Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-10-24


nade her dislike the sneering man. She stamp
ed her pretty foot and retorted, sarcaStically,
" I'll never be yours, at any rate, you old snap
ping-turte )" aud, as if expecting to have her
ears boxed, if caught, she darted away, diSap
pearing rapidly down the path whence she had
come.
Clarence Harvard broke into merry laugh
n which, alter moment OF anger, his compan-
ion joined him.
You deserve it richly" said Clarence it's
a capital nickname, too | shall call you moth
ing else, after this, than swapping turtle"
Hang the little jade !" was the reply
Que wouldn't think she was so smart. But
what sh ew she will make ! pity the clod-
hopper she marreS she'll hebpeck him out Of
all peace and send him to an early grave"
Nothing more was said, for at that moment
dinner horn sounded, aud the young men
rose to return to the roadside inn where they
had stopped the night before. Their time was
limited, and that evening, knapsacks ou back.
they were miles away from the scene of the
morning A week later they were both home
10 the city, Clarence hard at work perfectng
himself IN his art, and his companion delv-
ing at Coke aud Blackstone
Years passed. Clarence Harvard had ris-
en- to be an artist of emineDce. His pictures
were the fashion; he was the fashion himself
Occasionally, as he turned over his older pro-
ducliouS, he would come upon Cobwebs," as
he was accustomed, Ianghingly to call the
sketch of the child and then for a moment
be would wonder what had become of the Or-
ginal but, except on these rair occasions, he
never even thought of her.
Not so with the child herself Nellie Bray
was poor orphan, the daughter of decayed
gentleman. VINO, after her fathers death, had
been adopted by d maternal uncle. living on u
Wild upland farm among the AileghanleS.-
Her childhood, from her earliest recollection,
had been spent amid the drudgery of farm.
This rude but free life had given her the
SDriugy step aud ruddy cheek, which had at
tracted the young artists attention, but 1t had
failed TO satisfy the higher aspirations of her
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. which had been born in
her blood and which came OF generations of
autecedent culture. The first occasioH on which
these higher impulses had found cougeuiel food
was when she had met the Young artist. She
carried her sketch home, and would never part
with it HIS refined, intellectual face, haunt
ed all her dav dreams. From that hour,
new element entered into her life 4; she became
conscious that there were other people beside
the doll plodG!ug ones with whom her lot had
been cast all her leisure hours were spent IN
studying. Gradually, through her influence,
her uucle'S household grew more refined. and,
finally, her uncle himself become ambitious for
Nellie, as he had no children, consented, at his
wife's entreaty, to send the young girl to first
class bOlrding school.
At eighteen the barefooted rustic, whom the
Young artist had sketched, had dawned Into
beautiful and accomplished woman, who, after
having carried off the highest prizes at school,
was the belle of the couutry town, near which
her uncIe'S possessions lay. For, meantime,
that uncle had been growing rich, like most
prudent farmers, partly FROM the judIcous in
veStmeHt> of h, savings. But, 10 spi of her
many suilors, Nelly had never yet seen face
that appeared 10 her half so handsome as the
manly one OF the young artist, whose kind gen
tie words aud mauuer, eight years before, had
lived ia her memory ever since. Often, after
"a brilliant company, where she had been queen
OF the evening, She found herself wondering, in
her chamber, If she should ever see that face
again.
." Are you going to the ball, next week ?"
said one Of NeIlir's friends to her They say
it is to be the most splendid a far we have ev-
er had Ny brother tells the that Mr. Now
bry, the eloquent lawyer from Philadelphia
who is 10 the great case here is to be present
" expect 10 co. was the reply. But
Mr.. Mowbry being there won't be the induce.
ment"
"0h, you are so beautiful, you can afford
to be indifferent. Bot all the other girls are
dyeiug at the very thought
Tue ball came off, aud was really superb.
Mr. Nowery was there, too, with all his laur
els The great will case, which had sgitat-
ed the country for so many months, had been
conciuGed that very day, aud had been decid-
Ell IN favor OF his client. No such speech as
Mr. Mywbray'S, it was universally admitted,
bad ever been heard in the court house. It's
alternate Wit aud argument had carried the ju-
~ by storm, 50 that they had given verdict
without leaving the box. The young lawyer
al the ba l. was Ike a hero fresh from the bat
tie field hundred eyes followed his form,
a hundred fair bosOmS beat quicker as be ap-
p-oached But he saw only one in all that
brilliant aSsembly-Gud it was Nellie. Her
graceful form, her intelligent face, her style
and JesaIy arrested him the moment he en-
tered he saw that she had no peer iu the
room aud be devoted himself to her almost
exclusively, throughout the evening
Nor had Nellie ever Shone so brilliantly
She could not but feel that it was a great
compliment to be thus singled out from among
80 maay. But >he had another motive for ex-
erting herself TO shine At the very first glance
she recognized 10 Mr. MOwbry the companion
nf the artist who had skelched her eight years
back. 10 hopes 20 hear something Of his friend,
she turned the conversation upon art, the city,
childhood. aud everything else that she tho
might be suggestive butin vain. She could
not be more definite, because she wished TO con-
ceal her Identity, for il was evident that Mr..
Mowbry did not know her besides, her na-