Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-02-14

terests, and his air toward Madeline was
that of equality tempered with Difference.
This respect was ineXpressibly grateful to
the young lady, whose dignity and self
esteem were being perpetually y wounded by
the unreasonable prejudice of her rela-
tives. She saw him frequently, for he of
ten spent the evening at the house, and al
though he and Florence were generally at
the piano in the front drawing room thn
sliding doors we're always open into the
next room, where the others sat, and differ
ent members of the family were continual
ly sauntering in and out. 1t was the con-
slant presence of third person-of whom
Miss Ford showed no disposition to be rid
that reduced Durham to the unsatisfactory
course of asking her by letter to marry him.
Madeline. however, had no suspicion OF
his preferences She was very much of a
child in spite of her precocity, and it never
occurred to her that he cared to see Flor
ence more than herself He almost as often
asked for miss Ford and Miss Madeline'
as for Miss Ford" alone, and he always
saw them all. And ON the occasions when
he included her in his inquiry he presented
her with a box of confectionery or some
similar Offering She wished he would in
quire for miss Madeline" only sometime.
1t would be so nice and grown up to have a
call in the evening all for herself Her par.
ents would then realize that she was get
ting to be a young lady, and perhaps her
mother would have the turned in piece at
the top of her skirts let down to its full
length. She felt sure that he would sus-
pect who sent the valentine, and perhaps
he would call to make certain by inquiry.
There was one obstacle in her path-she
did not want to direct the envelope herself,
since it is the immemorial custom that
these things be done anonymously, and she
could not ask any body else to do it without
nncorscionslv otfered a solntion 70 +ha
,rohIe,n ,yhen sba threw acid tbo o,,vo1o,,os
thot Ronn;a,s c.ralessnass b.1 ,,odo ~
hot Madeline,s Leen eves had nnt:ood ~
,,ho,,, +bov 1yore .ddrosSod and sbo ,,o,,,
sounb+ in the ,r.StebssIet tha Loot Jo
fooaJ Of +bo t,ro-it bad :, Love- ;nl-sr,o+ ~,
tbo oorner-sIinned the yerst. int, + hor.
'.o,.od fro,,, har s;st,,n,, - - ~ -
do+arn,i,ad 70 most If tho next ,,oruino,
T1,,a1 - - di,,ioroar| S ha,. ,,,i,d Is
o,,a;od Ill ~, ax,,;to',,ant .,++a,,d,1t ~ ~
~ ,f ~. ,ah
"a I'll +ha fooi;no tbot clio VIC do;-,e'
-. tL.t H., Ill ~ 49,, is -
r. ft,nf tlf, III
~ - - -, ...ls
- ~ iH ~
W nei.
i, ioreiioe ooppeu hei o"ii io'e in.o Inc
i,,os ,,o+ VOW hrn,rr,, b,t VOC
toI1,a+;,,o bo+t NJ H. III, a,d -. -,
,'1,,aI -, bot-,,oo,, -. nd So ol,1
ofron+ Cr,++;,,,, sl,o,.t 49, -o,.;ad of ~
go ;51osa-e s1a 80 ~, ~, u
io,,o5 Ii; ,,,;tt ,r;ao,,I,iIioI III 1's.
a,,-,ioI IS,,oalf 49, e. N.Ia -
.,,n,'I -, I;fa - 80 4ta.s -. -.
r. r. =. .a' 49, n-l'aIIl.'. ei--iis
was ''' ''i'' ''''o ''- way
TO forget the approach of the moment when
solitude and silence should bring her face
to face with her own heart.
But bedtime arrived with relentless pune
tuality, and consideration for the comfort
of others compelled her to lay aside hel
music and close the piano. Shut into heI
own room, all and worse than, poor Flor
ence had feared overcame hel tears, mis-
givings and finally something very like re-
pentance of her willfully ha ty decision
She had made up her mind Ion ago not tc
marry, but that was before 81 /. met John
Dunham. And supposing hel most ambi-
tious dreams came true and she climbed
the heights of fame in triumph, perhaps
that lofty situation might be found barren
and uncomforting on a near view, especially
if ones heart had been left in the valley be-
low.