The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-07

criminal, and, according to tho immo.
mortal custom of the firm, chad to 20. :"
Poor Jiml He did not wait 70 meet
his chapel folks and intimatcs. He Just
kissed ms widowed mother, who would
not hay" believed "owt again Jim on
the testimony of IN archangel. and went
out into the frosty air, straight to the
station and away to u town 70 miles
distant. to make fresh start. His
sweetheart was still in tho mill lie
ought, ct course, to have waited for her
and told her. But he didn't. He would
write She would learn soon enough
Tho village would buzz with the new;
as though the new "hootcr" had pro-
claimed it by mightfall And it did
There were girls who seemed glad to
tell Rachel, and when she flared ND and
said:
"Yo' know as well as Aw do'at jim
ne'cr did it, they only replied:
We'll, he's ta'en his hook, at any
rate Io'r Aunt Bet seed him 900 an
says good radiance to bad rubbidge.
She doesn't seem to think as wcel o.
Jimmie as her niece does" What could
Rachel say? She went home with rage
u,
thing like resentment against her lover
1or hasting away without word to the
girl who could have died for him. All.
little did she think, yet even now a dead
misery had taken possession of her.
We'll, Miss Proudie, an how's thy
fine gentleman naa?' (Aunt Bets own
lad had had hopes of the office once.
but had turned out wastrcl: hence her
bittcrnCss) LAW thout wot il nd be.
Some fowk can't stand gettin up i til
world. Pridc'll hey Il ia. an thy whip-
perSnappcr's come IL croppcr, at ony
rate ="
In tongue warfare Rachel was no.
where. Besides Aunt Bet wasn't worth
answering. Then, that worry day. the
ovcrloobcr had threatened to reduce her
TO two looms and had humblcd her so
terribly before the othor wenvcrs that
all the spirit seemed clean gone out OF
her. She went to bed but not to sleep.
The 'knockcr up had III easy task
ncXt morning. That day was the black
est OF many black ones during the past
few weeks, and now no lovers comfort
awaited her Everything went wron...
The stuff Wouldn't weave Her looms
seemed bowitchcd. The overloollcr over
looked With 4 vengeance.
"Yo'll start on two looms tomorn"
nc said. 'Thinl on that! Awe lots a.
WcncheS o ii ut weave better nor thee
an do moon W;lrl on two looms tam tina
con o three =
1t was the last straw. She dare not
face Aunt Bet and her snecrs
.sOI, Inv lin, ,,.,.. a.. -.
heart, why couldn't YOU say IL word 10
me- For when her heart spoke it cried
FOR jim and not for looms Coming out
of the hot mill it was bitter cold. She
drew her shawl over her head and hur-
ricd away-not to the place she called
home. y She scarcely knew where she
went. ~ hopeless despair weighed on
her sensitive spirit Tears, unchecked
and unhccdcd, dropped us she walked.
Anywhere, anywhere, out of the
world'' would have been her cxclamn-
ton could she have expressed her deep
est wish. Suddenly she found herself on
the top of the reservoir cmbankmcnt.
The moon was shining upon the water,
which sparkled and shonc with crys.
talline brilliance
There's nowt left to live for, an l
won't live and, casting her shawl
from her, she threw herself from the
cmbanllment. There was IL sharp, ring
ing sound The moon shonc ON, and all
WAS still.
Now, Aw wonder what's come ont
about this money" thought jim Sum
ncr as he struck the reservoir bank on
his way from the station home. Folks
are fam TO stay i'll toncct, Aw reckon.
Aw'm glad nob'y'll see me till Awe
cleared myself clcarin it is-and
what can tn masters ha' taken tn trou-
BILE to get my address fro mother-for
MODIFY else knew it-m telegraph for
me to come instantly, if it's not2 My.
but III frost has bin keen this two DAYS.
Anvil bet tn lodge'll bear - So saving
he ran down and tried il with his foot,
and. finding it safe, walked IL distance
on the margin.
What : that? Good hcavensv' He
had stumbled over the PROSTATE form of
It woman lying Il few feet from the en-
banlimcnt. The ice was starred i'll every
direction where her head had struck it,
'Poorwcnch" He turned her over, and
the moons light fell upon face he had
often kissed He rcclcd as though he had
received the blow that made the blood
flow from that marble brow. How cold
she was' Bat She brcathcd He picked
her up aud carried her, he knew not
how, up the bank and away till he stag
gcrcd into his mothers cottage.
Could she be III better hands? Still
unconscious, but with signs of returning
Dnimni ion he loft Lcl nlA Lu.to,,nd To