Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-09-24

/
come. caunot marry you, Cecil.
| 10 not love you IA must love
the man OF my choice
You love anotbe'P he question
ed IN a sharp, hoarse voice.
.Iudeed, indeed, uoV she answer
ed. quickly. whom could l care
for more than yOui Be my frieni
as of old, Cecil (tor 80 I will not
call you). but let me feel l have IN
ou the dear brother l would 20
have delighted in possessing, and
ITO not ask me for what caunot
glve.'
4 will not, since 1t Is your sweet
wish hat iul turn demand not impos.
81 bil ties of mo. eau be no broth
er to you, nor act brothers part.
have given you the whoIe love OF
a heart which has known but one
idol. Heaven grant no sister may
ever stab brother 10 the very soul
az you, with your soft, white hAn1
have stoDbed mel!
The weeks which followed 10
Mamie Ripley dragged with
strange weariness. The light. firm
step she never before hailed IN vain
now rarely sounded on the terr ace ;
the rich, deep voice now 80 r'rel'
heard seemed to m ke the silence
doubly sill, the void once filled by
the bris sbt. handsome face empty
indeed. And when on" DAY Grace
Rivers came into her presence with
happy, blushiug face, and whisper
I'd low of a wonderful secret which
had daN ned upon her, the knowI'
edge that she loved aud VA In
turn beloved, the words OF con
graduation seemed to meet with
sO1s in her throat, why she knew
not ana the other noticed nAught,
but hen sbe had left her she took
mp life again with deepened
feeling a. to iis desOlAiiOn
Il have invited yonng Warrlng
ton TO dine this evening. NAnnie,'
said Colonel Ripley, few days
later with one or twn other geu
tlemen. Sc that on dh r,dit TO
yOur house Keeping
The toilet Mamie Ripley made
that evening received 4 c0nsld"ra'
ton she did not ofen accord it.
1t WAS to please her father, she
told hprself, but when she entered
the drawing room and vert for
ward to welcome ber guess with
heightened color aud eyes flashing
with some suppressed excitement,
the result left notbing 10 be dc
sired though her wonderful beauty
struck to ones heart with only u
keen paug,
Sitting along the piano, whil'
the gentlemen still fingered At th'
table, listening dresmily tf
their conversation, which REACHED
her in snatches through the oper
door separating them from tb'
music room, she was attracted by
the sound of one voice familiar To
her ear. Cecil Warrington wa
speaking OF the dutv he though
every man owed his fellow. mar
every owner of property, the
laborer who pIOnghed his fields
His young enthusiasm, AL honest
and sincere, spoke in earnes
glowing terms, aud turning Nanni'
could see his face radiant Will
high purpose, when like lightning
fash, came the thought; Must one
to be hero 60 forth in search o
some heroic worki Dnrs not lit
with it's everyday needs demand
greater, truer heroism. although
no bard may ever siog It's praises
nor may 1t be recorded on an
page book which one dav shal
lie open to all eyesP Had she no
spurned the one great gift offere'
her, leaving her life bare an'
de solatei Uuconsciously her han
wandered over the keys and h'
sweet voice spoke out III the lin"
ending:
The sunshine Of my life is IN her eyes.
T And when they leave me all within
dark.
/ 'Whose eyes,N uniei'ql stions
. a voice betide her, aud shs know
! Cecil has left the table and effec
r ed a nolseIess entrance. 'Dariln
, NV lire has been all darknei
since you took from it the sunshir
of the hope which was It's glor
must go away; 1 cannot sta
here longer to see you, and fe
you never, never will Do MIN
, When you sing that song agai
!. Mamie, you will knaw why lie
you; but he stops suddenly, I
the girls head has fallen With
discordant crash upon the key
and one bitter sob hl3 quick o