South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1893-09-07
JaNE GND GBTHBR.

Doubtless Jane Dobbins and AsEhu
LstsSrs thought that they were veJ
cl@Ser when, in the first bloom of youns
love, they had a memorial photograph
taken together with her gentle heaC
fondly resting on his gallant breast
There were to be only two impressions
struck from the plate, and, oh! what q
consolation each one would be for the
awful hours of separation-an ever pres.
ant sign of ineffable blissl But they
Deyer fsncisd that the plate retained ita
reproductive powers, nor that it was des-
tined to fall into the hands Of the venge-
ful George Percy, and when they reck-
oned without George Percy they reckoued
! without host.
For this young man was romantic of
temperament and ingenious of mind.
From his earliest perception he had VOW
ed that she should be his, and so in the
heydew of his discretion, having ssen
her ruthlessly torn from his mental en-
brace through the diabolical arts Of q
hated rival, he swore that he would
have his revenge. Of course he must
disSemble--that was an essential Of the
passion. Arthur and he had always been
good comrades, and so they must con-
tinue. He must congratulate the happy
pair with false words and 9 hollow
smile. He must, and he did.
But time was his friend, so ayannt de-
spair! The lovers were young. and thsifi
complscept parents had declared Chat
they must wait. Aha Was fas 4; " a
snouGhSfEom sha uettla Ge ensSs 20
pluck the flower Saecessg 0lslg b M
the aettls! SMsa4 yvlIiie Ae we ID q y a
and wait. ~ wea at tkss ncgSts ci y
conviction thas Askhur Sn3 evarsSns ta y
half the pleasure of being IN love, showed
the picture to George. Alas, the blind
ness of fate Among the mental IN
genuities with which George was en-
dowed was very pretty taste for the
natural sciences. Chemistry, through
its facility in producing light from dark
ness, sound from silence and smell from
scsntlessness, had always appealed to his
imaginative qualities.
At school he had been allowed the run
of the laboratory and sometimes run
from it-and there was nothing in the
nature of smoke, stencil or explosion
| which he had not generated. He went
further in day than Farsdsy did in his
whole life, and as for Daguerre he could
take care of him without half thinking.
Indeed, in time photography became
delightful avocation to him, and its mys-
| teries were csmericsl not chimerical.
He had gsineds we'll deserved reputa-
tstion as an amateur operator, and, it SO
! happened, had long been in the habit OF
developing his work in the very gallery
where the young lovers had so wsntonly
made light of their sacred emotions.
And more, he was so engaging in man
uer and so generous in returning tavor'
that he had the use of the establishment
and came and went as if his will was ;
centurion, latchkey being his guide BY
night. All of this Arthur we'll knew
and all of this he clean forgot in tn
selfish rapture of displaying his happi
ness.
But George remembered, and when b
had carelessly read the makers name Of
the back of the photograph he cOulc
scarce restrain start and the conven
Gonal ohuckle Of foreSeen revenge. i
D flash came an idea which gradual
developed into a full grown purpose
He could, he would, he did. He knev
many q secret of the craft. Now wa
the time to call that knowledge to h
aid. One night he searched and b
found negatives of Susie Graham, a gres
friend of Arthur's and of Robert Prince
an ardent admirer of James. With il
finite care he prepared new plates, an
10! when he had developed these an
taken their impressions there were tw
pictures, one of Arthur and Susie an
, the other of Robert and Jane, in Il
identical conf" notion of affection
which it had seemed clever to Arth,
and Jane to exploit their young love.
r "Aha! Kissed George with ha
2 suppressed mirthless laugh as he pull'
his hair over his brow and rolled b
ewes, which shone with an internal fl
t 'iAha! | have them on the hip, al
t III feed fat the ancient grudge l o.
] them
4 And we'll he might laugh as one W
:, laughed last. The following week t
= little Jane, while dreaming idly of h
, felicity, received an anonymous packa
and wept. The following week the I
dent Arthur, while impatiently counti
# the days of his probation, received
/, anonymous package and swore. 7
next day two notes, pregnant with sr
i and resentment, crossed each other.
- FAIrH1Ess ARTHUR-T return the ring a
,e other presents. All is over, So never. ne
syesk apr;n to JANE
read one.
{ F1cKhE JANE-Since you no longer love ]
ID I beg TO herewith transmit your letters {
:, the slippers you sent me last Christmas
II think they are just his size. 1remain, 70
s. indignantly, ARTHUf
read the other.
nHow shamele@5F sobbe0 Jane WI
q she received the letter. What nery
If growled Arthur as he tore the foTr
"a | into bits. And thereafter the hearts t
! had beat as one throbbed most indspe
emily as two.