Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-03-30

Tutucr
superior to n villa.
1t had n large garden in front and n
drive to tho door, md terrace on
which tho drnwing-room window
opened. We liked to regard ourselves
as cut above suburbnn-vilm people.
Wo Kept IL carriage and pair and hnd
butler and hnd IL grent aunt who was
IN honorable, and SO believe we wore
what we believed ourselves to be.
My father had been in South Africa.
Ho had mnde his fortune in tho kim
beriey diamond mines and had made il
somewhat rapidly, having had tho good
fortune to find 1t number of stones of
great size and good water.
One of the finest he hn,l not disposc1
OF. lie kept it MS IL specimen, or rs II
nest egg. 1t was rather cnuso of
anxiety to us, as he carried it about
with him III his purse. He would not
trust 1t III the house. He thought il
safer on his person. So it might have
been had he not been wont to produce
1T after dinner, rs well MS Mt other times
when servants were present, and show
1t and cxpatiutc on it's beauty md
value.
We had butler whom we did moi
like. We called him "thc bandit "
from his wild and savage appearances
Ills dress wasright enough, but he Ind
II forbidding face.
Ho conducted himself harmlessly
enough till on one occasion he cot
drunk ut IL dinner purity we gave. Then
my luther dismissed him and he took
up his residence not fur from our house
where there wns II sort of slam inhab
tied by persons Of no very fixed occu-
patton.
My father refused him character
or, rather, he sail that if he were
called on for character ho would
state the truth concerning the man
and not give false character, MS is so
often done out of good nature, in or
der to give servant another chance.
1t is singular that employers should be
30 little considerate for their brother
employers as to let them engage SER
wants whom they know to be unsntis
factory and likely to give trouble.
1.-The bandit" of course, knew that
hy father carried the dinmond nbout
with him.
1t was odd TINT "thc bandit" should
nave settled i'll the ncighborhood.
My father was, dare say, somewhat
troubled at my engagement. He
would lose me, MS L was going to India
with my husband, and, us / have snid,
was his companion and housekeepcr
after my fathers death. But nv
father was not n man of demonstra
tiveness and he madc no show of
greatly concerning himself Mt my loss.
he took the prospect more coolly than
perhaps liked.
My father belonged to good fam
lily. The honorable grent-aunt was
his aunt, not my mothers. He had
been intended for tho church and n
family living, but had preferred going
TO south Africn, and eventually,
through the death of an uncle, some
money came to him, which, in addi
ton to what he had made in the dia-
mond fields, enabled him to retire and
ilVc up to the honorable aunt mean
Keep carriage and pair and butler
and have house cut above villa.
In II couple of months l was to be
married.
Ono evening I sat UP Int thinking,
over the fire. The season was October,
the mir was little chilly but not cold,
30 fire was desirable but not neces-
sary. The blinds and curtains were
not drawn, at my desire, ms the hunt
er's moon was shining and was nearly
full, and I am at MI times fond Of
moonlight. When ono 10 in love ono
simply adores it. So I Ind told the
eervant not to close the shutters and
draw tho blinds. Tho windows were
such ms arc called French, that is to
say that they opened to tho ground
and were windows and doors in one.
They commanded the terrace.
1t was my fathers habit every evcn-
ing before retiring to smoke pipe on
the terrace, end rs sat by the fire,
with tho lamp turned down, SO as to
enjoy the moonlight, 1 could see him
walking mp and down the terrace. I
could SEQ him if choose; actually
saw his shadow. The moonlight fell
through the two loag windows on the
polished oak floor and oriental rugs !;
rs I sat l saw his SHADOW flung ON the
!