The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-03-04
From Every Saturday.
NELLY'S NEW YEAR.
BY lIEsBA sTRETroN.
[CONcLUsIoN ]

1CONCLCsIoN
"You are not afraid Of me, Nelly ?"
said he, bringing a chair and placing
himself opposite us He made her lift
up her face, and fixing his searching
py es full upon hers, as if he could read
her secret heart through them, until her
eyelids tuttered, though she could not
close lhtln altogether Nelly" he said.
abruptly, and so sharply that l was
startled, ''who is tine father of your
child 7" a -o. a
Then Nelly's thin fingers loosed mine,
aud she passed them slowly,very slowly,
over tie fingers of her left hand, with
just the ghost of smile upon her faded
lips, and she looked steadily back into
DR. Romaine's eyes with a look that
made my very heart ache.
Il shall never TELL" sail she; and
you knew in an instant that her lips
were sealed over that secret, and how
ever long you might gaze into her dim
eyes. you would never see it in them.
"What has become Of your child 7"
he asked, as abruptly as before.
But at that question Nelly broke into
a long, low walling, and wrung her
poor hands together, and rocked her.
selfio and fro. with no power of speech,
and with such terrible anguish in her
sorrow, that Dr. Romaine and the mag
istrate turned away and went off to a
window at The far end of the room,
leaving her alone with me.
e'NelIy, my darling said I, taking
her in o my arIns,-"Nelie, you would
not let any harm come to your little
babyf' f"
mo, no." she cried, clinging to me.
lie said he would let me know where
he had taken it to; to some safe place.
he said. The nurse thought | should
get over il, and nobody need know, so
he was obliged TO take the baby away.
And then Ain Lane came back while
the nurse was away, and you came,and
| was very i'll, AN | ! know nothing else :"
But who was the nurse Z" asked.
IL don't know He brought her"
said Nelly, "and she let me keep the
baby Nil the last day of the Old Year.
| had it all to myself, and | thought |
could never never let it go; but M
husband said mast. or we should be
sure to be found out"
Tell me who he is, Nelly" / whis-
pered. aa@ a"'a
Then her lips became dumb again,
only she kept wailing and moaning
after her lost child. She was very
much excited, as we all expected her
TO be, and we dared not then urge her
with any more questions. | suppose
DR.. Romaine made some sort Of
promise. to the magistrates, like being
bail for her; but in some way or other
he arranged for her to come home to
me for while until her reason was
quite restored. Father was going to
the farm for three or four weeks to
help in the harvest; and | was glad it
happened 80, for don't know how he
could have horne to see Nelly in the
house no mike what she used to be.
Though she was humble and meek
enough, and very Silent, there was
new. strange sort of dignity about her,
which appeared TO lift her up above a
sense of shame and abasement. Very
grateful she was to me also, and SO
tender towards me, as she and ! lived
together by ourselves in the toll-hodse;,
that, in spite of its shadow, some way
or other, it seemed the peacefullest
time Of my life. b ,t
lam sure Nelly was not quite right
in her mind when she came home, but.
as soon a. she saw the baby, and heard
all / had iotell about it, her senses
seemed TO return quite soberly and