Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-05-17
F" 1 never saw you till this summer ~

You saw me eight years ago. You
and friend were on pedestrian tour.
You met little barefoot girl, whom your
friend made sketch Of, and whom you
jeered at and then nick-named." And
rising she made mock courtesy. for she
saw she was recognized IL am Cobwebs,
at your service, sir.
The discomftted suitor never forgot the
looks of disdain with which Nelly cour-
tested to him. His modification was not
lessened when, on leaving the house, he
met Clarence on the door steps. He
tried, in vain, to assume an Indifferent
aspect, but he felt that he had failed, and
that his rival suspected his rejection.
Nelly could not avoid laughing at the
crestfallen look of her enemy. Her whole
manner changed, however when Clarence
entered. Instead of the triumphant, sau-
cy tormentor, she became the conscious
trembling woman. Clarence, who had
longed for, yet dreaded, this interview,
took courage at once, and in few manly
words, eloquent with emotion, laid his
fortune at his Nelly's feet.
Poor Nelly felt more like crying with
joy than anything else. But little of
the old saucy spirit was still left in her.
She thought she owed it to her sex not to
surrender too easily and SO she said, arch
ly glancing up to Clarence
"Do you know, Mr. Harvard, whom
you are proposing to? am no heiress,
no high born city belle, but only-let me
see-what was it ?--only a common coun-
try rustic" And she rose and courtesied
. to him. E
"For heavens sake, don't bring that
foolish speech up against me! he cried,
passionately, trying to take her hand.
Il have repented it thousand times
daily, since the unlucky moment. l was
betrayed into saying it. Do me the JUS
tice to believe that | never meant it to be
personal"
"Well then, l will say nothing more
of that matter. But this is only whim
of yours. How is it, that having known
me so long, you only now discover my
merits"
known you so long!
"Yes, sir, demurely.
"Known you?'
''For eight years
"Good heavens !" he cried suddenly, his
whole face lighting. "How blind | have
been Why did not see it before
You are"
"Cobwebs," said Nelly, she taking the
words out of his mouth, her whole face
sparkling with glee; and she drew off and
gave another sweeping courtesy.
Before she had recovered herself, how
ever, pair of strong arms were around
her, for Clarence OWNED now that he was
loved. Nelly, all along, had had hal
secret fear, that when her suitor knew thu
past, he might not be 50 willing to marry
the bare-footcd girl as the brilliant belle
J but all this was now gone.
Two months later there was a gay wed
ding at st. Marks. A month after tina
bridal pair returning from the wedding
, tour drove up to a handsome house in on
, of the most fashionable streets in Phila
delphia. AS Clarence led Nelly through
the rooms in which his perfect taste wa
} seen everywhere, she gave way to exclama
, tion after exclamation Of delight.
At last they reached tiny boudoil
exquisitely carpeted and curtained.
jet of gas, burning in an alabaster vase
diffused soft light through the room,
solitary picture hung on the walls ltwa
: the original sketch Of her, eight years be
9 fore, now very elegantly framed. Th
tears gushed to Nelly's eyes, and she thre'
! herself into her husbands arms,
"Ah how l love youv she cried.
Nobody who sees that picture suspect
. its origin. 1t is too sacred subject fe
9 either Nelly or Clarence to allude to. Br
it was only the other day. that a celebrate
n leader of fashion said to a friend
"What queer pet name Mr.. Harvar
s has for his beautiful bride In anybod
else but a genius it would be eccentric
But YOU do not know how pretty it sound
u L.