Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1874-12-03

saw her with the freight on her gold
en- hair, beside the winter hearth ]; saw
her smiling up at me, as we whirled
through the snow-drifts that last
bright day, and saw her as she lay
like dead thing in my arms. And
fancy painted other pictures. ] saw
her as Tom Armstreng's wife. | saw
her-oh, good heavens with his
child on her knee.
am not sure but that / should
have turned idiot. had not something
happened to alter the circumstance of
nv position. This was nothing else
but the total wreck of our vessel, and
my narrow escape from drowning,
but with on arm broken by the fall
ing of a spar. For a month / lay on
sick bed; and then with softened
heart and a feeling that ] was sick of
the sea, l went home to sister Jennie,
to be farmer again, if could.
In those two years. she had never
had line from me. Not an angry
word did she give me, but ran into
my arms and wept on my bosom, like
a child; aud then she showed the
wedding-ring on her finger, and the
baby lying asleep in the cradle, and
told me whose wife she was.
She was Mrs. Armstrong, and | had
never guessed they liked each other.
"And I'm happy as the dayis long
see said, "only fretting about you
How could you 90 away so, Ned? If
you did not think of my feelings,
you might have remembered Nellie
Brodie's."
"Nellie Brodie's feeling" | Icried.
''Nellie Brodie'sl Don't laugh at
me, Jennie"
Laugh atyou /. she cried. Laugh
at you, my dearl haven't thought
of it. Did you quarrel that night?
1. must have been quarrel, think.
Whose fault wasit, yours or hersY
"Miss Brodie and / never had q
quarrel Isaid.
so. Ned" she resumed, softly.
"don't try to hide it from me, when !
saw your portrait in her bosom. |
told YOU so. | know, and tn ,ught it
vas all settled, and was so glad"
/ started up. and caught Jennie's
wrist. MY portrait 2" cried.
"Why, Ned, don't look at me So
screamed Jennie; what does it all
mean? Your portrait, ofcourse one
of those photographs you had taken
i found the rest after you went
away. Oh, Ned, don't. don't look so,
dear !"
81 thought you told me she wore
another mans picture" said. That
drove me away that, and nothing
else. Oh, what wretched fool I've
been. | did not know she had my
picture; and | might have cast her
away I, who loved her so, and have
pined tor her all these years."
But Jennie, dear Jennie, with her
kind. motherly face and loving NO
mans eyes, came close to me, and
put her arms about my neck, and
whispered, Don't despair, Ned She
has never liked any one else, and |
know. for certain, that she wears your
picture still"
And those words brought my youth
back to me; and the years seemed
bio ted out, and saw the Ned Brown
who fell in love with Nellie Brodie
once more.
Well, Jennie told the truth ]
went TO see Nellie Brodie, and found
her sweet and beautiful as ever; and
we were married when the spring
came and the birds began to build
their nests in the green orchard. AT
terwards, when she had been my wife
for some time, Nellie told me, under
those very apple trees how che had
found my picture one day when no
one saw her, and worn it aftervard
for love of me-worn it and wept
over it while was far away. and
trying to forgot her-tTying, but
never succeeding; for the love had
for Nellie Brodie was part Of my life,
and will be, / believe, part OF the
eternity, where, when death sewers
us here, we shall be reunited.