The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-05-29


light, she and the doctor walked t.
gether into the dusky sitting room
home, where her father was doing an
her mother knitting, to ask their col
sent and their blessing.
"Dear me !" said the GOOD farmer
rubbing his eyes. "Two sech piece
of news in one day is GURUS hereabout.
L heerd on'y an hour sence that Johnni
Armitage is a-goin' to Texas to kinde
farm on his own account. I sorte
though too, that he an Nancy fancie
each other, but here she's wantin' {
marry another man. It's cur us !"
Nancy had taken her hand from tn
doctors arm and had sat down in til
window. She heard, mistily, comment
and congratulations; she answered ques
tions. laughed at jokes. She walket
| down TO the gate with the doctor whel
| he left, and stood there under the lilacs
his arm about her, replying to his ten
der talk; but when he was gone, leavin,
a farewell kiss on her lips, she rushed
up stairs and threw herself on the bee
in perfect agony of sobbing that sh,
could hardly stifie in the pillow.
The story of the next week is hack
neyed. Such happenings are too com
mon. Nancy came and went like the
ghost of herself, but the whole village
was gossiplng over her engagement, anG
her evidences of trouble were ascribeC
to the "queerness of a girl Just engag
ed" Little tired Mrs. Armitage rar
over across lots one afternoon to tel
the Evanses that John was going Mon
day, and she guessed he would manage
to get over and bid them good-by and
cried because her pet son was going
away, and was cool and sharp to Nancy,
evidently suspecting that she was the
cause.
Perhaps light natures suffer most
overwhelmingly. Often in those beau
tiful June days Nancy, all alone in some
shadowy, grassy place, with sunbeams
shlmmering above, would wonder in a
dim, childish way if she should not
die when John went" Only one hope
was left : John was coming to say good
by. Oh, if she could only let him
know how it really was But how
could she and she would look down
despairingly at the little gold circlet on
her finger.
Sunday afternoon John finally came.
Nancy, sitting in the parlOr with the
doctor, caught a glimpse of the we'll
known figure at the gate under the
lilacs again. For moment the room
whiried around, and she was deathly
white; then she rose mechanically saw
ing that she must bid Mr.. ArmitaCe
gOOd-by, and went out to the doorway
where John was greeting her parents.
and warding off the Newfoundland with
a laugh.
eyes," he was replying, as Nancy
came up, "they say there's a pretty
good chance out there for a young fell
low with health and energy-how do
you do, Miss Nancy ?-and I've always
been enterprising so I mean to try it. "
Nancy stood pulling the rose vines in
pieces while for half an hour the others
talked crops. politics, and prospects.
She could not have spoken for her life,
though she longed to speak as a con-
demned criminal longs to ask mercy.
Not once did John turn obstinate
auburn head to look at or speak to her,
aud at last he rose to go. He inter-
rupted himself, while detailing particu-
lars about grazing lands, to say "goOd-
by, while he just touched her hand.
If he had looked at her, the miserable
pathetic look of appeal on her childish
face would have gone straight to his
heart; but he did not dare to look, and
turning away abruptly, walked down
the garden path with the garrulCus old
farmer hObbling by his side.s Nancy
had Just time to escape her mothers
eye by running up the stairs. She did
not faint: but God forbid that girls
should often know such misery as she
then ! When she at last Joined
5he doctor, as in duty bound, the stun
ned look in her face was pitifuI. She
q was not we'll, she said, in answer to
ais alarmed queries.
1t was Nancy who proposed that they
should go to church that evening. In
he corner of the high old pew, with |
ler veil hiding her face, she could at !
east be quiet, and one hour more of
affJrt would have been insupportable. |
Mr.. Armitage was alone in her pew, and |
,ried silently all through the service. |
NancY's heart so went out to the poor |
woman that, when they met in the aisle,
'he pressed her hand impulsively, say
ng in a quick whisper: "Mrs. Armi.
age, I'm sorry for you -
" [ don't want any of your sorrow p
vas the sharp response. cts fine to
ak; but you and know well enough |
Who's the cause of all. One word from
'ou would stop it now if you were
sorry enough !"
Poor Nancy The clock was on the
troke of eleven that night when her
over finally took his leave, and she was
rec to pace the moon-lit sitting-room
rom end to end with set lips and wide,
eyes. She did not cry. She
cit as if she we're going crazy, and in
er desperation she did not care if she
id. Hour after hour passed, and still
be paced there, till her rigid face
howed whitley in the first faint gray of
lornipg. "Oh acOuld he go? could lie
o? would nothing happen to stop him?
carcely knowing what she was doing,
-ancy slipped through the door, and
atless, trailing her dainty blue skirt
lr ugh the dewy grass, ran across lots
} the Armitages.
1t was all still and dark and dewy.
he heard the village clock strike three
5 she paused on the outskirts of the
ld-fashioned flower garden behind the |
Ouse, and shrunk behind hedge of |
lossomy lilacs, whose potent odors
ckened her. Her mind was in a whirl.
he did not know why she was there,
, what she should do. She was in
eadly fear lest some one should dis
,ver her, yet she could not go away.
or half an hour she crouched there ,
liveringly, never taking her eyes off
)hn's window, but starting every time ,
le curtain blew. Suddenly step on {
e garden path startled her so violently |
at she scarcely could suppress a I
ream. 1t was probably some of the {
if they should see her! t
hasty peep through the bushes {
lowed her that it was worse than that; t
was John himself, striding straight {
ward the gap in the hedge, and wear c
G most unpropitious face. Nancy, I
blind terror of discovery, crawled on /
r hands and knees close under the y
acs. He had passed, he was almost /
z, when a bird that Nancy had dis t
rbed flew out with loud chirpings. /
ne end of the loosened blue sash had 4
ught on a stiff bough. and the color il
rested his eye. Two strides brought
m to the spot, and he stood with fold O
arms looking down at her a moment v
fore his amazement found vent in the n
\
Sc Nancy" l
He had never seen such utter aban- c
N apI ocpDu of cbopoa os fboA With ! ~