The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-02
SNAKE IN THE GRASS,
I detest Celia.

| stay with jacks people and told me
was spelling him. OF course it was no
business of hers if were-she admitted
| that-but she was SO fond Of me that
she felt she must speak, being older and
more experienced than I, and implore
mo to remember that it wasn't only my
lover Twas spelling, but my future hus-
band, and if I let him have his own
way in everything now I should never
be able to have mino by and by when
| We were married.
So Jack and L quarreled at tho Hornes'
dance last night
hardly know what it was about in
the first instance, hut it grew and grew
until it seemed to mo there was nothing
we weren't quarrcling about, and Jack
was soon terribly in earnest. Though
we had been engaged for three weeks
I'd no idea he had 1t In him to be SO
angry. And of course I lost my head
and got angry, too-rcally angry-and
said horrid things, and-and-I told
him that our engagement was broken
off, and thero must be an end of cvory-
thing between us, and-and- took
me at my word. L mover thought of his
| doing that.
GAS you please" he said, speaking
quietly all of sudden. Wewere in the
conservatory, and tho dance music III
| the drawing room must have drowned
tho sound of our voices half dozen
| yards away. You wish our engagement
to end, Maud? So be it. Your letters
| shall bo returned to you tomorrow, and
l will ut once leave you free to resume
| your Irritation with Frank Horne
'But-Jack''--
His face was set and white. He never
even looked at me. Tho music ceased
| Celia and several other dancers strolled
into the conservatory, and he left me.
| Yes, he went away and danced with
| other girls, and he never spoke one
| word to me or came near me again the
whole evening.
Hank! Some one is crossing the hall
| Surely Jane won't bc so foolish as to
| show any ono i'll hero now!
III another moment "NIr. DAYTON" is
announced, and Jack himself stands be-
fore me.
'Jacll!' I started to my feet, and all
his treasured documents fall rustling to
tho floor, but mover think of them
| Who thinks of lovo letters in the pres
enco of tho writer? Jack is here, my
Jack. and
But is he indeed my Jack?
Tho first glance at his face recalls me
to myself and reminds mo that he is no
longer my Jack, or Jack at all to me-
told him wished our engagement to
end, and he remembered it evidently,
| though for one brief moment have for
gotten, Oh, Jacll-Jacl!
Ho waits till the servant has left the
room, then takes small packet from
! the breast pocket of his coat and turns
to me.
This must DO my apology for dis
turbing you, he says very formally.
| Il thought | had better bring itmyself,
i'll case of accident -
For me-" speak vaguely and
without offering to take it, l want to
| gain time
Yes-your letters have 10 right
to them now.
"How-how beautifully you have
| packed themv'
He turns away, with an impatient
gesture, and lays them on the table
Il need not detain you any longer,
now my GRAND is DONE, ho says quiet
ly.
"But-there is something else. Oh,
you forgot" as he looks at me question
ingly. "You have returned my letters
promptly enough chow can thank you
for such promptncss0, but you forget
your own. As you say, have no right
| to them now -
"You wish mo to take them? Very
WE'LL"
But do not wish him to take them.
Anything but that. 1 want to postpone
the moment of parting. That is ali.
will you DO good enough to fetch
them?''
They arc hero on the floor. Will YOU
be good enough to help me pick them
up?'
He does so without word. Together
we stoop and collect them. Together
we lay them OH tho table. Together for
the last time!
bring paper and string aud proceed
to pack them up, whilo he watches me
| In silence.
81 fear this will not be such n neat
parcel as yours" l say, speaking as
steadily us l can and bending over the
table to hide my troubled face "Yon
know I'm never good at this sort of
thing"
II know" shortly.
81 can't do it'll" And great tear
| splashes Oh tho packet. "I'm sorry,
| butt
'Dom't bother aboutit' And he laws
his hand on mino suddenly. mo need