Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-03-20
"At homo once more 1"

as ever, but my step-mother had been
dead year, and Leonorn had found IL
homo with my aunt She was not
the Leonora of old. had left rosy
checked, bright-eyed, joyous maiden,
and L found n pale, melancholy wo-
man, who seemed to be suffering
under the weight Of some great cal
amity.
There was one other person who
found a homo beneath Aunt Dorcas's
roof, and that Kitty; but she was
away on visit.
When my aunt and were alono 1
asked her about Walworth; and she
told me ho was dead. IEo died about
n year after ] went away. Aud that,
thought, wGs tho cause of Leonora's
sorrow.
After Leonora had gone to bed my
aunt and j sat up and talked, and
among other things sho told mo that
John Walworth had left bequest for
mo.
ga bequest for mo?" cried. "And
what is it?'
al cannot tell you," my aunt, re-
piled. "When Walworth had been
told that he must die no sent for me
to como and see him, rs he had mes
sage for me. If could not come, he
asked that 1 should send some one
whom my nephew would have no hes
itation in trusting. / could not go, so
l sent Kitty, and he gave to her n
small packet, bearing your name, and
securely scaled, and he obtained from
her solemn promise that she would
keep it faithfully, and deliver it into
your hands when you returned"
And that was all could learn from
my aunt. For further particulars I
must await my cousins arrival.
On the following morning Leonora
met me as before; but thought her
eyes were brighter than then, and
with tho melancholy shadows upon
her face were mingled slight CLEANS of
hope. Could it be possible that, since
the death of Walworth, tho old love
had come back to her? The thought
was Joy! But was it likely?
Daring this second day visited my
old friends in tho village and, alto
gcther. the time passed very pleasant
ly. Occasionally would find myself
lost in thoughts of the mystery which
I-had attached to the strange looks l
had detected upon Leonara's face
and moro than once l fell into rev
eric upon the subject of Walworth's
bequest. When l went homo to din
ner my aunt informed me that sho was
going out to spend the afternoon and
take tea with friend; but Lconoru,
she said, would attend to my wants,
and in all probability my cousin Kitty
would be ut home to nelp enliven tho
evening.
1t was during this interview with
my aunt that l learned that Kitty was
soon to DO married, Leonore was
present when my aunt told me this,
and 1 thought she watched my face
with considerable anxiety; aud fur
thcrmore fancicd that when she had
seen me receive the intelligence not
only with perfect composure, but with
n frank expression of thaukfulness in
view of my consin's good fortune, IL
load seemed lifted from her heart.
Evoning came, at length. After tea
L walked out and smoked II cigar, and
hHti III l. lOtlllAl ulouc
in the parlor. My heart bent wildly {;
but succeeded in calming myself. /
asked her about my stepmother; and
then, summoning all my fortitude, /
asked her about John Walworth. She
told me OF his sickness AMI of his
death, and could not discover TINT
the subject was nuy mere painful to
her than had been that other subject
OF my motherin-law's passage to the
world of spirits. Here was tho OBJ
portunity, and I determined to en-
brace it.
"Lconorn, you must have suffered
much when Walworth dicd?"
She started.
''Lioncl-Mr Drake! Why do YOU
say that to me:"
az had thought" answered., STUN
bling over my words in confused
manner, chat Walworth was some
thing more to you than n friend"
sob u sho cried, "what is there be-
meath the sun upon which suspicion
cannot fix its cruel grasp Walworth
was not even held by me rs friend.
The very first time 1 ever SAW him, |
d!strusted him and though, from his
living with my aunt. [ was forced to
treat him with respect. yet 1 never
trusted him MS 1 would friend"
Before | could recover from the
state OF astonishment into which this
speech threw me, my cousin Kitty en-.
tered the room.
After rafting away for half an hour
in her merry train, Kitty remembered
the packet.
"l'll give it to you on one condi-
ton, she cried. "Leonora and I shall
see you open it,"
told her that they should. and she
ran away to bring it. 1t was small
aifair-seomipgly nothing moro than {
package of papers. 1 broke the seals,
and rs / opened tho envelope I dis
covered second packet, also sealed
with tho following written upon it:
face: