Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-05-17

earn eHouOu 10 support himself, much
less family!"
"But, aunt, he is Clever and will
get good practice in time"
Gin time !" repeated Miss Stratton.
contemptuously. eyes, in about
twenty years or so, perhaps. Aud.
meanwhile, what do you and ho pro-
pose to live on2"
"Tho-the money that grandma left
mo would help us to begin WITH" said
Delphine, timidly.
give thousand dollarsl How far
would thnt go? And besides, you for
get that it wns left to you only con-
ditionally. should be false to tho
trust roposcd in me-" said. Miss Strut.
ton, erecting her thin form with nm
air of moral dignity, elf I gave INV
consent to your wedding yourself to n
life of poverty, and the Indebtedness
which poverty always entails. You
can marry George Irving if you choose
mind, L don't say that 1 forbid it
but with my consent, no hard-earned
money of my deceased mother shall
ever go into the pockets of an Irving. {"
In tho last sentence Miss Stratton
betrayed herself.
The high, moral tono vanished be-
fore the self-interested motive, which
was the real basis of her persistent
opposition to Delphinos marriage.
She Ind not forgotten that young
Doctor Irving's father had Tilted her
in her youth and married her bosom
friend Mary Lane /; nor that this course
had boen brought about by Doctor
Irving's Aunt Dorothea, who had been
her special rival from their very baby.
hood, and who had warned her favor
lite brother that he would not be happy
with Millicent Stratton rs his wife.
AS to the doctor himself-who he'd
as yet barely become accustomed to
his new professional title 1T was true
that he was very poor, but Delphine
had been right il saying that he was
clever, and would probably win good
practice.
And if-the girl often thought visit
fu'ly--if only sho could bring him
that five thousand dollars to begin
with-to set up horse and buggy,
for instance, and rent that desirably-
located, brand-now of1ice-how much
it might do for him, and how happy
they might be!
And it all rested npon word from
Aunt MilIicent, which she refused to
speak.
Most people said that TINT was a
very unjust condition of old Madam
Stratton's will, by which tho five
thousand dollars was to be hers only
upon the express stipulation that sho
did not marry against her aunt's con-
sent.
The young folks, one and all, pro-
nounced it "horrid" and "cruel, /"
though there were some among the el-
ders who remembered how the old
lady herself had mnde most unhap.
Ply marriage, against the will of her
family; and how her favorite daueh.
ter, Delphine's mother, had followed
her example and been equally
wretched.
And, as she expressed her belief
that such things fran in families, "
she had in Delphinc's instance guard
ed against similar recurrence by
making it condition that her grand.
daughter should marry with tho full
consent and approval of her shrewd,
sharp and scrupulously correct Aunt
Millicent, who had been always yerv
severe in condemnation of her sisters
imprudent match.
Miss Stratton loved money, and
though very unwilling that the five
thousand dollars should go to the var.
ious charities to which it had been
bequeathed in case OF Delphine's for.
feiture of it, she would, in her OWL
heart, rather have seen it cast into
the ocean than in any way benefitine
the son of John Irving and Mary Lane,
anc tho uephew of Dorothea Irving,
who had recently averred that, despite
Millicents airs, none of the Strattons
could bold candle to the Irvines.
Delphine's eyes were full of tears as
she reported to her lover the CONVEX
sation with her aunt, and that lady'f
declared unalterable decision in re-
gard to her marriage.
He tried to soothe her.
"Let the money go!" no said, impa.
tiently. sit is comfort to think
that she cannot forbid our marriage,
though she may keep us apart for
awhile. But we are young and can af-
ford to wait-can't we, darling?"
'sI will wait for you al! my life,
George, if it is necessary" said Del,
phine, trustingly.
Yet, though they both tried to lool
cheerful, their hearts sank at the
thought of tho slow-rolling weeks and
months, and years perhaps, in which
they must live apart, scarcely meeting
except by accident, since Miss STRAIT.
ton objected to her niece's receiving
the DOCTORS visits at her own house.
1t WIS about this time that sensa
ton was created by the arrival of NJ
artist-no third or fourth-rate profes
sor, but genuine artist, with nam.
and q fame-who, having come hithel
for Les health, allowed it to DO under
stood that he would condescend to th,
light recreation of painting a few por