Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-03-17

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seemed as if they must be there by mis-.
take.
'Half pound of beefsteak, Ruth,
and few potatoes, and loaf of bread;
that will do, / think" said the elder,
thoughtfully, to a tall, gaunt old woman
with little market basket on her arm.
who stood in the middle of tie room, as
if awaiting orders.
Saint that are pretty clus' dinner
for three, Miss Joscphine?" said Ruth,
giving her rusty black bonnet au extra
twitch.
al know it, Ruth" laughed the girl;
"but we must regulate our expenditure
according to our resources, you arc
aware. Seem
She held up lank little purse MS she
spoke. Ruth smiled too-but she was
looking, not at the purse, but at Jose
phine Carey, standing where the sun,
shine threaded her brown curls with gold
and melted into hazel wells of light
under her long dark lashes.
But she was not rs regally beautiful rs
her sister. As Cecile Carey sat in the
antique easy chair by the smoulderinp
remnant of fire, it would scarcely have
been difficult to fancy her q crowned
queen.
She looked fretfully up from her EN-.
broidcry rs Josephine spoke.
"Ruth, do tring u few oranges for
DESERT canuot live on this beggarly
dietI" she sad.
"We cannot afford it, Cccilc," inter-
posed Josephine, gently.
Cecile pouted.
"You don't care whether l starvc or
not"
Josephine's lip quivered.
dearest Cecilcl IS it not better to
bear up checrfully and strive not to re-
pine7"
GAS if one could help repining in this
dismal hole! And then since papa's
bankruptcy and death our friends have
all deserted us--of course, they would
not come to such place as this"
"Of course, then, they are not worth
our regrets. But Cecile, you should not
say all. Mr.. Archcliif has been here
several times"
eyes" said Cecile, little conscious
~, ms if she would have added: "And
defy him to stay away while 1 choose
to keep HIM with smile or glance"
''But, then, Josephine, he is our LAWYER"
"The law business has long since
come to an end, said Josephine, archly.
"Never mind, Cecy, we won't investi-
gate his motives too closely; and now,
where is my sewing2"
Ceclle looked rather ecornfully at the
plain calico dress which the busy fin
gers of her sister were working on.
Fittings will be different when am
Mrs. Archcliff," she unused to herself.
~ wonder if no will come here to-day:
he has been assent since "Wednesday. t"
The sunshine was creeping up the
wall like an ebbing tide of gold, and the
coarse induces of the wooden mantel
clock we're pointing to somewhere abont
b, that afternoon, when Ruth put her
still muslin cap into the room where
Cecilc was doing over n book, and JOS
ephine still at work over the calico
breadths.
"1f you please, young ladies'"
"Well2" drawled Cecilc, sleepily.
''Mr. Archciiffe is here"
And, without further ceremony, she
ushered the lawyer into the apartment.
A tall, stately man, somewhere be.
tween thirty and forty, with dark, heavy
hair, straight features, and eyes full of
quiet, thoughtful strength, he entered
with the same chivalrous respect nc had
been wont to show the sisters when thew
1welt in q superb mansion, and were
clothed with purple and fine linen.
81 have come here on business" he
said, breaking the monetary pause that
cnsued after the usual greetings; "bus-
mess that imminently concerns both OF
you young ladies. While examining
some wills and leases relating to an en-
tirely different case, l accidentally STUN.
bled on clue which, when followed I'D,
brought me to the knowledge that yor
are heirs to considerable property
which has for some years been enjoyed
by those who possessed neither right no
title to it."
" The wretchesl" interrupted Cecile,
passionately.
may" he said, gently, "thc present
possessor is quite ignorant that he ha
| uone any wrong, whatever suspicious
his father may have had on the subject.
"And how soon-when-" STAN
mered Cecile.
"Do you mean how soon do you come
into possessiona" he asked, as she paused
abruptly. "Within very few weeks,
| tr"st-as soon as the troublesome
forms of law can be gone through WITH.
Acting as your legal advisor, hav
already given notice to the young man. >
"rhen it is young man. Poor fell
low" sighed Josephine "What sort Of
aperson is it, Mr.. Archcliff 2"
81 know nothing, Miss Josephine
except that he is about sixteen, and {
cripple"
"a cripplei"
"Yes; martyr, I am told, tc apina