Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-10-28

B
will be very firing. give you my
word that | did not sleep wink all
last night. The practice won't stand
that sort of thing long, you know, ="
said earnestly.
"Nou .,vum 10 have an ur, nato
knowledge" of Wn"''n AMI their
ways, H. rvmari,..t dryly.
! l allowed that speech topa~- with
out comment. Comment seemed
supcliluous.
III might ask. should hl" to
know HON y"u consider i'll fault
in this httlo Notwithstanding (" he
asked.
Il am, sir. 1t stands to reason.
should not he so anxious if she wcro
I in fault. And then | explained
tn" whole matter, finishing up with,
II can t remember exactly what
called her; but, whatever it was, l
didn t mean il. "
Il ann not able to refresh your
memory a. to what you said ON that
! occasion, but | can tell YOU what l
hnv" heard you call her myself. "
sand Mr.. Drmtt quietly, and then he
told me.
His tone was Il revelation to me
Not that ia call Witch anything
worse than "ittlc fool, but real
| lied what it must have sounded like
! to the hearers and to him, her fa.
Their. l don't know how | looked,
but l felt mean, cheap, Worthless
utterly SO. l began to stumble out
apologies He waved his hand.
"All right, he said, but YOU see
your language is ut times forcible. "
He is wise man, SO he said no
more. He showed his wisdom
therein, for l went at once to see
Witch III very Contrite frame of
mind. WIS ready to make mat
of myself and let my darling tram
plo on me if it should SO please her,
or to do any other cNtravagant
thing, such was the depth of my
humility. Still, as journcyod Put
ncyward | pondcrcd rs to who could
have stirred up tho strife between
us. Suddenly it flashed across my
mind that Witch had seated herself
beside Aunt Betsy Jane and that
Aunt Betsy Jane was her godmoth-
cr, and therefore licensed to inter
fere. / am not going to explain
how Aunt Betsy Jane came to be
Witch ; gOdmOthor. | am not a
lady novelist, and therefore don't
think II necessary to explain every
thing. 1t has nothing to do with
this story. Besides | was only 6
years old when she was Christcned
and wasn't consulted rs to her spon-
sors. To be sure, it must have been
Aunt Betsy Jane who suggested the
letter.
Whom | arrived at the Cedars, it
was about II o'clock. If all went
well, peace would reign between
Witch and myself in an hour, and,
if SO, / would take her off to Rich
mond, get q boat from Mcssum' s,
row up the river, come to anchor in
Il backwuter ] know of between
Richmond and Hampton and then
make her name the day. But things
didn't go we'll. They went exceed
ingly badly instead When Amelia
GAmcla il the DluittS' hUuScmaid)
opened the door and inquired for
Witch, she said gravcly:
Miss Druitt is not we'll, sir, but
I'll tell her YOU re here "
Then she showed mo into the din
ing room. This WIS OlAinous. In
the Drmtt's menage it is customary
to sec people who come on business
-dressmakcrs, laundresses, scrv-
ants seeking places-in the dining
room before lunch. Amelia left me
and went up stairs. l rapidly dag
noscd the situation. l took out my
pocketbook and wrote, My dur-
ling, shall wait in the old boat at
the end Of the lawn till you can see
me, and then l signed il John.
Amelia came back. IF YOU
please, sir, Miss Druitt does not feel
equal to seeing you today, but will
write TO you tonight.
Exactly, said l quietly. Can
you give me an envelopei Thanks!
Give that TO Miss Druitt, please"
The maid left the room, and
went into the garden. At the bot
tom of the garden ran the river, and
on the river, chained to Il post, was
an old boat. 1t was seldom used.
as the spot was not picturesque, but
it was secluded, hidden both from
the house and from passing boats by
thick, dropping willows 1t WAS
here that Witch and had come to
the conclusion that we could not
live without each other. sat down
IN the boat, feeling very wrathy with
Witch and bitter against Aunt Betsy
Jane. | would have given much to
know If she was in the house at that
moment thought out all | had
heard of the days of her youth. felt
mean and SlItcful. brthOught me
of an old incident III her life wherein
Aunt Betsy Jane had sailed very
near the wind and had n narrow cs-
cape of social wreck. | ought to
HAY" forgotten il, but am not he
roic. Both morally and physically
| ann commonplace that is to say.
If m struck, ! hit back, or try 10.
Would You believe il, sat in that
boat, except when | got up and
stretched myself, till y OClOCki Ii
was nearly dark, and when | heard
the clock strik" ! sworr to myself
that if Witch did not appear before
tho nhlnlnu If 1hn nnnn.tnr [ u.nnll