Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-03-20


There had been changes during my
absence. found Aunt Dorcas as vel
as ever, but my step-mother had beer
dead year, and LeOnOr0 had found {
home with my aunt. She was MOI
the Leonora of old. had left a rosy
checked, bright-eyed, joyous maiden,
and l found pale, melancholy wo-
man, who seemed TO be SUFFERING
under the weight of some great cal
amity.
There was one other person who
! found home beneath Aunt Dorcas's
roof, and that Kitty; but she was
away on a visit.
When my aunt and ] were alone ]
asked her about Walworth; and she
told me he was dead. He died about
n year after ] went away. Aud that, |
thought, was the cause of Leonora's
sorrow.
After Leonora had gone to bed my
aunt and ] sat up aud talked, aud
among other things sue told me that
john Walworth had left bequest for
me.
ga bequest for mop I cried. "And
what is it?'
''l cannot tell you," my aunt, re-
piled. "When Walworth had been
told that he must die no sent for me
to come and see him, rs he had a mes
sage for me. If | could not come, he
asked that L should send some one
whom my nephew would have no hes
itation in trusting. / could not 90, so
L sent Kitty, and he gave to her n
small packet, bearing your name, and
securely sealed, 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 1
must await my cousins arrival.
On the following morning Leonora
met me as before; but L thought her
eyes were brighter than then, and
with the melancholy shadows upon
her face were mingled slight CLEANS Of
hope. Could it be possible that, since
the death Of Walworth, the old love
had come back to her? The thought
was JOY BIT was it likely?
Daring this second day 1 visited my
old friends in tho village and, alto
gether, the time passed very pleasant
ly. Occasionally l would find myself
lost in thoughts Of the mystery which
Ihed attached to the strange looks l
had detected upon LeonarG's face !;
and more than once / fell into rev
erie upon the subject of Walworth's
bequest. When ! went homo TO din
ner my aunt informed me that she was
going OUT to spend the afternoon and
take tea with friend but Leonora,
she said, would attend to my wants,
and in all probability my cousin Hitty
would be at home to nelp enliven the
evening.
It was during this interview with
my aunt that learned that Kitty was
soon to be married Leonore was
present when my aunt told me this.
and 1 thought she watched nv face
with considerable anxiety; aud | fur
thermore fancied that when she had
seen me receive the intelligence not
only with perfect composure, but with
n frank expression of thankfulness in
view OF my cousin's good fortune, Il
load seemed lifted from her heart.
Evening came, at length. After tea
l walked out and smoked II cigar, and
when l came in l found Leonora alone
In the parlor. My heart beat wildly (;
but l succeeded in calming myself. ]
asked her about my stepmother; and
then, summoning all my fortitude, I
asked her about John Walworth. She
told me OF his sickness uui OF his
death, and I could not discover that
the subject was any mere painful to
her than had been that other subject
OF my mother-in-law' passage TO the
world of spirits. Here was the on-
portunity, and determined to en-
brace it.
"LconorN, you must have suffered
much when Walworth died?"
She started.
'Lionel-Mr. Drake! Why 10 you
say that to me:"
81 had thought" l answered, STUN
bling over my words in u confused
manner, "that Walworth was some
thing more to you than friend"
"Ohl" she cried, "what is there be-
meath the sun upon which suspicion
cannot fix its cruel grasp! Walworth
was not even held by me as a friend.
The very first time 1 ever saw him. |
distrusted him; and though, from his
living with my aunt, [ was forced to
treat him with respect. yet 1 never
trusted him as l would II friend"
Before l could recover from the
state OF astonishment into which this
speech threw me, my cousin Kitty en-
tered the room.
After rattling away for half an hour
in her merry train, Kitty remembered
the packet.
'I'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. Il was small
afair-seemingly nothing more than Q
package of papers. I broke the seals.
and as | opened the envelope / dis
covered a second packet, also sealed.
with the following written upon its
face:
Lionel Drake-When you receive this
shall be no longer living. Death is az hand
and as | feel its icy touch 1 am impelled 10