YOU
She tore her hand away from mine
and was speaking to me from the other
side of the room. l was half kneeling
by her chair, think, and rose slowly as
she spoke.
you love me! Youl Why you wrote
that" she cried Indignantly, pointing
to the wretched review
l looked at her in surprise. Then it
began to dawn upon me as gazed at her
dear little figure quivering with indig-
nation.
"Why, you-do you mean-to say" |
stammered out, "that-you--are-n
You great BOBBY, of course I'm Sap
pho. What a fool man isT
She stamped her little foot impatient
ly, and was almost laughing through
her tears at my stupor and amazement.
had never seen her look prettier.
"But-I never KNEW" l began feebly.
''You never told Me-"
''Of course | didn't should have told
you today. only got the first copy on
Tuesday, and Mr.. Etheridge came in
and found me with them and he likes
them"
"Did he tell you so?" shouted
''Of course he did, and you can say SO
now,' you know. Don't get excited
Please go on. Say they are lovely, and
beautiful, and soul stirring, and all the
rest of it. Praise me up. Do. They are
works of genius, are not they? Worthy
of the great poetess herself
mo, Kate l said, II will be quite
honest with you; they are rubbish
great rubbish
She was not prepared for this and did
not know what to say. Something
prompted me to cross the room toward
her. She allowed me to take her hand.
kate" | continued, Il love you too
well to tell you lie. They are rubbish
dreadful rubbish. l did not know
whose they were. If you had shown
them to me before they need never have
been reviewed at all, here or anywhere.
1 love you so well 1 would not have told
you a lie about them-no not to win you
for myself forever. Do you believe that
Kate?n
She had let the miserable paper fall
into the fender, and her head was
turned from me again. Eyes, l believe
YOU" was all her answer | gathered
the paper up and thrust it into the fire.
Turning to her, | took her hand once
more, and we both stood over the man
tel-piece watching the paper wrlthing
in the flame.
''Etheridge gave me your book" Isaid
Her hand frightened invountarily on
iuluc. Out WIS dOOuU W SHY SOluetllIS
angry, but checked her.
HE too loved YOU" | said, land all
is fair in love and war, they say. Never
mind him; what about me? Am to be
forgiven? Can you forget this misera
BILE affair? Yon are the only friend l
have in the world. Is this to part us?
She said not a word, but gazed into the
fire. "Kate, you heard what | said just
now. l have told you love you. May
l come back when all this is past and
forgotten and say this to You again?''
The ashes had whitened in the flames
and were now burnt into nothingness,
and she turned her face up towards
mine.
You may stay and say it now. My
Hero" she whispered, with a smile and
the least suspicion of a twinkle in her
bright eye AMI it was thus that l made
INV last proposal.