Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-05-19
\ E.r1IE GRAY.


Everybody sad that Netue Grey was a
! beauty not ore II Your polished city bellies
/ but gay, I, mplng, sancy piece OF Ma.
lurr hahniwVrk, yet gentle, ntiectionst-
Nrthnl, possessing a del til OF feeling and
sentiment whlch lew are able to alhom.
! Nov, sweetest Gray rs she was
called, had long been loved by one Charles
| Grafton. the handsome young merchant
VIII" kept the only store the village OF
! " could boast of; where he had for
some four or five years deli out sugar. tea,
tobacco, caticoes, silks and pins, hardware,
and variety of merchandise to the villa
kers and the Surrounding farmers, and
had realized quite hItle fortune n part
! Of which be invested in the purchase of
widow Morton. beautiful cottage and
grounds, whlch. al The death OF her hus.
band, she had been obliged to dispe,e o.
and take cheaper place. where she could
| live less extensively. while from the sur
| plus of the price received rom the cottage.
she received rlce Iiule income. Charley
had also taken the widows son into the
store, as his business increased it beea me
necessary 10 procure assistance. The sal
ary paid to little JOHNNY was material
help to bis mother, for which she was very
grateful, and she never failed 10 speak a
word i'll bis praise, when opportunity pre-
scented.
This with the numberless acts of ceuer
osiiy which Charley never tired Of per-
forming, made him the hero of that little
village and caused him to be loved aud
respected by both old and young. for
many miles around TO say that Nettie
Gray was Indifferent to his many visits or
for the ardent love he maintained for her,
would be doing nj Justice to her warm ap-
preciative heart But the spiri, Of justice
seemed to possess her, and though she
was uniformly kind and gentle in her dis
position toward ber lover, and would con
verse freely and unrese:veay with him on
any topic, yet when he approached the
subject nearest his heart she was off like
frightened bird. Not tha. she was afraid
Of him or that the subject was dstastful
to her, for her own heart was equally in
terssted, but she delighted to tease him,
heartily enjoyed his discontinue on such
occasions. She knew that he loved her
with all the strength of his soul, and she
had no fear of alternating his affections
| from herself-an event which would give
her the deepest pain.
Charley had began to think seriously of
marrying; and why not? There stood the
cottage embowered ia tress. many of which
we're bending under their heavily load OF
rare fruit uboccupied. 1t needed onl " the
presence Of his bright eyed Netie to make
il paradise. His income was more than
sufficient to satisfy their most extravagant
wants, and why should he not marry p
Many times he had visited Nette tor the
express purpose Of making known his
wishes. but had been so often prevented
from saying what he wanted to say, by the
little mischief running away at the first
word he uttered on the subject To think
of supplying lfer place from the many fair
damsels in it--who would have gladly &C.
cepted his hand, was out of the question.
Ii WAS Neltie he loved, and Nette only,
and he felt sure she returned affections,
but how could he ever get married if he
was not permitted to propose 2" 81 must
resort to siratagem. and he partially
formed many plans to bring the little
DeAufy 10 terms, ana as Oiteh abandoned
them.
His mind was busy with such thoughts
as one bright morning in September be
walked toward Farmer Gras's mansion
lie leisurey ascended the hill, at the top
of which, upon lovely table land. stood
the great old house, when he was startled
by familiar voice calling:
, Bring the ladder, Dick | want to get
down" And looking up he beheld Nettie
seated in the spreading branches oi
large apple tree that stood in the field