Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-02-27
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ase. soc. aAAsAAAhusAssAA Druggists.
Genuine stamped c. c. c. Never sold in bulk.
Beware Of the dealer who tries to sell
something lust as good"
to supply the lack of actual informa

/
ton.
Miranda's reserve being so well
known, ii was therefore rather a sur
prise to find her quietly discussing the
qustion OF her supposed engagement
at the minister's annual dona ton par
~. The little woman was the center
of group, and had an unusual glow
Of color on her cheeks as she spoke
"There hadn't been no serious en-
gagement, but he'd thought, an she d
thought, an then at last they'd both
thought; and then they'd concluded
to let the 'ull thing drop right there"
"An' 1 guess you're right, Miranda, /"
replied the minister's wife, who was
burdened with many children and
shared a notoriousiy insufficient, in
come. "a woman who can put her
hands on $4,000 need not trouble her
head about the best of men,"
This, after some little discussion,
was allowed to be the general senti-
ment, and Miranda was made to feel
that she had the support of public
opinion.
Mrs. Oberbaugh, whose views were
known to be strongly on the side OF
matrimOny as a genera principle,
made no remark, but, as she walked
home with Mrs. Lasher, confded to
that lady her idea, that though Mi
randa was full of grit, she'd got a
harder row to hoe than most people
Buspicioned.
After that Miranda scarcely ever
went out, but as she had always been
of retiring nature, her absence from
apple cuts, husking and sewing bees
did not provoke much comment. AS
the winter went on, however, it began
to be whispered that she was growing
misery, like the relative from whom
she had inherited her fortune. When
she ceased making purchases at the
village store the air grew sensibly
colder, but when it became known that
old man Renseller had twice brought
her heavy boxes from Pine Hill, then
the indications of an icy period were
unmistaka BILE.
The first snow had melted when, one
afternoon, Mrs. Oberbaugh resolved
to brave public sentiment by calling
on the ostracized offender.
Though this visit was made in de-
fiance of public opinion, she was not
prepared to deny the justice of the
general attitude assumed toward
Miranda, who unquestionably had
been guilty of serious offense, and if
opportunity offered she proposed max
ing her see the error of her ways; but
above this she had always had a soft
corner in her heart for the disappoint-
ed, gentle old maid. After all, she ar
gued, Miranda might possibly have
some excuse for her conduct, as there
had been occasions when her own mind
had sadly lacked conviction in regard
to the purity of the store coffee
Whether Miranda was aware how her
shortcomings were regarded was by
no means certain, in which case Mrs
Oberbaugh decided to break the mat
ter to her gently but firmly.
Receiving no answer to her knock
ing, she stepped over the threshold
into an icy-cold room, where a form
was lying that looked like the ghost
of the woman she had known. She ap-
preached the bed, to find white
drawn face with CLASSY eyes, hand too
feeble to return her clasp and voice
that spoke in broken whispers.
"Sakes alive, Mirandy! I didn't
know ez how you was down like this. u
THANKSGIVING, was the whis-
pered reply.
Without another word Mrs. ODER.
baugh started home, returning with
restoratives and food, which partially
revived the sufferer.
"Warn't there no one ez you could
call to, to let US know you were down
sick? Where's your coal? I'll build
a fire right away; this place I'D freeze
a bear"
Mrs. Oberbaugh made hasty survey
of the back regions, and opened sew
eral doors, but was rewarded only by
the sight of empty shelves, and then
for the first time she noticed how scan
ty was the bed covering.
mercy on us, Mirandyl where's
your things? Hev you been robbed"
No sold - everything - for
bread!"
Miranda's visitor regarded her with
eyes full of pity; it was clear that the
poor creature had become miser.
"Why, Mirandy, you're rich WON
an. You've got $4,000 in Marketable
bank"
The dying woman put her thin hands
over her face to hide from her sight
the honest, kindly eyes that asked fol-
a confidence she was so 10th to be-
stow.
"Sit down, Martha, and I'll tell you;
you was always good to me, AM
know-youll keep it-a secret. He
he-took it ALL"
"Whatl-thet city chap?"
eyes; he asked me-to lend it to him
for a few weeks-an' so 1 drew il
out-an' then-as he never wrote
I went to New York-an' oh, Martha
Martha"
But here the feeble voice was choked
with tears, and some time elapsed be-
fore she could finish the cruel story.
"I found that he-an' oh, Martha
I was so fond of him-he was-a swim
dler an convict"
"Mercy on us! you poor, sufferin
soul! an you've been starvin' all this
winter!"
"Well, I thought-the end-would
come-an nobody need-know the
truth"
ooh, Mirandy, you might have known
you could have trusted me! An to
think tibet you've been wantin', and
the Corners all lookin' to one side
cause it was said you was doin' your
marketin' down to Pine Hill"
A faint smile passed over Miranda's
wan fee as she thought of the sue