Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-01-31

sAa21&5z,9!E"% which viii LITTLE they we're we're
p able TO subsist in
simple comfort. Alice, the older, was
just on the far sido of thirty; Bob,
tho younger, was now In her eight.
eenth year. There was thus o consid-
eraDlo difference of age between
them. But tho difference did rot end
here. Two sisters moro dissimilar in
looks, in character, in disposition,
would have been hard to find. Tho
strength and self reliance OF Alice
mado themselves apparent in eyery
limo OF her face, IN every tone of her
voice, in every motion of her body.
Her blue eyes shono with n steady,
fearless light. The carriage of her
mouth was firm and stanch. The
sQuaroness of her well formed chin
was full of power. Her manner had
the calm case of perfect assurance.
Her beauty was the beauty OF capa-
BILE woman.
With Bob it was different. Bob had
little strength and no self reliance.
Such tender, anxious, appealing face
was Bob's. 1t reflected every ray of
sunshine, every passing cloud that
approached. In those brown and
gentle eyes often II hundred varying
emotions would be born and die
within tho hour, and as many smiles
and quiverings would rufilc her mobile
lips. She was pretty, very pretty;
and winning, very, very winning. Yet
it was child's nature that gave its
life to her expression; twas child's
sweetness that charmed her in your
look and manner.
Before she was we'll eighteen Bob
had found lover. Some people cx-
pressed surprise that Ronald Arm
leigh had chosen Rob i'll preference to
her sister Alice. And, indeed, ID hal
appeared for some time doubt:ul
toward which of the two girls l-.7,-ce.I-
attention was directed ny srAr>,JL :;
Alice had sec g eANASEEH6l -
more. NJ eM -,~6nl5 = Il. .
world, liIsaesI and |" n MANURE pt 'i io
Judgment. He prided himself not
without reason, upon his sound sense
and his practical views. In his then
position--that of barrster Just on
the threshold of professional and
social success-ho had every need of n
clever, capable wife. That was exact.
ly what Alico's qualities fitted her
for. And it was by these qualities in
her that ho seemed ut first to be Mt.
tracted.
But after little came a change.
Exactly what had caused it would be
be impossible to say. Perhaps Alice
had repealed him by her cold domean-
or. Perhaps he had grown alarmed
by the signs of masterfulness in her
character. Or, perhaps, love had got
the better of prudential colsidera-
tions. 1t was probably one of these
three. II may have been all com
bincd. AT any rate, there it was. And
soon 1T became apparent that it was
Bob, tho winsomo child, not Alice, the
capable woman. who held the key of
Ronald Armleigh's affections.
This circumstance discovered n new
sido to the elder sisters character.
Till now Alice had been more than n
mother to Bob. Her love for the
younger girl had been touching
thing to see. In furthering Bob's in
terests, in promoting Bobs happiness,
in shielding Bob from harm and an
noyance, Alice had never been known
to consider herself. She had, in
everything, yielded to her sister pure
and unmixed devotion. But from this
time forward all that was changed.
Alice suddenly began to treat her sis
ter-so the neighbors said, and so the
poor child herself fclt-with positive
cruelty.
Perhaps there never yet lived n wo-
man devoid of jealousy. And though
some may manage to conceal it better
than others. yet It's seldom indeed
that, upon adequate provocation aris-
ing, they are ablo to conceal it alto.
Sether. No one could deny that, in
this present case, Alice Baines had
received adequate provocation. TO DO
admired by n handsome, fascinating
MANA man who, all things consider
ed, was distinctly eligible parti, was,
of course, 1attering thing. To have
that admiration unaccountably with
drawn, md then openly transferred
to younger sister, under her very
nose, was, equally. OF course, prov ok
ing. And Alice Baines might we'll
have been excused any ordinary oxhi-
bition of jealousy. There was, how
ever, no occasion for her to behave
with such exceptional meanness as she
did.
Her meanness was twofold. She
tried the effect of ono sort first, and
upon that proving n failure she had
recourse to the other. Her first mean.
ness was malicious attempt, worked
by an insidious process of suggestions
and innnendos, to blacken Armleigh's
character in her sisters eyes. Arm.
leigh had not yet actually proposed 10
Bob, and Alice wished to bring it
about that when he did propose 10
her, as he was sure soon to do, her Sis
ter should refuse him.
But this plan-yery deservedly, the
neighbors said, considering its spite.
full and dog.in-the-m anager character
altogether failed. Bob began by
Indignantly repelling all insinuations
aOaingt her lOvar opd .yan+ an H. -