Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-11-04


taller for the reading of it.
IF Miss Wcodroffe was all that" said,
II can't imagine how you ever let her 60"
''She was," he answered cat any rate
I have no reason to doubt it."
He put the paper back in its place and
went on:
81 think may say that lost no time
after that. She was friendly from the
beginning. About four weeks after our
first meeting asked her to marry me, and
she said Yes Upon my word, Mary, if
had been twenty-five instead of fifty-five,
don't think could have been happier.
She was just going away from the Jod-
drells', and before she went-I told her all
about Miss Harris and what thorough
belief l had in her skill Miss Woodroffe
laughed at me, but unfortunately was
quite convinced that my belief was we'll
founded and quite determined to persuade
her to think SO too.
''She went away, and of course wrote
to her. In one of my first letters l sent
her the one l have just shown you, and
begged her to send my handwriting also to
Miss Harris for her own satisfaction. You
see, felt quite safe in doing this, because
the description of me which had been sent
at the time, you remember, had been rather
fattering. On that occasion Miss Harris
had declared that was of an amiable tenn
per, liberal, but trustworthy l remember
the words well, and thought it could do
me nothing but good if such an account of
me found its way to Miss Woodroffe
what fools people arel The woman was
a rank impostor of course, as found after
ward to my cost and as l ought to have
known then, but did really believe in her
Could you have guessed it?''
"Well, no." | answered. II really don't
think should have believed it-only you
know, John, you shrewd men can be SO
dreadfully creduous Why, remember
a friend of my husband who doubted every
thing, and yet he believed in Nine. Blavat-
sky"
John grunted. He did not seem to like
the comparison, which was foolish of him,
poor fellow.
'She said," he went on, s'that she could
trust her own judgment and did not want
anybody else's. That might have sati sled
anybody, but it did not satisfy me. l wrote
again and begged her to do as wished,
telling her about the housekeeper At last
she wrote that she had done to please me
what she never would have done for her
self, and she said, I suppose you expect me
to abide by whatever Miss Harris may
say
do you know that those words gave me
fright? l had never doubted till then
that Miss Harris would give just the same
character of me as she had done before,
and also had only thought of it as giving
me more value to Miss Woodroffe got
nervous after l heard she had really con-
suited the sibyl and two days later re-
ceived these"
He turned over his pocketbook again and
handed to me two papers, sinking back in
his chair after he had done SO with ges-
ture that said, "You have the catastrophe
and its results before you"
l opened one of the papers, and literally
opened it with trembling fingers. There
was something tragical in poor Johns ges-
ture and in the emptiness and silence Of
the house. My eyes fell upon sheet Of
paper, half covered with a neat, legible
handwriting, the words of which were
much as follows:
This writing belongs to a person of a
singularly impulsive and eager tempera-
ment, easily carried away by the feeling of
the m oment; very uncertain and unreli-
able, sadly inconsistent, without fixed pur-
pose Or deliberate judgment; not wanting
in ability, but only in the power to apply it
QSCluliy CdlclcSS VI luOuCy, UuU SCttiCcly W
be called generous; not altogether free from
vanity, his temper is very irritable and
passionate"-
There was more, but sigh from John
poor John! the most faithful and generous
of friends, and the most steady going of
mortals-made me drop the sheet and take
up the other.
This was very short note:
DEAR Mr.. ELDER-You insisted that I should
consult Miss Harris and trust her verdict
on your character rather than on my own.
What that is you will see by the nclosed, and
am sure you cannot wonder that dare not
marry the man described. l am sending back
your presents and letters by next post. With
most sincere wishes for your happiness, yours
truly, LOUISA WooDROFFE.
'Oh, john" said when I had read this,
"but she could not have meant it."
'She meant it SO thoroughly that when
got to her mothers house in London the
very evening of the day l received it they
were both gone abroad, and | have not SO
much as seen her from that time to this"
So that was why the dining room door
was never altered.-New York Recorder.