Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-02-02

~ y ihS Luz uu uOuIs OfnLNO anu urn
ing up fresh at the end of the bout.
From feminine point of view the ac-
| complishment is undoubtedly worth
acquiring.
We tried to talk, but itwasa failure.
l dare say was nervous, but then SO
was Kate. She was quite distraite, and
not in:the least her own bright self
Instead of our usual frank, open con-
versation, it was the weather and Dis
raeli's last good thing. L was deter
mined to break through her reserve.
My eye caught the Slasher lying open
by her side.
well, Mrs. Winterton, you have
been reading the Slasher see. ~ f
She darted n keen look at me, and
with something of her old fire, but
with trace of bitterness in the laugh
that accompanied her words, she an
swered- 1A srf .sr.
"Oh, yes, I have read it,"
"Did You look at Romola?" i,.3
No, | only read one thing, a
short notice of some poems or some
thing" she said, taking up the paper
and looking Mt it carelessly.
1 rose and seated myself on chair
slightly behind her.
81 can show it to you," said {:
Signs from My Heart, 20
"Did you write that review?' she
said, half rising and bending forward
ms if to makeup tho fire.
could not see her face, or might
have been tempted to tell lie.
eyes, l wrote it. It's smart, don't
you think so?"
cit is smart--vcry smart" she re-
piled, after pause, AS though she we're
reading it all over again.
'11l lend You the book to look Mt. ("
l continued. cts tho greatest trash
You ever read, awful rubbish. F."
"Thank you," she answered, coldly.
still rcnding the paper, with her face
turned away from me.
Such irresistibly comic stuff, that
TO My Hero'" could not help
quoting the refrain.
Ills locks arc gold.
His looks are bold
Ha! hal"
My laughter stopped almost in its
birth. / was looking over her Shout.
der Mt the paper, when full round
tear fell with "blob," as we used to
say Ill the nursery, on the page in front
of her. That blob went straight to
my heart. 1 caught her hand in mine.
may have gone on my knees don't
know what did
"Mrs. Wintcrton-Ka !" I cried.
"What is it? What is the matter?
Tell me can't bear to see YOU I'M
happy. How can serve you? came
here to-day to tell you-ycs, indeed,
to tell you | love you |"
She tore her hand away from mine.
and was speaking to me from the other
side of the room. l was half kneeling
by her chair, L think, and rose SLOWLY
ns she spoke.
"You love me- You'll Why, YOU
wrote That" she cried, Indignantly.
pointing TO the wretohed review.
l looked at her in surprise. Then
it began to dawn upon me MS I gazed
at her nice figure, quivering with in
dignation.
"Why, you-do you menn-that-
you are" 1 stammered.
"You great boobyl OF course am
Sappho. What n fool the man isl"
She stamped her foot impatiently,
and was almost laughing through her
tears Mt my stupor nnd amazement. I
had never seen her look SO pretty.
.out-I never knew" began.
fcebly. "Yon never told me-"
"Of course L didn't should have
told you to-day. 1 only got the first
copy on Tuesday Mr.. Etherbridge
likes them"
"Did he tell You 500" shouted.
'Of course he did, and You can say
so now, You know. Don't get excited.
Please go on. Say they are lovely and
beautiful, even soul-stirring, and oil
the rest of it, Praise me up, do. They
are works of genius, are not they?S
worthy of Sappho?"
NO, Kate, ] said. ''I will be quite
honest with you; they are rubbish
great rubbish, my child"
She was not prepared for this, and
did not just know what to shy. Some.
thing prompted me to cross the room
toward her. She allowed me to take
her hand.
Kate, continued, 81 love YOU
too well to tell you lie. They are
ubbish-dreadfu rubbish. Ibid NOT
know whose they were. If Won had
shown them to me before they mead
never have been reviewed Mt all.
love you too well to tell you lie about
them-even though you were won to
me thereby. Do you believe that
Kate?"
She had let the miserable paper fall
into the fender, and her head was
turned away from me again.
Eyes, 1 believe YOU" was her
answer.
l gathered the paper up and thrust
it into the fire. Turning to her took
her hand once more, and we stood by
the mantel watching the paper burn
ing.
"Etheridge gave me your book to
review" said. fr~ Wa. d
Her hand frightened involuntarily
upon mine She was about to say
something sharp but checked her.