Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-02-14

The doctor greI'ely transcribed this
poetic morceau.
"Anything more, Chrlsty?'
eyes, sar. Ahem!
"When these lines you here loessee,
Will you agree to marry me!"
"Good, Christv, AMI to the point.
Proceed"
eyes, thanky, sar! Aheml
"If my name you now can guess,
Write your own and answer Yes
"Why, don't you mean to sign 20
name. Christy?"
"No, sar-nulIiu' Oh de sort! !" an
swered tie candidate for matrlmany.
"I amt a-gwin to put no name down
not eben d'rec,iop. De las Vol
untine sent, de gal she swowed 1t ali
roun', wild my name to it, aud her
on de kiver; and she turned me o
besides, and dere warn't no end to O.
cbaniu'. I ain't gwin put it in j
womau's power to serve me SO a8Iu
She'll know well enough, dis lady will.
who sent dis Voluntinc, and et she''
willin' to have me, she'll do jest as
axes-she'll send me back anoder We
untine, and write 'Yes.
81 approve Of your ciroumspect'on
Christy. Here is yoar Valentine, ali
may good luck attend it.
With many bows an l thanks, Chris
ty departed.
Then the young doctor, with i.
smile and q sigh, took his hat, anu
crossing the street, assembled the Siep'
of the opposite house on profession
al visit to Miss Halliday.
The smart colorel girl who opened
the door, and whom he had more than
suspected of being the Intended re-
cipient OF the gorgeous Valentine,
recognized him with q courtesy. Hel
mistress vas just risen, and not quite
ready tc see him. Would he walk into
the library?
The library was the room with the
bow window, and here the doctol
found Miss Mabel Stanton seated at
table, sketching.
She had turned her head with
half.startled look, which at sight o
him instantly gave place to an expires
sion Of relief.
ooh, is it you, Doctor Lawton?'
she said, in tone which convinced
him that she had been expecting Al
unwelcome visitor.
"l hope l am not disturbing You?
said the young doctor, apoloSetically
eff 1 hal known that you wer
here"
And then he abruptly checked him
self, with a blush at his own blunder
ing awkwardness.
"You would not have entered,
said Miss Stanton, demurely takin.
him up. "You need not have tod IN
that, Doctor Lawton. "
Aud, then, before he exactly kne,
what to reply, she requested hi
criticism on the water color sketc
upon which She was engaged.
"It appears to me perfect-quit
perfect" he replied, looking dowr
not at the sketch, but at the whit
hanl which 50 gracefully held til
pencil.
"You are noartist, else you wOuldn
say so, she answered, lightly. I'D
YOU not see that my poor rose nigh
be mistaken for q hollyhock and tn
bee for q wingel elephant. Don
hesitate to inform me that my at!emr
is an insult to art and burlesque c
nature.
"Being, as you say, no artist, car
not be expected to see thai. But,
with a rash attempt to appear le-
stupid and ignorant of amateur art
"lon't YOU think that this leaf here
Just under the other, is little too il
distinct and undecided in outline"
Here he gllncel at the model form
which the young laly was copying
and discovered that what he had ml
taken for leaf was simply the shade
Of one rather heavily executed.
He stopped in CONSERVATION, hr
Mabel laughel. She could never SUE
ceed with shadows, she said |; and the
she chat.el on in her pleasant, livel
way, causing him to forget his en-
barrassment and himself, AMI every
thing but her grace and sweetness
until summoned to see Miss Hall
day.
In the hall, he almo,t ran again
/ Colonel Barrett, the handsome, dasl
ing, wealthy widower, who was CO..
sidered "the best match in town, al
whose late frequent visits to ii
house he hal rO;ed. Could it be 1
whom Miss Stanton was expecting?
Halt an hour afterwarI, Doct(
Lawton, uueasi!y Watching the Hall
day mansion-why could he not s
his eyes and his thoughts from tn
; dIrection?-saw the dashing colon
descend the steps, and biting h
moustache and crushing his gloves
, his hand, walk hastily away.
SO he had been discarded; the
could be no doubt Of it. And tht
, the doctor fell into thoughtful moo
remembering MabePs look OF rell
and pleasure, when he had enter
the library. Could it be that she llk'
HIM hct+or 4bon cho 6i1 the daShiI