Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-03

close up TO Nance, where he stopped
moment. Then he spoke.
Before ! go, Nance, won't you teiI me
fair and square, is II me or POE
There was no answer.
Never mind, then; l know that you
Just hate to tell me that you dont IOEe
me any more, and / won't make YOU
once more, Nance, good-Dy;
A LONG FAREW ELL
He stealthily lifted a wlsp OF her long
hair and fervently pressed II 10 ms Up,
then walked rapidly away. Nance healu
the sound of his footsteps growing ialheJ'
and fainter as he ascended the nara rodu-
bed which turned over the hill just apONe
the cabin. FINALLY she looked around. ZeD
was Just disappearing beyond the turn IN
the road and to Nance IL suddenly occur
red that he might never return. search
look came into her eyes, ana Tor a mo
ment she stood undecided what 10 40
Then she sprang away from the renee
and ran up the road, hundreu lear ,
taking possession Of her bosom. BuL ~
was gone "Oh, why did he go! Why ulu
he not wait just moment longer t,o ilo
ouickened her pace, and when she reache
ed the top OF the hill was almost our OIL
breath. Zeb had gone out OF slgnt Gown
the mountain. She tried to call his name
but her utterance was ohly "N'"P~''
But at last she managed 10 can
The breeze blew the echo of her own
tones back into her face. Tears gusheu
from her eyes and sic sunk down IpOn
the roadside to sob away her sudden
The clouds began to gather, and at mid
night rain began TO fall In torrents. 10y
dawn the waters of the Iuckdsiesy We
high between its banks, and the DOOM,
Ioggers were busy with their raiis' out
Zeb Norton. their former foreman, was
''o' ''''''' THE OLD LOVE.
Six years had slipped away. Nance
Uooper still lived with her iaihet IH We
cabin on the side of the mountain. one
still went out each evening 10 call inc
! hogs at the head Of the raFine; aud ~!
| ner heart she still lived the Old love anu
| deep regret Zeb Norton had never IN
heard Of since his sudden dlsappea5 t'lCe'
| Gold had been discovered on inc, ulH -
siege and the community was VITA WI
| Excitement. But what seemed uiiL"l ~
nate TO the prOspectOrs was thd' tlig -
vein had been discovered On - H.
| whereabouts were unknown. Iney teaiSd
| IN procped with mining operations WIN
! ont first having secured tease Oh aoH"9
| kind and since this could not De ootdiueA
| from the owner the enterprise was at 4
Hail a wear passed by one day pas
| senger stepped from the morning u"'ii
| which stopped at DOlsDOro', ana $40 "a
| with his hands rammed down INTO ms
| uoclCefs lie was dressed III the style OF
| "a ,vestaruer A wide-brimmed somDfe.o
! rested on his head, and hedNy, bFvWl
| moustache Ornamented his uppeH ip. For
| a moment he gazed all around HIM.
! at is not exactly Ike r. used 70 be,
| thnugh II Amt much changed, either
| h. nrIttered as me picked up his yalise
| snd walked toward a little boarding
| house a few yards away. II was noon.
| and the traveller was hungry Meeting
| the landlady AT the entrance ne gave
! her a Decent piece and asked the way
/ 10 the dining-room. ,
| After dining the stranger spent seyerdl
hours IN wandering about The village
| Late in the afternoon he suspended MS
| valise on n stout stan which he rested
| on his shoulder and set on up the river
| road afoot. Ever and anon. as he
| tramped along the highway ne Wobl
| stop at some high point and gaze away
| across the hills and valley.
Just Ike they used to be, all just the
| same" he would usually mutter as Le
! turned away and continued his journey
| AT last ne reaches the highest point ii
| the road where t turned down the noun
| tain on the other side toward the river
| Just the same" he said. there no,
| even a change I'm the road. wonder u
| Mark Hooper lives there yet, ne con
| tinued. as he looked toward the CABIN
| OFF TO the right.
4 little farther along he turned away
from the road and walked slowly do"f
TO where the fence crossed the rayine
Here he seated himself on an old, last
decaying stump. allowing the STAN anC
valse 10 careiessly slip from his shout
ders. Then. pushing his sombrero bach
upon his head he locked his fingers across
! his knee and gazed away through th'