The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-05-28

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 garrulous old
farmer hobbling by his side. 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
suffered then When she at last Joined
the doctor, as in duty bound, the stunned
look in her face was pitiful. She &C. was
not WE'LL" she said, in answer to his
alarmed queries.
II was Nancy who proposed that they
should go to church that evening. In
the corner of the high old pew, with
her veil hiding her face, she could at
least be quiet, and one hour more of
effort would have been insupportable.
Mrs. Armitage was alone in her pew,
and cried silently all through the SER
vice. Nancy's heart SO went out to the
poor woman that, when they. met in
the aisle, she pressed her hand i'm
pulsively, saying in a quick whisper,
Mrs. Armitage, I'm sorry for you p
"I don't want any of your sorrow y
was the sharp response. "Its fine to
talk but you and know well enough
who's the cause of all. One word from
you would stop it now if you were
sorry enoughl"
Poor Nancy The clock was on the
stroke of eleven that night when her
lover finally took his leave, and she was
free to pace the moon-lit sitting room
from end to end with set lips and wide,
glittering eyes. She did not cry. She
felt as if she were going crazy, and in
her desperation she did not care if she
did. Hour after hour passed, and still
she paced there, till her rigid face
showed whitley in the first faint gray
of morning. ooh, aDould he go
could he go? would nothing happen to
stop him? Scarcely knowing what she
was doing, Nancy slipped through the
door, and hatless, trailing her dainty
blue skirt through the dewy grass, ran
across lots to the Armitages'.
1t was all still and dark and dewy.
She heard the village clock strike three
as she paused on the outskirts of the
old-fashioned flower garden behind the
house, and shrunk behind q hedge of
blossomy lilacs, whose potent odor sick
Cned her. Her mind was in whirl
She did not know why she was there,
or what she should do. She was in
deadly fear lest some one should dis
cover her, yet she could not go away.
| For half an hour she crouched there
shiveringly, never taking her eyes off
Johns window, but starting every time
the curtain blew. Suddenly O step on
the garden path startled her so violent
ly that she scarcely could suppress a
scream. 1t was probably some of the
work-people-oh, if they should SEQ
her A hasty peep through the bushes
showed her that it was worse than that;
it was John himself, striding straight
toward the gap in the hedge, and wear
ing most unpropitious face. Nancy,
in blind terror of discovery, crawled on
her hands and knees close under the
lilacs. He had passed, he was almost
by, when bird that Nancy had dis
turbed flew out with loud chirpings.
One end of the loosened blue sash had
caught on a stiff bough, and the color
| him to the spot, and he stood with fold
ed arms looking down at her a moment
before his amazement found vent in the
exclamation,
"Nancy |"
He had never seen such utter aban-
don and agony of shame as that with
which the poor little maiden hid her
face and covered in the wet grass, with
the cry,
"Oh, what shall do? Don't speak
to me Go away !" and burst into o
storm OF tears.
For answer he gathered the little wet
| figure in his arms, smoothed the tum-
bled curls, tried to warm the icy hands,
and did not dare to question, while he
soothed her in his tenderest way.
"Take me home," said Nancy, as
soon as she found strength to speak at
all.
"I shall do no such thing" was the
decided answer, as Johns disengaged
hand lifted her face SO that he could
see it, "till you tell me why you came.
Nancy, I couldn't help hoping a little
when saw you here. Don't make me
give it up ! I thought my pride would
support me through any thing, but I'm
afraid it won't" he ended sadly.
"I'm SO glad it WON'T" breathed
Nancy, in tones of heartfelt relief.
"But somebody II see us. Take me
home, John, and I'll tell you all about
it,"
How different seemed the way home,
with John at her side. But Nancy was
in no hurry to "tell all about it. She
only said, nerviously, holding Johns
hand in both hers,
Promise me you won't go away !"
"Ah, but 1 want another promise
first"
Nancy looked back at the plumy
hedge whose shelter they had left, and
said, with half smile, You see the
lilacs aren't out of bloom yet, John !;
and I am-sorry, as you said I'd be !"
"And the doctor ?" asks the critical
reader. All, Nancy is no model of
Christian maidenhood. She is only
faulty young girl, erring and loving and
suffering, playing her part in one of the
tragedies that are played every where
in the springs and autumns, in the
time of snow-drifts as we'll as in the
time of lilacs.
A Terrible Situation.