The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-05-30
"a b

i elegant caro- HOW uluCTGHG 10 IulS
coarse, plain, ugly thing! !" And she
glanced contemptuouslY at the sheet of
paper, with its eaudy flower painting.
IF Salem could write, shonld think
he sent it," she added. II wonder what
he thought of the valentine sent him !?
should never have thoeght of it, had it
not been for Mr.. Clyde. Icouid hardly
help laughing when gave it him All |!
how this ring shines, just as though there
were a spark Of fire in it !"
And leaning back, she surveyed it
dreamily, and forgot everything else as
she turned it about, and watched the
sparkling rain bow hues shifting over the
lopal. A A# ga
| A shadow fell upon tho kitchen floor,
ldarkening The lattice window.
She raised her eyes, and, with Joyous
exclamation, sprang from her seat.
A gentleman of about twenty-five
years of age was peeping mat her.
"A charming picture, truly y he said,
opening the door and stepping inside.
81 am glad il was not Uncle Jabez who
saw me-" she said, with shy smile. "He
would have said [ was wasting the best
part of the day
as be placed his hat on the table, and
tapped the toes Of his patent leather
boots with d gold headed cane. "You
looked just like one of the heroines in
Tennyson's poems--a sweet, gentle maid,
like the miIlers daughter, for instance"
And in meaning voice, he began
"Tt is the miller's daughter,
And she is grown SO dear--so dear
You know It, do you not, Nellie ~
She shook her head. /.
II never had but one poetry book in
all my life, Mr. Clyde" she answered.
ut was one Miss Pringle gave me on my
birthday"
Never mind" said Austin; lit will DE
all the greater pleasure when you read
them with me some day. Now tell me
what you were thinking about when I
came by p
| Roster still flushed the girls face, and,
with q lex movement, she hid the
hand on which the opal ring was gla M
/ ing, beneath her apron.
| But Austin gently drew it forth again,
and held it prisoner in his own soft,
white palms.
| "Were you thinking of this ?" he cues
toned, pointing to the jewel
She made no answer.
You guessed sent it ~ he continued.
Nellie flashed one timid glance at him,
then dropping her long, golden lashes,
until they rested upon her cheeks.
"You will wear it for my sake ?" he
pleaded, drawing her closer to him, and
noting how the color rose and fell in her
face. Gan offering of atfection-of my
love for you ?"
She was trembling now, and he placed
his arm around her protectingly.
"May | speak to your uncle?' he con-
tinued. "May tell him that, if how'll
consent, you have promised to be my
wife?"
What was it made her hesitate before
she answered him
Her eyes had fallen on the enveope
Salem had dropped, and she was think
ing of him, us he srt at the table, an hour
before, with his honest facey shielded 4y
his hand. She felt sure that he had sent
her the ribbon and the bunch of flowers.
wont you answer me, darling?" said
Austin Clyde, bending his handsome face
nearer to her; and once more Nellie
looked at him.
A thrill of pride ran through her frame.
He was SO different to the village SWANS
He was just like one of the noblemen she
had read Of in novels. And be loved Ber;
had asked her to be his wife She was
bewlldered by her vanity in having won
SO fine gentleman and she blushed, and
cried, and, finally, told him he might ask
Jabez May to give her TO HIM as wife.
Not bad speculation, "mutsered Aus.
tin Clyde, az, a short time after, he saan-
tered from the house to look for the far
mer. "Shs will, of course, inherit tho
farm and her unvle's money and she is
pretty little thing, after all. Not so bad
for rustic!' And, spying Jabez in the
distance, he bent his steps in that direc-
ton, and soon afterwards Joined him.
In she meantime, Nellie had put on her
straw hat, and hurried away to the big
barn to search for stray eggs.
As she opened the door, a sob struck
upon her ear; and peeping in, she saw
Salem stretched at full lengh on some
straw, his face hidden in his arms, and
his whole frame shaken by a tempest of
tears Her heart smote her, and, drop
ping her baeket, she walked into the barn,
AID STOPPING, touched him on the shout
der.
"Salem !" she said.
He sprang to his feet; and she saw
that he held his valentine in one hand.
$50 it's you y he said, angrily ~ sup
pose you've come to have your laugh out
at me? Well, laugh away"
But Nellie, instead of accepting his in
vitation did the opposite thing. She
burst into tears of remorse and contrition
Salem's mood suddenly changed.
"Don't cry, Nellie" he said, with rough
kindness, ut is not worth making a
| fuss about Look ere /; I know this val