Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-02-15


OF a misunderstanding.
Tho very first time he saw har he
eaid to himself: CHOW, there's the girl
L should like tn marry"
She was just his sort, but it WAS The
old story of tho attraction OF oppu-
sites, story rs old rs tbs hills. lie
was big, she was small; he was dark,
she Was far; he was quiet, she was
lively; and so on, ad iniinitnm. She
certainly WAS II very taking little girl,
and she had u pensive way of contcm-
plating one with her great blue cxes,
that was altogether fascinptL!!s..cgC. Bob
Hclmsleish wept--10wn before that
io ,, A'kee siata!. ;c;af before tho wind
= Bob was not particularly clover CT
amusing, or, indeed, particularly any
thing hut honest. Honest he was,
from the crown OF his closc-cropped
head to to the soles Of his military
boots, and rs simple minded us II
child. Hitherto he had never been in
earnest about woman, but he was in
enrnest now, and it WAS IL sober, SOL
emn, downright earnest. Hcnccforil
there would be but one woman in the
world for him.
He would have liked to take her in
those great strong arms of his and tell
her SO, but such IL course OF action
was out of the question, for she WAS
rYssagedts It, his olA-,a>fum, Phil Mars
den.
Now, Phil Mnrsilen was the sort of
man that lady novelists describe us
CONG. OF Fortunes favoritcs. In
plain English, he was good looking,
well of, n thorough sportsman, good
hand Mt all games, and popular with
men and women alike. lucky NOR
tai all round, but it never occurred to
Bob to envy his friend until ho SAN
Gwen Warrington. Then new,
strange feeling stirred in Boh's honest
heart. 1t was not exactly jealousy,
but rather wistful, patient wonder
why one fellow should have all the luck
and everything else, whilo tho other
fellows were left out in the cold
Well, ono summer the officers of
Bob's regiment took it into their
heads to give ball. 1t was final
llure up before the til moved into
fresh quarters, and they spared neither
trouble nor expense to make it sue.
cess. At this ball Bob was introduced
to tho future Mrs. Phil i,furstlen, and
they danced agood deal together. Bob
? Ind splendid swing, nnl Gwen was
the lightest waltzer in the room, 80
they went like clockwork
Gwen gave Bob more waltzes than
she gave Phil, but the latter did moi
seem to mind, and that, of course,
was rather II queer state of things
Bob noticed it, which WAS remarkable,
for i'll an ordinary way his perceptions
were Just rs blunt as are most mems
"I say, Miss Warrington, he OBJ
served, tentatively, rs he and Gwen
went out together yet once again, "it's
awfully good of old Phil TO let You
give me SO many dances. Shows lie
isn't selfish, any way, doesn't it?"
Gwen shrugged her shoulders, and
change came over her expressive
face; change that Bob did not quite
like to sec.
''Selish !" she echoed. ooh! Phil
IS never selfish where am concerned,
can assure ycu, Mr.. Helmslcigh.
He has 10 desire to keep me all to
himself"
There was 70 obvious answer to
this speech, and so Bob said nothing.
AS matter OF fact, the situation was
just little beyond him.
He thought of Ovens words after
ward, though, and of the family bit
ter tone in which they were uttered
but he did not venture to breach the
subject again. 1t was ticklish ground
lie saw nothing more of either Phil
or Gwen until the autumn, and then
he ran into them Mt the house of n
mutual friend, where lie had gone for
n weeks shooting. This time the idea
that all was not right between the
lovers struck him more forcibly than
before. They were apparently OH
good terms with one another, and they
mover disagreed, but Phil had lest his
old geninl spirits and become moo ly
and disconnected. He was always
either, in the clouds, or swearing nj
his luck. Gwen had changed, too.
Her manner had grown tired and
iistless, and there was wistful, won.
dering look in her eyes that it huri
Bob to see.
Poor old Bob! he could tell tina
something WAS wrong, but lie coul.
not make out what 1t was, though h,
puzzled that honest head OF his unit
he thought that he was going to have
brain fever. The new look in Gwen.
eyes haunted him. 1t was always i,
his brain in the daytime, and it kept
him awake at night. He felt impelle:
to do something -but what? That wa
the question.
Atlast oae day he found Gwen al
by horself in the library, crying owe