Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-05-29

doctors brOadcloth.
DIR. Gray was young, handsome, not de-
ficient in brains, with pOcketmoney enough
to prevent him from being tragically earn
est in his profession, and very much in
love with the coquettish bit of womanhood
by his side. As for Nancy, she was a little
afraid of the gray eyes that could be quiz
zical as well as admring, and of the smile
that sometimes curled the corners of the
black mustache. But Nancy was minus a
lover Just then, the doctor was ''catch, I"
and so she laughed and chartered as the
bay horse trotted along.
The farmhouse came in sight too soon,
and the doctor stopped midway in speech
to inquire,
won't you take longer ride? It's
such beautiful afternoon ~
Nancy demurred, as in duty bound.
"I-don't know. guess it must De
most tea-time.''
The doctor laughed, and held his watch
before her. 1t was precisely four.
''Oh, well, then" began Nancy, some
what confused. ''But aren't these your
office hours ?''
'Confound my office hours !" comment
ed the doctor to himself Aloud he said,
''I'm sometimes obliged to break through
my Office hours. I'm going now to see
"a patient on the outskirts of the town. -
So they drove on.
The patient could hardly have been in
/ critical state. The doctor leaning back
in the carriage. let the reins lie loosely on
the horse's back as they paced slowly
! through shady wood roads smelling of
pines, while the warm breeze fluttered light
curls across Nancy's arch black eyes, and
the blue silk parasol had to be held up to
keep the sun from her rosebud of face.
The doctor had a lurking fear that Nancy
was rustic and ignorant, but an ! 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 uncer-
tain, if Nancy had not sent mischievons
glance straight into the gray eyes, and IN
quired,
"Why, where does that patient Of yours
( live 20
( The doctor laughed frankly, coloring
nevertheless.
/ II see you understand the ways that are
dark and the tricks that are vain pretty
well, Miss Nancy. And now don't care
to tell you what was going to before you
spoke"
"What was it ?" queried Nancy, curious
and conscious.
at was" said the Doctor, bending his
own face closer to the curlshaded one at
his side, 'that 1 wish l had the right to
keep you with me always. Miss Nancy,
will you look at me-will you let me ?''
1t was well that the doctor did not guess
why, amidst Nancy's bright bushes, her
/ lip quivered and her eyes filed with tears
She had made up her mind to accept the
doctor, but in this decisive moment the
thought Of John Armitage sent pang.
cruel in intensity, through her heart. Then
came the memory of their yesterdays
quarrel, and Nancy faltered, with strug
Cling 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 blessing.
"Dear me-" said the good farmer, rub
biDg his eyes. 1.-TWO sech pieces of news
in one days GURUS hereabouts. l heerd
only an hour sence that Johnnie Armitage
is a-goin' to Texas to farm on his own ac-
count. l sorter thought, too, It he an
Nancy fancied each other, but here she's
wantin' to marry another man. It's
GURUS ~
Nancy had taken her hand from the
doctors arm and had sat down in the win
dow. She heard, mis:ily, comments and
congratulations she answered questions,
laughed at Jokes. She walked down to the
gate with the doctor when he left. and
stood there under the lilacs, his arm about
her, replying to his tender talk but when
he was gone, leaving farewell kiss on her
lips, she rushed up stairs and threw herself
on the bed in a perfect agony of sObbing
that she could hardly stife in the pillow.
The story of the next week is hackneyed.
Such happenings are too common. Nancy
came and went like the ghost of herself,
but the whole village was gossipping over
her engagement, and her evidences of
trouble were ascrbed to the "queerness of
girl just engaged" Little tired Mrs.
| Armitage ran over across the lots one after
noon to tell the Evanses that John was
going on Monday, and she guessed he
would manage to get over and bid them
goodbye; and cried because her pet son
was going away, and was cool and sharp
to Nancy, evidently suspectins that she
was the cause.
Perhaps light natures suffer most over
whelmingly. Often in those beautiful June
days Nancy, all alone in some shadowy
grassy place, with sunbeams shimmering
above, would wander in 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 doc
tor caught a glimpse of the well-known
figure at the gate under the lilacs again.
For moment the room whirled around,
and she was deathly white; then she rose
mechanically, saying she must bid Mr.. Ar
mitage good-by, and went out to the door
way, where John was greeting her parents,
and warding off the Newfoundland with a
laugh.
"Yes," he was replying as Nancy came