Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-10-11

company? did not ask you before %
cause of the concert engagement. y
"Thanks! 1 shall enjoy it immense
ly."
What miserable failure that even
ing proved to be! I do not even know
what the play was called. I was think
ing all the time of my poor, sick dar-
ling, and not of the acting or the wom-
an who sat by my side wearing the
flower spray that was meant for Annie.
The words We're still unspoken when
my holidays arrived, and tearing my
self away from the two sisters who
stood at the gate and waved their hand
kerchiefs as long as Iremained i'll sight
it was with no feelings of joyful antici-
patton that l betook myself to Hastings
for rest and recreation.
Rest! Where could I find it? Not
Oh the parade or pier amid hundreds
of couples promenading, as l had pic
tured Annie and myself doing; not on
the beach, where the Ethiopian must
clans were eternally playing "Annie
Laurie" Sweet Annie Rooney" and
annie, Dear, I'm Called Away" For
a whole week [ wandered aimlessly
hither and thither. Then could stand
it no longer. So I wrote long letter
commencing Darling" and pouring
out the imprisoned, pent up love that
comes but once in mans lifetime, I
besought and beseeched her to take
pity upon me, Or my lifeless body should
surge in the pillows that beat relent-
lessly Oh the rocks Of Beachy head
When had finished, I happened to
catch sight of a photograph which had
purchased the previous day, represent
ing one of the yachts preparing to start
on her morning trip, with my own fig
IRE in prominent position i'll the bow,
"Ah," thought /, "I'll send that to
Julia.
Ii it were possible I had now less rest
than before, night OF day, while wait
ing for the answer. Rising in the morn
ing with haggard looks and burning
brow, the other borders would remark
that the sea air did not seem to agree
with me, While under the mask Of as
snmed Indifference there ragged within
me the iiercest volcano that ever burned
i'll the heart of man.
At last the reply cane, and, bounding
up to the privacy Of my own room, with
trembling fingers [ tore open the en-
velope which hid from me-life or
death?
dearest, l am yours forever l can
not say your proposal was unexpected,
for have felt that you could mean
nothing less ever since that evening
when you so openly expressed your pref
sfence by taking me to the theater'-
What, Mhew, where! l looked at the
signature, 'Juiia'i Oh, heavens, saw
it all! l had placed them IN the 9foug
envelopes and sent the letter to Julia
and the photograph to Annie! How /
ragged ana TUNED end tore my hair, I'M
til at last, in sheer exhaustion, ! sank
into chair and endeavored to finish
reading the letter,
HAnnie thanks you very much for the
photo, and she desires me to tell you
that yesterday Mr.. Malcolm proposed to
her and was accepted. We will have
the two weddings on the same day
W CIl' Atitl4 Je HlCe, uedf.
Nice! This was the last straw. Nice
indeed for me to be married to wonl-
an ] did not care for, and at the same
time to see the one ] loved given to an
other 3nan. cannot remember what
did for the next hour or two beyond
cursing my fooiiahness aud swearing |
wouldn't marry Julia. Then, when |
became calmer, I saw an action for
breach vi promise looming. I thought
of all my hard earned savings Of years
peiag swept away by a sympathetic jury
to heal Jali@'s hralssi: heart, There was
no escape for me- She had my ietter,
which simply eoinmsnefd HBarling,
and as no name was mentioned liz 1t
from beginning to end was it possible
that any body Of Intelligent men could
be brought to believe that intensie.1 it
for annie when l addressed the enyel-
ope to Julia: No, MOI I must 60 through
with it. ! would marry Julia Yes, and
l would tcacl, har that man is the lord
of creation. and that woman is but f.
helpmate and not an equal, and 80; in
my married life, triumphantly assert
those principles which I had held SO
long.
4
Julia married me at the same time
and p1dce as Annie hecame Mrs. Nal
coin. nov spend my evenings endeaY-
oring to solve difficult problem, and
that is, Why do they call woman this
weaker sex?-London Bits.