Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-05-07

entered at last that even my waiting ears
could scarcely catch the liehtitep. With
out word she shut the door behind her.
Then she stood looking at me; her red
lips parted with an irreprasiblc smile,
and her eyes brimmiDg over with fus.
Bat she was clad 10 no gay, unusual dress:
she stood there holding up in ono hand the
old black habit frem the other danglcd
the little hat with its scarlet plume aud
her head was only crowned with its bright.
fair earls. |
"NInstte," / said, breaking my wonder
ing silence, "seeipg you 80, feel as if,
khrough all the Years that lie helpless,
II could dream that you have been to me
all that wildly dreamed you might be
when | saw you so for the first time.
Thank you for coming as you are; bot
you will have 10 change your dress again,
you ride in such different costume"
The color rushed TO her cheeks, and
her eyes grew hot and dark.
\ "Yes, very different but cannot you
think ofmc always as you see me now,
Ricardo as you saw Inc first 2 The
people arc passing the hospital gates In
crowds, she went on, turning aud looking
through the window "l expect fuller
house than We have ever had in England.
1t is for your sake signOr.Y
81 wish thought So" | SAID, very
earnestly wish | did not know they 90
to see your wild and daring leap, Ninette.
How terrible it viii be TO witncss-for
these who love you ~ ..r.s
She laughed low, quick laugh, but did
not turn to me. ..s.-s..- fla. ....-
You are thinking of Captain Attend
ant, dare say, Ricardo? But you need
not, for | have never spoken to him since
the night yOu-fell J. and never shall
again " y5 ...4 .s, .s.t
A wild, proud joy sprang up in my
heart. "Ninette," cried, "my darling,
turn your face to me. | am SO helpless.
here, aud shall 80 soon lose the face love-.
Come to me for those few precious mo-
ments." ...
Very gently she came up to me, and
laid her cool hand upon my forehesd.
This excitement, of course, is bad for
you, Ricardo" she said, tendcrly and
| know it is bad for me- just now it un-
nerves my heart and hand, think" she
added, with little sigh, "thot everything
that comes naturally to US seems as if it
was too bad for US. Do you-do you re-
member what the clergyman here said
when we performed for the hospital? o.,
| should 50 like to know if that could be
true" '" "''1 "i5-.
"Cam it be true, dear, when our Fa-
ther's mercy is as wide as heaven? ?" W
Hush, Ricardo !" she interrupted,
with a quick breath; "you and do not
understand that kind Of thing, and-we
may be hoping without foundation. He
said-said 1t, and wrote it. end published
it-that no modest English girl would do
what do; and that no noble and pure
minded man would make himself specta-
Gle, and wilfullJ risk his life as. as-you
did. o, Ricardo, was it true ?"
NO" said, firmly and quietly.
81 know I've been thoughtles, and flip.
pant, she went on, very low, 81 know l
haven't tried as might have tried 70
make my life noble but don't feel that
my heart has been different from the
hearts of modest English girls and in
deed-indeed- my life has been more
full of temptation than that Of any girl
who has quiet guarded home. ~
She bent her head, and as | laid my
weak fingers on the soft curls, and deep
sob shook the little kneelng figure, but
when she rose her eyes were bright be-
hind her lashes. She did not say word
of farewell to me. With strange, brave,
SMILE which would have van
ished with a word she hesitated mo-
ment; her checks flushed and her lips
wistful. Then quite suddenly. with just
the slight gesture with which she acknowl-
edged the plaudits of the crowd, she left
me- 1920 aselD ts aaa
| lay and listened as the carriages roll
ed past the Infirmary gates; and present.
ly, across the river, | could hear our
own band strike up merrily. l could fol-
low in fancy the whole performance as l
lay with the programme before me, and
the well-known airs to guide me. At last,
with aquickcued beating of my heart,
felt that the time was come for Ninette's,
appearance. | knew the very tune with
which the band would greet me. All |!
there it was; but drowned almost in a.
oud, prolonged applause. Then-know--l
ing she she was was performing-I lay there quiv-
sring in every limb. Z. g~s .o,s.r A..
Ii was just as one Of the hospital ply
yjsIaps and n nurca oan,a ;nto -. -