Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-01-17

SOMEBODY VINO nadH asked me 10
marry him."
A wild hope flashes through his
brain. ''Was twas he-somebody
nearer?'' he stammers-''a cousin, tor
instance!"
She glances quickly at him and
tu,Iis away her head; all her affecia-
ton of fastness is gone, and he sees her
as she is.
How did you guess that she whis-
pers. Il must have kept my secret
very badly
He seizes her hand Lucie, he
says earnestly, tell me, do you love
anybody
Her slight figure quivcrs but she
will not answer.
Tell me who it is be urges pas
sionately.
Slowly she lets fall the words, What
would you think of me If | said that it
was you?"
Ten minutes later he is still there
alone with his happiness.
Suddenly he turns as he hears light
football, and she is beside him again.
"What is it, dearestt'' he asks.
Have you picked up anything 7" she
inquiries, smiling Il dropped some
thing while | was sitting here-a--a
letter.
A newborn jealousy flares up in his
eyes. "a letter? From whom2"
Don't laugh at me, DEAR" she says
shyly. 1T was only letter from you.
He smiles very tenderly. The only
letter he has ever written to her is one
in acceptance Of his uncle's invitation
fortnight ago.
From me? Why, you silly child,
there was nothing in that worth keep
ing"
few days afterward the Rev. David
I Elliott was returning to his lodgings
after visiting his district. He wanted
his luncheon badly and was very tired
and rather disgusted, for the old wom-
Ell had been particularly querulous and
troublesome and even more than usual
ly inclined to overestimate the value of
their attendance at the early .celebra-
ton. He had been positively refused
admission into one cottage, through the
he saw the burly form and coarse Irish
features of Father Flanagan, from st.
Joseph's. His rector, too, had been
snappish and as nearly rude as cler-
gyman ever permits himself to be to a
brother priest. But ho consoled him
self for these little annoyances by think
ing how short ii time he should have
to endure their and how different his
positi,r you'd be in few years-per-
haI S months He was expecting a re-
ply to passionate love letter which he
had written to Lucia Immediately on
his return, and as he put the key into
his door he thought how pleasant it
would be, after his hunger was salts
fed, to sit down by the window and read
the six or seven sheets of which it would
no doubt consist Immediately he ran
up stairs and threw open the door of his
sitting room. A tall young man, whose
forehead was to some extent sinister,
argent and brickdust, and who wore a
thick, yellow mustache, rose as he en-
tered, and coming toward him with a
cavalry swagger held out his hand.
I've been making myself at home, . he
said apologetically Hope you don't
object to smoking i'll your quarters.
Long time since we met, ism 'tit1 Don't
remember me-Hugh Elliott?"
David stared at his visitor; he had a
feeling that something had gone wrong.
"Oh, of course" he said nervously,
taking his cousin hand and dropping
it directly Very glad to see you, I'm
sure. I-eh-didn't know you were
in this part of the world. Very good
of you to come and look me up. You'll
have some lunch, of course. -
"Oh, thanks, awfully, but I'm afraid
I've no time There's train at 80
leave, and l had devil-I mean a
deuce of job to get that. No-fact
is, came up to see about-well, about
letter you wrote to Lucia" He hand
| ed an envelope to David, who began to
feel rather sick.
But, he began, with as much dig
nifty as the sudden beating OF his heart
allowed, may I ask-by what right
| you interfere--with" -
"Oh, for heaven S sake, don It take that
tone, there's good fellow" said the
dragon good humoredly. You see,
Lucias SO dbl mean so awf'ly
fond of chaff; she'll get herself into
deuce of mess some of these days, as
she is never so happy as when she's
maxim fool of some one, just as she's
been doin to you. And you must have
been goin very badly about what's in
that letter, but she seems to think bet
ter of it now, and she sent for me and
gave me my orders to tell you she was
only chaffin you
David had sunk into chair and was
now quite pale and trembling
''She told me she'd refused Sir
Charles Scudamore because she loved
me- he groaned, land that if she ever
married anybody it would be me and
nobody else -
The dragoon shook his head and
looked grave. TOO bad,'' he said
sympathetically. ''She really shouldn't,
| you know. 1t really isn't fair to n fel-
low -
David jumped up from his chair in a
| passion And she sent you here to
tell me this,' he cried angrily. Il
don't believe it, No girl could be SO
heartless.
Its true enough said Hugh.
Seems odd, doesn't it2 but she's
queer girl We've been engaged for
| three months, and it'll come off as soon
as l get my troop. It's very good ar
rangement, because Pm to have the
manor, you know"
David sfniled-unpleasant "A:e
you sure of that?'' He asked.
why, yes-certain, unless my nn-
Gle should change his mind. -
Then, suppose, - said David bitter
ly, that it was only i'll pursuance of
her peculiar vein of humor that Lucia
told me that he'd left the manor to
me-"
| The dragon pulled his lnustache and
looked uncomfortable.
"Oh, come, sayl" he said. "A
jokes joke, but that's goin a little
too far. Aren't you mistaken about
that? What did she say?"
| ''She said," replied David slowly,
Don't you know2 Uncle Walters
left it to your -
Tho draooo,, concf6arod deeDlv for q