The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-03
more talk of marryin between you an

me. Seer"
jeff didn't see ut all. Half dazed and
not quito understanding what it all
meant to him, he "'loweds how it might
be best that way, may be-"
Althca had scarcely counted upon this.
Sho expected something altogether
differcnt-protests, perhaps petitions for
forgiveness, n final victory for herself.
She had never intended him to accent
his dismissal mt her hands in this way,
and his blank amazement, which she
took for indifference, annoyed her.
$50 that's fixed; is it, Jeff"
Il s'pose So" jeff spoke shortly and,
as she thought, sullenly And again
there was long silence.
II reckon I'll have to 90 away now"
jeff said presently. as though thinking
aloud. I'm on duty up to Mount Sew
ern depot tonight, an tomorrow evenin
III come down an take my traps an move
EN- over there" Then, after a pause,
Good night, Thea"
Once she started and half opened her
lips to call him back, but pride and tho
sight of his determined bearing as he
strobe away tied her tongue, and she let
the opportunity pass
After all, jeff was only one among a
whole townful of admirers, and if he
didn't care why should she?
Besides, there remained the cause of
all this trouble, the young engineer Bur-
ton, who hal come down to inspect the
bridge and had found the accommodate
ton of the City hotel so much to his
taste.
True, Burton himself would not have
confessed to anything more than the
most harmless firtation-a Irritation laid
upon rather bolder lines possibly than
ne would have followed with girls of his
OWN class, but certainly nothing more
serious.
The storm that had been threatening
all the afternoon broke soon and sud
denly-slch storm as the Bar Island
valley had not known for many years.
All that night it ragged and we'll on to
the next day and Althea. sitting by her
self at home, had ample leisure to think
matters over.
Her feeling at first was one of freedom
and consequent relief.
But this feeling was short lived. and
when it passed it left her very lonely.
Burton W; out. facing the storm down
by the bridge
But she did not think of him some
how. Her mind kept revcrting to the
thought of jeff, puzzling over his strange
indifference of the previous evening,
wondering whether she had understood
him rightly.
And by midday she found herself in II
very agony of rcmorsc and humiliation
Yes. she had treated jeff shamefullv.
She had dismissed him heartlcsslv
wantonly ana without cause. And now
she would have given all the world to he
able to call him back again
At last she could bear it no LONGER.
The close atmosphere of the room seemed
to suifocate and choke her. Rain or no
rain, she must get out of the house and
breathe fresh air if only for half an hour
So throwing shawl over her head and
shoulders, she slipped quietly out and
walked, alone and unnoticed, down the
deserted street.
lnsensibly her steps tended toward the
bridge. In the old days-she thought Of
that time as though it had been years
and years ago-shc and Jeff used often TO
walk some way out along the bridge and
stand enjoying tho magnificent view up
and down the valley
Twilight had fallen before she steppcd
on 10 the bridge, but the way was so IA
miliar to her that she did not notice this
The rain had ceased, and tho wind,
though still strong enough at that great
height, had abatcd considerably since
morning. Althca faced it and drew long,
refreshing brca!hs us each gust struck :
her out OF the darkness.
The cool air seemed To brace and cx-
hilcratc her spirits, and the novelty of
her position, suspended between earth
and sky, with blind empty space on all
sides OF her, gave her curious sense Of
detachment and mental cxaltation. She
forgot Jelf-forgot all her own troubles.
But home and everything in her past
life seemed so distant, so vague and in.
significant, that she easily dismissed thn
matter from her mind and pressed OH
again. The bridge swaycd slightly in the
wind, She must lie Just above tho river
now she thought.
Suddenly the hand rail by which She
had been guiding herself slipped from
her grasp. The speed at which she ,ya-
walking carried her on pace or two.
and then she stopped, struck with mo
mentary fear. and groped after the rail
with her hand.
Not finding it she stepped cautiously
backward and touched it just at Il
point where she had let it so. The rail
was broken OF short, the wood Jagged
and splinterc |. And at the same mo-
mcnt squat shook the bridge and sent
Althea down on her hands and knees,
clutching at one of tho foot planks and
straining every muscle to hold herself