Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1874-12-10

1
these your office hours p
| "Confound my office hours y COM
mented the doctor to himself. Aloud
he said: "Pm sometimes Obliged to
break through my Office hours. Pm
going now to see IA patient on the
outskirts OF the town." So they
drove on.
The "patient' could not have been
| in critical state. The doctor lean
ing back in the carriage, let the reins
| lie loosely on the horses back as
they passed slowly through the sbs-
dy wool roads smellingofp pines, while
the warm breeze futtered light curls
across Nancy's arch black eyes and
the blue silk parasol had to be held
up to keep the sun from her rose
bud of a face. The doctor had a
lurking fear that Nancy was rustic
and ignorant, but ah! she was SO
pretty!
How far they rode in this lazy
way, wholly rapt in conversation, is
not known. How far they would
have ridden is not certain, if Nancy
had not sent mischievous glance
straight into the gray eyes, and IN
quired;
"Why, where does that patient
of yours live?'
The doctor laughed frankly, color
ing nevertheless.
81 see you understand the ways
that are dark and the tricks that are
vain, pretty well, Miss Nancy. And
now / don't dare to tell you what l
was going to before you spoke"
"What was it queried Nancy,
curious and conscious.
1T was" said the doctor, bend
ing his own face closer to the curl
shaded one at his side, that wish
| had the right to keep YOU with me
always, Miss Nancy. Well, look at
me-will you let me :"
1t was we'll that the doctor did not
guess why, amidst Nancy's bright
bushes, her lips quivered and her
ewes filed with tears. She had made
up her mind to accept the doctor,
but in this decisive moment the
thought of John Armitage sent a
pang, cruel in intensity, through her
heart. Then came the memory of
their Yesterdays quarrel, and Nancy
faltered, with a struggling smile.
IL don't know"
She did know, when in the late
twilight, she and the doctor walked
together into the dusky sitting room
at home, where her father was doing
and her mother knitting, TO ask their
consent and their blessings.
Dear me-" said the good farmer,
rubbing his eyes. 1.-TWO such pieces
of news in one days Gurus here
abouts. heard on'y an hour since
that Jonnie Armi.age is going to
Texas to farm on his own account. |
sorter thought, too, t he an Nancy
fancied each Other, but here she's
wanting to marry another. Its
Gurus :"
Nancy had taken her hand from
the doctors arm and had sat down in
the window. She heard mistIly com
ments and congratulations, laughed
at Jokes. She walked down to the
gate with the doctor when he left and
stood there under the liiacs, his arm
about her, replying to his tender talk;
but when he was gone, leaving a
farewell kiss on her lips, she rushed
up stairs and threw herself on the bed
in perfect agony of sobbing that she
could hardly stife in the pillow.
The story of the next week is hack
neyed. Such happenings are too
common. Nancy came and went like
the ghost of herself, but the whole
village was gossiping over her en-
gagement and her evidences oftrou-
BILE were ascribed TO the 'queerness OF
a girl Just engaged Little tired
Mrs. Armltage ran over across the
lots one afternoon to tell the Evanses
that John was going Monday, and
she guessed he would manage to get
over and bid them gOcd bye; and
cried because her pet son was going
away. and was cool and sharp to Nan
cy, evidently suspecting that she vas
The cause.
Perhaps lightnatu suffer most
overwhelmingly. Often in these
beautiful June days Nancy, all alone
in some shadowy, grassy place, with
sunbeams shimmering above, would
wonder in a dim, childish way ''if
she should not die when John went
"OnIv one hope was left. John was
coming to say goodbye. Oh, if she
could only let him know how it really
was, But how could shef and she
would look down despairlngiy at the
little gold circlet on her finger.
Sunday afternoon John finally
came, Nancy, sitting in the parlor
with the doctor, caught glimpse OF
the well known figure at the gate un-
der the liIacs again. For moment
the room whirled around, and che
was deathly white; then she rose
mechanically, saying she must bid
Mr.. Armitage goodbye. and she
went out to the doorway, where
John was greeting with her parents,
and warding of the Newfoundland
with a laugh.
Yes" he was replying as Nancy
came up, they say there is a pretty
good chance out there for young
fellow with health and energy-how
do you do, Miss Nancy?-and Eve
always been enterprising; 60 | mean
to try it,
Nancy stood pulling the rose vine: