Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-12-06

fancy her disappointment And, oh,
Alice. only think what capital. story
it will make for tho girls !"
Aud the two malicious young con-
spirators eiggled together in an costa
sy of glec.
IL WAS cruel plot, but Alice and
Leila were very young, and had never
known the cnvenomed pangs of hope
deferred. That was their only ex-
cusc.
Miss Barley had finished her share
of tho daily trcadmill of lessons, day
or SO alterward, and Ind gono out to
| get breath of fresh air in the dreary
poplar walk Mt tho north end OF tho
house, when rough-loohing little
boy, with frost-nipped fingers aud
toes, and great black eyes, like those
of gypsy, sidlcd up to her and
slipped n folded bit of paper into her
hand.
ri was told to give it to you, miss, :"
said he, and vanished like II human
squirrel into the strawberries.
Ruth Barley looked after him in
the note. In it were printed, in rude
imitation OF Roman letters, the
words:
sin tho old place beside the Chapel
Pond Mt 8 tonight. John Bates has
returned"
Miss Barley grew very pale; then
the blood rushed III scalding torrent
through every vein in her body.
John Batcsi Was she dreaming? Or
was the thread of that sweet old love
story TO he taken up again Mt tho old
place, just where it had broken Off
seven long years ago?
Ruth's heart beat, her breath camc
quickly, aud sense OF wild cxultuticn
filed her soul. For it never once &C.
CURED 60 her that nil this might be
only II hoax.
Chapel Pond was II deep, slittcring
sheet OF water lying in tho heart of
the woods about quarter of mile
away, and deriving its name from the
step rocks which walled it i'll OH three
sides, which wcro supposed to bear
some resemblance TO tho gothic pill
lars of II chapel. On tho fourth side
the woods fringed tho shore, and close
by was secluded dell where tho VIC
let's blossomcd earliest in the spring
time, aud great clusters Of maidenhair
fern grew in rich profusion.
How happy Ruth Barley had been
then, in the old days, before her lover
went away-bow wrctchcd aftcrward !
She pressed the crumpled bit of
paper to her lips again and again.
''Oh, " she mnrmured TO herself, 81
nm the happicst woman in the world |!
What right have / to expect second
blossoming time in my life? And yet
it has come"
Half the girls nj ApplcnoolS Scmin-
airy had been let into the secret OF this
excellent Joke" and were wntching
Miss Barley from one vantage point or
another, rs sine threw black Shetland
shawl over her hond aud slipped ont
OF the house just when the hands of
the old clock i'll tho hall were near u
quarter ia Q.
Ut WAS still mid evening, with tho
moon ut the full; one could almost
hear the gurSling of the little brook
outside.
Some laughed rs the door closed
softly behind tho little governess, who
fondly supposed herself to DO I'M
noticed; some whispered one or two
looked grave.
Only tho other teachers gossiping
around there, and Nine. Appleton her
self, writing letters in her sanctum,
remained i'll ignorance OF what was go.
ing on.
Little Louise Bclvillc started TO her
feet.
Girls" she cried, it's too bad /
It's cruel that's what it is 1t shall
not so on! I'll run after her, and tell
her the whole thing is dcceit!"
Hnt Leila Wharton pulled her back
MS she was springinG to open the door.
cts too latc," said she. ''You
couldn't overtale her now. And it is
such splendid joke! Just wait until
you see the expression of her face
when she comes back We shall be
avenged for all OF Barleycorn's
viciousncss nowi"
Slowly tho timc-tarnished minute
hand OF the venerable clock Travelled
around the dial. Nine o'clock came,
half-past nine ten. Still no Miss
Barley returned,
The goyerness on duty for that par
ticular evening, one Miss Puesley,
with eyes that looked different ways,
rose up with yawn Mt last.
thine for evening prayer and bed,
girls, D." said she.
ooh, not yeti" pleaded the girls
with ono accord.
And each had some special reason
to give for desiring five minutes moro
delay.
OTIS past hours already" said Miss
Pugsley, Sand"
just then the door opened; Miss
Barley came in.
Bnt instead of pale, discounted
face, she wore n most radiant aspect.
Her eyes sparkled, her cheeks were
crimsoncd with an unusual glow. She
went up TO Miss pugslcy (who was n
good soul, although not fair to look
upon), and Alice Fortcscue could hear
her say in low tones:
"Dear Harriet, congratulate me.