The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-02
LOVE AND GIeATITIDE

No Indeed, John, what should have t
tell you?"
% Thot is what do not know"
But you must haze some suspicion, O
You would not have put such question:
nave suspicion, because find ca ang
in your manner
They were walking home together thes
two lovers; it was evening, and the street
were dark, or John Yates would have seer
the deep blush mantle Nel!;e's cheek be di,
mot feel her arm iremble, and as the door o
her father 5 house closed after her, he turne.
away with Il disconsolate sigh.
~as wrong to exact promise from 81
young gir:; there is the fault; size Is not +,
blame; SO very attractive, so pretty, so dis
tant; she is not made for the hard. rough en-
darance of the world; it was barbaruus o
me 10 exact such 1. sacrifice No; she never
loved me; she only promised to be mine
from pity; pity for my lonely condition pit,
for The affiction which is hanging over me
She has changed, and she has not the courag,
to tell lie So but will release her.
So thought John Yates, as slowly and
YEARLY he wended his way home
Home! il WAS scarcely home, f r nothirp
Is less Ike home than 4 small, cold. Soriid
looking room in second rate boarding
house. John Yates was the son of a wealthy
merchant, brought up to every luxury, to the
big hest expectation. From his boyhood Mel
lie Western II III been his ideal aud VIII N he
had attained his twenty first wear, the love
which both had understood was sanctioned
JoytLliy by the parents on both sides, aud
John and Nellie was aflianced. But change
came suddenly upon them. John Yates
father, tempted into some wild speculation of
the day, iaIlcd IN Il manner that was not posi-
lively criminal, bit scarcely honorable and
unable 10 bear rain and di-prace. at once, the
old merchant had terminated bis existence bv
his own hand. and was fond one IT moruing
floating. dead. III the Delaware.
This terrible catastro;hy changed Johr a;
once. From the thoaghiless man Of ia ,hion
and prasure he became suddenly a serious
and stern man, to whom lite had srpeared
suddenly in ali lis hideous hardness: he knew
that hard battle was before him, aud fel, lie
was stroag enough to fight it.
he hr,t step he took after aba n1oninr all
to his ere litnrs. was To release Nellie from
-reugag meut: bat Nellie, with the gene>
rous IGI ,,ulse of y,uth and woman, had
st;lunchly declared hat she Low q him Letter
Than ever, and that she would wait tor him
ten years If necessary.
a. With this love before me- sustained By
the thought that am working for you, and
for our home, you will not have long to wait,
my own sweet, 90 ID, angelic Nellie
TwJ years had PASSED. John had risen
high III favor and esteem with tine firm in
which he had occupied 1T first but a subDrli-
late Position, and there were hopes that be-
fore another year lie would be taker. into
partnership 1t was about this time that
change seemed 10 come over Nellie. An in
descrlbabe change. bit each telt that, as i'll
81, Ii IL.
grew each day higher and higher.
Sadly the evening he had spoken TO her,
he wended his way kome. willie Nellie, rush
iag through the hall darted scorntully UP over
the suitiy carpe;ed stair of her fathers house,
and passing her own door, rushed in.o her
owl room wnere still the gas was brightly
bLrHIIg. and beside il was sitting Young
girl az Iut her own age.
Nellie having bOited the door. dashed off
her hat, bringing down Il shower of golden
hair she did so, aud then bursting into
tears, she threw herself into the Young girls
arms
"Oh, Carrie, Carrie, am so miserable"
s. Miserable. You. Nellie. with all to make
YOU happy and loved as you are?"
That is 1t. l wish John did not love ne
rs he does, for oh, Carrie, l cal.lo; love him,
tan never be his vile
carrie ST rted up; putting back Nellie from.
r. she gazed at her with Il look that grew
aino,t stern as she gaz"d.
- HEv, lie Is vour atiianced husband you
have loved him all your life
- thought so. but it was not love, you see ::
there was the mistake; We were unsuited to
each other; he, SO grave and stern. and | so
beneath him, 50 utterly III able to do without
the world and society. both of which be calls
frivolous besides. | love some one else, real
" love. and tor the first time. Oh, Carrie,
tell me-wbat l shall do"
Tn. girl apoeaed to thus for advice was
not Olt:er evidently thin Nellie herself; bat
I, e was great difference in the appear
ance Ut the two girls, ditiere ice. which,
perhaps, III ir fortunes had first created. for
Carrie was that terrible waif on social life, Il
poor relation. Nellie's father had taken her
when her parents had died. and given harthe
same education he had given his daughter :;
but Carrie possessed great dignity OF mind,
and understanding her position resolyed not
TO begin life under false pretenscs. She
knew too, that she Lad none of the external
advantages OF her cousin she was tall,
slight girl. with face that Only escaped
plainuess by It's intellectual EXPIRE sion. ILere-
fore had she eschewed all accomplishments,
aud OH her return from sch ,ol had, leaving
char se of her urcle's house.
livery one had got into the habit of looking
up Ter and consulting her in everything,
aud ow Nell'c III this Strait threw Ler troub-
les on her.
oh, Carrie, know YOU think me dread
ful, but indeed l couldn't help it. and it
wouldn't be right to marry john, loving an
other
% Who is the other?''
Why, Charles Howard Ycu know all
the girls are in love with him, and think of
b 5 selecting me-
'Charies Howard" sand Carrie, with curl
Of her lip, ''well, 10 matter, you ask Inc
what you 10 do. There is but one thing.
Tell John Yates the tIuth.''
.-Oh. | should never he able
Then will
All at Cnce there came rumor that once
mere made John Yates theme of cCnversa.
tiuu where his name was never TOw mcntion
ed. Her uncle told her one morning that
p1or John Yates. after an attack Of scarlet
fever. had gone blind.
"Poor fellow, she murmured. I" how he
will get on know not it's lucky Nellie gave
him up.
Nellie was away then, for it was summer
away at some watering place, where she was
one "f the reigning bellies.
- Better not write to her about John,
said her uncle, as Carrie left the room.
Carrie bowed her read aud then went with
firm step to her room.
In few minutes she had put on her bon
net and was walking quickly through the
streets.