Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-12-15
proud fastidiousness, far from the
madding crowds ignoble strife.

ohiPPnS ondtSuI puOvOSi0PnSis
Miranda passed the winter in
trembling expectation, half hoping,
half dreading that her aunt would
in some Of her letters allude to the
missing treasure, and at the same
time tear the veil from its mystery ;
but no such enlightenment came,and
in May, Miranda was to go and stay
in London with her fathers sis
ter.
Meanwhile, only two things hap
pened to her at the rectory. One
was her eighteenth birthday, the
other an offer of marriage from her
fathers curate, which it need scarce
ly be said that she refused, affianced
as she felt herself to her ideal.
The curate was good young man
handsome, too, with good brains,
good heart and good expectations.
He was devoted to Miranda, and his
sober fancy had never pictured any,
thing so fair and sweet as this reali-
ty.
She liked him very much indeed,
appreciated his pleasant talk, his
pleasant ways; but it was quite i'm
possible to idealize him.
The poor young ecelesiastic was
very unhappy when she refused him.
He never smiled again at least
week. Then he pulled himself to-
gether, went about his business man.
fully, and, being fond of a certain old
versicle, hummed it to himself as he
went:
Quit, quit for shamel this will not move,
This cannot take her;
If of herself she will not love,
Nothing will make her
Need | say that this excellent
| young clergyman never hummed the
last line ofthat old versicle, which I
also carefully suppress
X
In May Miranda (and Ferdinand)
went to London, where the pretty
country girl was a good deal admir-
ed, and enjoyed herself very much.
Indeed she was pronounced bewitch-
ing there was no monotony about
her, and there was a touch of limo.
cent coquetry.
Truth to say, Ferdinand faded
little from her thoughts at this time,
as photographs are apt to fade. Still,
no gilded youth bad pushed him
from his place.
Soon after she reached her aunt's
house Miranda had gone into that
third room; but everything there
was differently arranged and the pho
tograph screen had disappeared. She
dared ask no questions about 1t.
One day after breakfast her aunt
read letter that gave her consider
able pleasure.
"Me DEAR" she said, "Charlie's
coming"
Who is Charlie 2" asked Miriam.
da, who had never heard of him be-
fore.
Me DEAR" replied her aunt. rath-
er solemnly, "Charlie is the son of
me first and only love; the man I
should probably have married if he
hadn't preferred some one else"
sob, poor auntie |" said Miranda,
with ready sympathy.
"Not at all, me dearl I should
have been poor if I'd married him,
for he would have spent all me mon
ey. He married richer woman and
spent all hers"
"And he is alive now?"
"No, me dear-both dead long
ago. He got himselfkilled by tig-
er out IN India, and it killed her
too. Not the tiger, but the loss of
her husband. Indeed, then, she was
much fonder of him than / ever was.
Some we'll off uncle looked after their
boy, and got him into the F. o. He
has been in Canada these three years
and now he writes me he is coming
home, and will ,be in London next
week. So sit ye down, Miranda
child, and send him card for me
dance next Thursday"
Miranda did as she was hidden in
little latter of agitation. An ex-
quisite possibility had occurred to
her. Gould this be the original ?
Could Charlie be Ferdinand ?
aIs-is he nice, auntie ?" she ask
ed tremuously.
swell, me dear, you'll see for your
self. Oh, yes ! Charles nice enough,
but not so nice or handsome as his
poor father, me first and only love.
However, that's only ancient history
now, and there's no doubt I should
have been tried woman. Goodness
knows ! never grudged him to his
wife, and maybe if / married him /
mightn't have grudged him to the
tiger quite as much as she did,"
Thursday came; the guests came
more than could ever get upstairs.
Charley arrived early and did get
upstairs. His hostess, glorious in
green velvet and diamonds, pounced
on him, took both his hands, and
kissed him before the assembled
multitude.
Presently Miranda made her APP
pearance, and being effusiyely intro