Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-12-10
her album, but ! thought If I look

l am not sure now they are always
perfect. - n9 .s -,
Waiting ana watching, hoping and
fearing, Iiet the time slip by; and win
ter came with its frost aud snow, sn d
old Mr.. Brodle told his stories by the
FIRE instead of IN the porch; aud the
lamplight fell on Nellie's yellow hair as
she sat knitting, making the prettiest
picture you ever saw; and maed up
my mind to put my fate to the test bea
fore Christmas aud didn't. Yeu see
when young fellow is ia love be loses
courage. =. But one thing Vowed Mel
lie should take a sleigh ride with me.
Tom Armstrong had said had
he ard him-that be meant to drive the
prettiest cutter, the prettiest pair of
horses, and the prettiest girl at New
Bridge. He meant Nellie by the
prsttiest girl. His turnout might be
what he chose, but Nellie should never
90 with him. She should 60 with me.
The snow fell fast; and by morning
you could see nothing for miles bat
great white drifts, through the sky had
grown as clear as though It mad been
summer. I called for Nellie in the
afternoon and she was ready, and away
we went. She looked charming, with
her rosy cheeks aud bright eyes and
her sunny hair; l was happier than ]
had ever been in my life. ,i
Going out of the village we met Tom
Armstrong with his splendid cutter.
He looked daggers at us bcth--or at
least l thought so-and be went, as
heard after wsrds, to invite Sue Nicol
to ride with him. Az he drove out o.
sight l made up my mind to ask the
question that would settle everything
on our ~'ay home. .5...a .la..-
"Man proposes aud Heaven disposrs.
Things happened that evening that |
had not thought OF. We were going
back in the moonlight, when put my
hand on Nellie's and made her turn her
eyes towards me- ..t.
Il have been trying to say something
to you for a long WHILE, l said; "per
haps you guess what it is"
Bat before | could utter another
word, my horses became frightened ct
something and away they went like
mad things Nellie chung to me and
screamed ] did nay best to atop ihc'n.
They left the road entirely 2aa took
their way across field, aud striking
against a stump the snow had hidden,
the sleigh was overturned and we were
thrown out together.
was not hurt, but Nellie lay in
sensible. lifted her in my arms and
clasped her to nay bosom, and begged
her to open her eyes and to speak one
word to me. But shs was Ike one
dead, and in my terror l dared not
take her home. / carried her iastsad,
10 MY sister, who, frightened half oat of
her senses, cs:ae forth to meet RTE. She
took Nellie into an ificer room and babe
me bring a doctor; and he was there
soon. 34 .ns
] spent an hour of agony, such IS l
had never felt before; but at last Jennie
came to NE, all smiles. !4 /
s'rhere is DO danger" she said '.She
has come to herself, she only f.inted
frosl fright You haven: killed her CT
even 'nurt her much, you foolish boy
And / bursted into tears. Jennie
bent over me. III ~ ''
4 ''i3ut to think that she should be SO
sly" she said "a gentlemans por-
trait in her bosom all the while and not
word 10 me of iii III punish her Tor
it now. no t-l
Aud away she ran back to Nellie;
blu, my tesfs were ell dried up, my
heart was gall She wac engaged to
some one else this girl who was 50
dear to me. Some one had been before
me, aud she wore his portrait next to
her heart Fool that ] was not to
guess i'll a7aq iH0 eao
never saw whose portrait it was
Tom Armstrong; or Jack Mayaens l
did not care. When Nellie was well
enough to go, in the course of an hour
or two, drove her home and babe her
good bye. I said :-"I regret that
should have been the means of alarming
you 40, Miss Brodie
And she looked up into my face with
her great bite eyes, and said, alt was
not your fault; you could .uot help it.
1t was so foolish to faint away.
And ! thought to myself "what de-
ceitful creatures women arel' For the
look she gave me was as sweet a. though
she had not worn another mans portrait
in her bosom. -
A week from that day went to New
York, aud sought out an old ship own
er who had been my fathers friend.
dim tired Of farming, said, "and
want to try the sea as a common sail
or" SGD S-f si&a9 ~
The old man would have laughed me
out Of the notion; bat when he found
mo frm he gave me what help he could.
went on board vessel bound for
=