Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-09-11


took the little vanity | had out OF me
( though kept saying over anu over again
ssWhat do looks matter for man
I'd meant you see, to give Nellie one To-
her album, but thought if ! looked llk'
that. it was best not. I've heard othel
people speak of the same feelings since, Il
regard to photographs; and am not SURF
now that they were always perfect.
Waiting and watching, hoping and feel
ing. | let the time slip by; and winter
came with its frost and snow, and old MI
Brodie told his stories by the fire instead
of in the porch; and the lanlplight fell or
/ NeIlies yellow hair, as she sat knitting
and making the prettiest picture you eVel
saw and / made up my mind to put my
fate to the test by Christmas, and dldfrt
You see when young fellow is in love he
{ loses courage. But one thing | vowed
Nellie should take a sleigh ride with me-
| Tom. Armstrong had said-l had heard
him-that he meant to drive the prettlest
cutter, the prettiest pair OF horses, ana
the prettiest girl in New Bridge. lie
meant Nellie by the prettiest girl. Ills
turnout might be what he chose, but Mel
lie should never go with him. She should
go with me.
The snow fell fast and by morning you
could see nothing for miles around but
great white drifts though the sky had
grown as clear as though it had been sum
mer. | called for Nellie in the afternoon,
and she was ready, and away we WENT
She looked charming, with her rosy cheeks
and bright eyes and sunny hair and L was
happier than ever | had been in'my life.
Going out Of the village we met Tom.
Armstrong, with his splendid cutter. He
looked daggers at us both-er at least L
thought so; and he went as | heard after
wards to invite Sue Nichol to ride with
him. As he drove out of sight, I made up
my mind to ask the question that would
settle everything on our way home.
Man proposes and Heaven disposes.-
Things happened that evening that l had
not thought of. We were going back in
the moonlight, when. | put my hand on
Nellie's and made her turn her eyes to-
ward me.
II had been trying to say something to
you for long WHILE" l said. "Perhaps
you guess what it is"
But before l could utter another word
my horses became frightened at some
thing, and away they went like mad things.
Nellie clung to me and screamed. / did
my est to stop them. They left the road
entirely and took their way across a field,
and striking against stump the snow had
hidden, the sleigh was overturned, and we
were thrown out together.
+ Was not hurt but NellielaY insensible.
RI lifted her in my arms and cl5sped her to
my. bosom, and begged her to open her
eyes and and one word to me. But She
was like one dead and in my terror | dared
not take her home. 1 carried her, Instead
to my sister, who frightened half out OF
her senses, came forth to meet me. She
took Nellie into an inner room and babe
me bring doctor and he WAS there soon.
[ spent an hour of agony, such as | had
never felt before; but at last Jennie came
to me, all smiles.
ssThere is no danger" she said. ''She
has come to herself; she only tainted from
fright. You haven't killed her, Or even
hurt her much, you foolish boy"
And | burst into tears Jennie bent
over me.
"But to think that she'd be SO sly" she
said "A gentleman portrait i'll her
III ,xrh;1 10 rof yrOrfi Of If
I'll punish her for it now"
And away she ran back to Nellie, but
my tears were all dried up and my heart
was gall. She was engaged to some one
else. this girl who was so dear to me. Some
one had been there before me, and she wore
his portrait next to her heart. Fool that
| was not to guess it.
| never asked whose portrait it Wa@
| Tom Armstrong; or Jack Mayden $, |
did not care When Nellie was we'll enough
| to 90, in the course Of an hour on two, |
drove her home and babe her goodbye.
/ [ said Il regret that | should have
been the means of alarming you so, Miss
| Brodie.''
And she looked up into my face with her
great blue eyes, and said, eli was 50 rool-
ish to faint away"
And | thought to myself, "what deceit
full creatures women are!' for the look
she gave 1ne was as sweet as if she had not
worn another mans portrait in her BOSOM
A week from that day [ went to New
| York, and sought out an old ship owner
who had been my fathers friend.
sI'm tired Of farming" | said. land
want to try the sea as I; common sailor
The old man would have laughed me out
| of the notion but when he found me firm
lie gave me what he coul d.
I went on buard vessel bound for Chi
ma. and wrote to sister Jennie, telling hel
I to send for Uncle William and his wife t.
manage the farm, which [ knew they
would be glad to do; but never told hel
where | was OF what had done. [ meant
YOU see to throw myself away, and b(
heard of no more by any one. Of course
I was mad, for the time that is the onl,
excuse for me.
So lead the sort of life sailor lead
/ -tOf d year Of'GWo. grew Ho Debltl lo
! it. and no happier. The other men hat
mostly some one at home-mother or sis
ter. wife OF sweetheart-to get a letter o
message from at times [, of nay own act
had no one. And all the while, at worl
or at mess, or in the hours when watcl
was kept on deck, I thought OF Nellie
saw her as she looked when she sat by he
fathers side in the summer moonlight
saw her with the freight on her goldel
hair, beside the winter hearth; saw he
smiling up at me as we Whifled throug
the snow drifts that last bright day, an
saw her as she lay like a dead thing in m
arms. And fancy painted other pictures
: I saw her as Tom Armstrong; wife.