Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-07-27
INglly, waAr.Ed AAti6 be6bIa KiIeagEdCIIj

| since nealu Ills uhne, even, " Dennis,
| Dennis"
Unhappy Shafto! Listening, patient and
wistful, TO this Outburst, hearing that voice
thrilled with fond passion, beholding, even
through the night, those suddenly radiant
| eyes, trembling under that small hand that
claspcd his arm so tightly for anolher's sake,
rs il had never done for his own: he lost his
| last shred of comfort
| No, Nelly was MT undcmOnstralivc, when
she had anything 10 demonstrate, as she never
had had, never would have, now for him
And yet, yet--but for this bitter chance, this
1 lightning flash which barred the desoate path
of duty so plain before him, she D4ght have
been his and have learned, by degrees, TO be
comfOrted, and forget the other
These waters of Marah almost choked his
speech but he drove them back manfully,
and answered with simple consrieniiousness,
Yes, ! knew him n little lie was moi mar
ried, nor bit likely TO he. lie was not quite
well when | last saw him, but he WAS getting
better. | was with him the night before
left little thought-"
His voice failed him suddenly, he went
away from her, and stood leaning his hands
ON the stone balusirade, with his face turned
up TO the night sky. There were no tears in
his eyes to dim the radiance of the starlight,
nor any passionate outcrics on his lips. And
as W Nllul WAS Ill ms ntitlb lntll, lllhl was
between himself and God, for no one else
ever knew it.
lie came back presently; Nelly, who had
been reproaching herself for her selfish out
burst, put her hand in his, and looking up at
| him, said falteringy, 81 am so sorry. | beg
| your pardon"
Those eyes, that voice, 50 full of his rival,
with only pity TO spare for him, made him
| hard for moment, but the next he rebuked
| himself stetnly, and ansW cred with kind
sad smlle,-s
mo, my darling, beg yours for leaving
| you when you were so i'll but-but I've got
rather headache, added he, piteously, try
ing to excuse his shaken voice, 'Im knocked
up with the journey, think.
"POor ShaftO!" said she compassi0nately,
putting her hand on his head, which he had
bent down to her; but he drew back sharply,
| with an inarticulatG sound of pain, and sug-
gested, il she was better, they should 90 back
| to the drawing room. lie took her to her
seat, and then, going up to Il group of men
gathered round some Indian photographs he
| had brought home, asked, "Can any one tell
me when the Calcutta mail goes out Is this
| week s gomez"
Doesn't go till Friday. But say, Ell
phinstone, added the speaker, staring at him,
''What on earth is the matter? You look as
| if you had seen ghost"
''lm all right. AT least, I've headache,
that's all, he answered, weariy.
Perhaps Miss Western"
''Let Miss Western alone, and me too, said
Shafto with sudden sternness, turning ON his
heels, and going off.
NELLY" said Mrs Wroughton later in the
evening, "What have you been doing to your
yictim2 He looks so pale, and heavy-eyed,
and the picture of misery. What a tyraut
you must be-"
Nelly explained weariy how the song had
affected her, and Shafto had guessed the cause
"a nice little incident for him to dream
upon, remarked her friend drily; | wonder
how many men would stand such thing. A
brilliant, uncomfortable, unsatisfactory crea-
turc like your Dennis, for instance!"
THAT he-isn't my Dennis now should
prevent your blaming him." returned Nelly
calmly, but with very white lips
Elphinstone's goodnight" was tranquil
as usual but after he had said it, and let go
her hand, he took il again, and added unrea
sonably, 80 Nelly!" much as she had said
an hour before, 80 Dennis !" and looked at
her with quite new profmdity of express
sion.
lie was passive and distracted host in
| the smoking-roOm that night and when he
| went to his own apartment, took pen and
1
But he could not write not at once, with
all that tumult within him, with that great
bitter rebellious wonder at the UselessneSs Of
his love gnawing at his heart. ~ was SO
happy before, he thought, II didn't tTy to
love her, and do love her So" lie leaned
his hot head ON his hands, and looked over
the gardens and woods and fields, bathed in
starlight, with sore regret Their pleasure
was spoiled to him, most likely forever, as,
indeed, the pleasure of everything was.
81 suppose was too happy, said Shafto,
mounfully.
"But did believe could make her happy
too. Well, may do that yet, thank God! in
another way And-poor Kilcourcy as well. u
1t was little struggle to speak thus kindly
of his rival, of his cOnqucrOr, but somehow
the recollection of Dennis faint hand and
fcvcred eyes made ii easier.
'Ies," added he, after some serious reflec-
ton, ''I'll write to him at once. But I'll bC
the same to her, and say nothing till heal
from him, or he comes because if he shoutd
have changed, she would be as forlon, and
want me to comfort her as much as ever
poor little girl Not that he toiU be changed
! How could he be-"
So ShaftO sat down. and wrote many let
tiers, and flung them aside, and it was not til
the morning light reddened the window
panes, and dazzcd his tired eyes, and tht
birds sang their mathis outside, that he haC
} produced Il satisfactory epistle. lie had littl,
gift of composition, and feeling how mucl
of his darling's happiness hung on this issue
} trcmbled lest his own want of tact shoulC
| ruin all.
"DEAR KMCOURCY. You will be surprised
to hear from me- but you will soon under
stand the reason You remember the stor,
you told me that night have met the youni
! lady you spoke Of and in my opinion sh
r has not forgotten you. If you love her til
same as overland / would not write this
, did not believe it-come home. With re
gard to money matters, it happens that an
now in search of some gentleman to live a
my place in Sussex, air the house, and loo
after the farm and shooting. The man VIII
! is there at present, Major AnsOn, who re
a ccives five hundred year from me- ha
come into money and house of his own
! If you will not mind taking such thing
which perhaps you will not for another per
sons sake, think you would like the neigh
borhood- there is good hunting and shooting
/ and | know Miss Western thinks it pretty
4 Do not wait to write, if you can accept m.
y offer, but come home SnlnleOSdtety.
:, This matter, as you will understand, mus
be between ourselves whatever the result.
i hope you have quite recovered from your il
" ness by this time. Believe me, yours truly,
7, 'SHAFTo ELPHlNsToNE.