The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-04
A TEST OF LOVE.


eyes flashed fire. and as he laughed May
sizes anger grew.
- hato her so l can't sleep at night.
and All because she is making fool Of
you, j ohm Stratt6n, thc-thc white faced
witch Now, that was different mat
ter to what he had looked on as only n
pretty cbullition of jealousy on the part
OF Maysie Bruce most gratifying to his
vanity, but to be told that another wo-
man was simply making fool of him
was hllrtful to that same vanity, and it
was now his turn to feel the blood rush
10 his sunburnt cheek.
-tMiSs Lawrence is Il refined and cul-
turcd woman whose society enjoy and
who is good enough to seem to enjoy
mine, was his stiff reply to poor Maysie
who felt singularly rustic and ignorant
as he said it and fell to stirring up the
snow with her pretty foot. A moment
before she had been so pleased to meet
John, for it had been long week since
he had come to see her, and she had
heard from 20 busy tongues like so many
pm prickS of his visits to the big white
house on the hill, where the beautiful
Miss Lawrence, the belle of youngstown.
was staying with Mrs. Ross, the judges
wife. But Maysie was loyal and put
aside the pain in her heart to smile at him
when he had ovcrtaken her on the way
from the village, hoping TO vile him back
TO his allegiance by the winsome ways
that had bound him before
She had been gay enough little CO.
0pctto until now, but all the joyous ca
price and fascination was gone with the
coming of this sorrowful conviction that
John was growing away from her. At
his sharp words now the tears rose TO her
eyes, and she grew intent on her task of
stllrlnS up the powdery snow, but John
paid no attention to the small, we'll
booted foot which he had praised i'll hap
per times, nor, what was worse, to the
tears. but turned back pcttishly with Il
short goodby, leaving Maysic to go on
her way home alone. while he walked
silstiiy up the hill to where his cnchant-
rcss waited i'll tfie warm scented draw
ing room, beside IL glowing fire of Goals
and who welcomed the Stalwart Young
fellow with languid smile that yet had
~ II something of appreciation of his
handsome face and we'll knit figure
MISS Lawrence had grown blasc III the
eevcTal Years that lay between Ter and
her school days. and had strucl; most of
Jh0 chords in mems hearts. but even her
Jadod fancy WAS taken by John STRAIT
tons admirng blue eyes and his gentle
difference TO her us IL creature too fair
and DAINTY for everyday life, and she OK
crtcG herself with an anxiety that sur
fnlscG her more than any one else to keep
hin! by her side. She had heard of Nav
sic, and with all the cruelty That turks
Ill the feminine breast had found new
2cst III the affair in consequence.
While John sat and talked and adj
lnllcG in that warm parlor beside Mis-,
Lawrence, poor Maysie walked slowly
home. finding the world Il sad sad place,
ana feeling for the first time i'll her short.
bright life that death was not IL terrible
thing after all. With pathetic honesty
she acknowledged that the woman that
had stolen her lover was very fair and
did not doubt her many charms TO hold
him by her side, and as she thought of
the pale golden locks of that rival and
Che violet eyes she felt that She hated
her own soft, brown hair ara her eyes.
that John had once said were like wood
land pools. AS She chokcd mp at this IL.
mcmbrance voice hailed her: "Why,
Maysie, going to walk right over a fcl-
low: On your way home: We'll. think
had better so with you or you will be
getting lost If YOU are so oblivious of "a
6-footer like me-"
Maysie started guilty with cry The
speaker was Trucman Ellis. who wor-
shipped her ever since her babvhOod
through tyranny and encouragement on
the part of his ladylovc. She had ac
ceptcd his devotion as she had other of
the good things of life, without thought
OF what it cost, and today. with pctu-
lancy foreign TO her sweet nature. shc
tore her arm from the one in which he
had placed IL and cried:
''Oh, how YOU startled me. No.
don't want company, thank YOU" Then
as she saw his face fall her tender heart
prompted her To add: Il am not
very well, think, and | would be Door
company for you, Trucman Goodby."
The young man stood still in the path
whore she left him, his own heart sore
tor the little creature who had been so
0rigi.. and gay, for he, too, had seen
how often John Stratton had gone 10 the
Judges of late, and lie knew why poor
Maysic was mot very well, and would
be poor company for the first time in
her life. But what could he do: So
with :! sigh he stood and watched the lit
tic figure in the brown cloak walk wcari
iy on to the cid farmhouse by the river.
%horc She WAS the pctted darling of the
elderly father and mother who had ONLY
hcT LETT Of Tie crowd of little ones that