Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-12-22


so we've talked very freely about It,
BY the way, she has such mntter-of-
fact manner that sho looks older than
she is-she's really five years younger
thnn you. Your fortunes made, my
boy, unless you make fool of your
self i'll some way. Let me sound her
about it; you may count upon me to
do it without lack of proper respect
for either of you, and I'll bet the en-
tire assets of this bank against bad
penny that You may announce your
engagement within week. Then
you'll DC hand-in-glove with lot of
us fellows i'll business way rs well as
socinlly, and we want you've really
do"
"Budder, said John Brixton, rising
from his chair, "you've got heart as
big ns IN OK, and I'm heartily obliged
to You for your interest i'll me- You
must give me time to think about it,
though"
"Timc to-" CALCULATED the President,
firing his cigar-butt mt the cuspidore
with such energy that he overshot tho
mark and elected II howl of anguish
from the banks cat MS she mistook the
missile for mouse when she opened
her eyes from peaceful slumbcr.
"Ihere're some things that fellow
can't afford to think about. Do you
stop to think when trout rises to
yoar fly? Come along to lunch--and
make mp your mind on the way"
Butt oha Brixton wasn't able to give
n decisive answer over the coffee and
cigars. A million dollars in good Sc
curities seemed well worth the taking
by mnn who had worked industri-
ously for fifteen or twenty years only
to rench Il salary of five or six thousand
dollars, and apprcciative wife thrown
III seemed like SO much extra luck, for
Johns mother and sister had for years
warned him that wives who hold good
husbands i'll proper regard are rs scarce
MS model husbands. On the other
hand, old Ben Fewse's daughter, who
looked rs mach like her father ass II
woman could look like IL man, would
he II strange lifc-companion for man
who, i'll spite of much attention to
material things i'll the way of business
had inherited many iino tnstcs and
sentiments which he kept in good,
usnblo condition. Whoever he might
hurry ought to he fnirly companion
able to his mother and sistcr-two
women whom he could not Imagine
enjoying Miss Fewse's society.
But while John Brixton went ON
thinking and wondering and compro-
missing, and rejecting his own compro-
misses, old Builder took the case in hand
MS earnestly MS if ii were n promising
investment for his own bank. He was
too good II business man to exceed his
authority, but he and his wife took
Miss Fowsc out driving the very after
noon TINT he haj made his suggestion
to BriXton, and they took her home to
dinner with them, and the old man
made opportunity to sound the praise
OF John Brixton and to tell what fine
women Johns mother and sister were.
SO, before the evening was over, Miss
Fewcs was conscious of IL mighty wish
that some mau like John Brixton would
ask her to change her name and share
her life and fortune with her.
Brixton Ind been Mt his Office only
half an hour the next morning when
ono o, the clerks shouted:
"Some one on the telephone for
you, sir.
"Who is it?" John asked, raising
his eyes from letter he was reading.
Forty seventh National Bank
President Builder, the clerk replied.
"Wait moment" said Brixton,
dropping the letter, seizing his hat
and starting for the door. "Tm out
you don't know when I'll be in
One of tho firm who had overheard
the conversation asked his partner
whether he supposed Brixton had been
specializing i'll Wall street and got
moro accommodation from the Forty
seventh National thnn his collaterals
would warrant, and the partner re-
piled that it might not he bad thing
to keep Brixuon out of temptation by
sending him to South America to look
after railway contract which they
had been trying to secure through
correspondents.
AS for Brixton he went straight
home and prowled about the house IN
Til he found his sister.
'Ettie," said he, "you and have.
always been confidential friends, al
though we're brother and sister. J
want to ask You an unusual question,
and want you to answer it without
Joking, or raising of your eyebrows, or
any other teasing. Suppose that I
should suddenly determine that L
wanted to marry, whom would you
best like for sister?"
The young woman did not start, or
laugh or do anything expressive of as
constituent, but answered promptly
"Ive longed for years to see you
and Agnes Hammice make match
You're made for each other"
'Longel for years, eh?" Never
changed your mind?"
"Never. Isn't she my dearest friend?
Isn't she rs good and sweet and hand
some as-as she is poor?"
"What does mother think of her ?"
Gust what think, and what every
one must who knows her. The dear
girl would have been snapped up long
ago if she hadn't been too poor to ap.