Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-08-04

didn't think him good enough to tie
your dainty shoe-ribbons for you,
Grand lady that you were-was 1t to
Won that he wrote or to Daily Warden
the oyerseer's daughter? Look at
that set of ivory chessmen on the
shelf. That came from Burrampore.
Look at that tiger skin on the floor,
all black and gold, with the head
erect, as if it would spring at you.
That was from the jungles Of Ardpoo-
ira. He sent those to Daily Warden,
not to Miss Leieune. And saw you
looking paler and sadder day by day.
and l was revenged.
Lilias had drawn back; she had
Redeemed at first and then grown pale.
'Is that what you wanted to say to
me?"
isn't it enough?" insolently re-
torted the consumptive, an evil smile
writhing her lips.
"Too much" shuddered Miss Le-
jeune. 81 am sorry, Daily, that you
entertain such vindictive feelings
toward me. never intended to wound
you"
"Oh, it don't matterl" said Daily,
I'm revenged-that is all. I've lived
to see the proud Miss Lejeune a
broken-hearted woman. Now, so far
as 1 know, there's nothing left to live
for. and I'm ready to so.
And Miss Leieune's last impression
Of Daily Warden was that of small ex-
ultant eyes, like those of a serpent-a
vellow-tressed head drawn back, cobra
capella fashion, and such a sinister
smile as Lucrezia Borgia might have
smiled.
That was the last time she ever saw
Daily Warden alive. The poor girl
died that night.
"Please, Miss Lilias, said old Ju-
dith, the pur-blind cook, who lived
near the oyerseer's cottage, "dey says
Miss Daily she done wanted yo' to hab
de tiger skin wild de green-glass eyes
for yo bedroom flo. Lef' it to yo' in
her will. "
Il don't want it" said Lilias Le-
ieune, shrinking. "You may have it,
Judy"
"T'ankee, miss-tankee, mighty
much :" said the old woman, gleefully,
displaying her stumps of yellow teeth.
cold Judyll be as fine rs a fiddle with
dat tiger skin on her cabin Ao'-will
so.
She called Lilias triumphantly into
her little habitation the next day to
display the new treasure. With a
ponderous pair of silver spectacles
perched on her nose and an old jack
knife she was ripping off the lining.
"Crar EFT up by de moths, Miss
Lilias, she declared. "Ill hab to git
it refined fore it can be fairly decent
Yo' can read, Miss Lilias, can't yo'?
But ole Judy she never had no educa-
tion. And hers a lot O writ paper
sheets tucked in between de linin' an
de skin hesef, like as dough dey was
quilted in. Wha' does dey mean,
honey-eh? Kin yo' tell ole Judy?''
Lilias stopped down and took up the
dry and dusty relics.
They are letters" she said 'Let-
ters writer to"
She stopped abruptly. She might
have added written to one dear
Lilias," and signed Edgar Main
woring." Loving, pleading letters
that begged for but one word of an
swer-letters whose faded ink and dry,
rustling paper took one back nearly a
quarter of century.
az have sent these to Dallette War
den's care" he wrote, "because she
tells me your father is vehemently OPP
posed to my suit and will receive no
correspondence. She promises to for
ward your answer, if ever you deign
me one. If not. shall, of course, ac-
cept your silence as a sufficient doom.
And all these letters had been
opened and mercilessly perused by
Daily, the overseers daughter, then
hidden away beneath the snarling
teeth, the cruel green glass eyes of the
man an-eating tiger of Ardpootra. Thus
had she nursed her revenge.
Lilias drew long sigh.
'I'n take these pagers, Aunt Ju-
dith, said she. ''They-they are in
teresting to no one but me-.
"I'ankee, Miss Lilias, said the old
crone, contentedly stroking the spotted
gorgeousness of the tigers skin.
Colonel Mainwaring was coming
slowly up from tho Okeechee. his