Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-22
slways--Miss Nancy, will you look at me-wi

amidst Nancy's bright bushes, her lips ouivercd
anu her eyes filled with tears. She had made mn
ner MIND to accept the Doctor, but in that decis.
I've moment the thought of John Armitaos ssnt !,
pang, cruel In intensity, through her beort Tha,'
came the memory of their yesterdays ouarrei
| smile. ' Struggling
IL don't know"
sue did know, when in the late tvilgbt sha
and the Doctor walked together into the dn.tv
slisg room at home, where her father was do2
ing ana her mother knitting, to ask their consent
and their blessing "'
dear me-" said the farmer rubbing his ewes.
Two such pieces ofnews in Que day a c1r'us hers'
aoouts' heard on'y an hour sence that ,Johnnis
Armitage s a.goin' to Texas to farm on his own
account. sorter thought, too t he an Nancy
n.,eu ,u each otner, but hear she watin to marry
| another. It's Gurus !"
Nancy had taken her hand from the doctors
arm anu mad sat down in the window. She heard
mistiy, comments and congratulations. she an
s~erea questions, laughed at jokes. She walked
uown 10 ,ne gate with the doctor when he left,
ana $1,000 there under the lilacs his aI about her
replying to his tender talk; but when he was pone
'eavihg farewell Kiss on her lips she rushed up
stairs and threw herself on the bed in n ne, fer,
agony of sobbing that she could hardly stise in the
pillow. '' '''Ae III 'u'
The story of the next week is hackneyed. such
happenings are too common. Nancy came and
went hke the ghost OF herself, but the whole vii.
iage was gossiping over her engagement, and her
evidences OF trouble were ascribed to the "queer
ness OF a girl just engaged" Little tired Mrs
Armtage ran over across lots one afternoon 10
| tell the Evanses that John was going Mondav
and sue guessed he would manage to get over and
bid them goodbye aud cried because her net
son was going away, and was cool ana sharp to
Nancy evidently. .suspec ting that she was the
cause.
Perhaps light natures suffer most overyhelm
ingly. Often in those beautiful June days, Nancy
al alone IN some shadowy grassy place with sun
beams shimmerng above, would wonder in dim,
| childish way if she could not =" die when John
| went away" Only one hope was left John was
coming to say goodbye. Oh, it she could only
let him know how it really was But how could
| cher and she would:look down despairingly at the
| little gold crcet on her finger
Sunday afternoon John finally came Nancv
sitting in the parior with the doctor, caught n
glimpse oil the well-known figure under the Iilacs
again. For moment the room whirled around
| and she was deathly white then she rose mschan.
icaiy, saying she must bid Mr.Armitage goodbye,
| and went out to the doorway, where John was
greeting her parents. and wardins off the New
foundland with a laugh.
"fes he was replying as Nancy came up,
Ihey say there is pretty good chance: out
there for young fellow with health and en-
ergy-HoW do you do Miss Nancy?-and I've
always been enterprising; so l mean to try
il" -
politics., and prospects She could not have
spoken for her life though she longed to speak
as a condemned criminal longs 10 ask mercy.
Not once did John turn his obstinate auburn
head to look at or speak to her, and at last he
rose to go. He interrupted himself. while de-
failing particulars about grazing lands TO say
goodbye" while he just touched her hand
II he had looked at her the miserable pathetic
look of appeal on her childish face would have
gone straight to his hearth but he did not dare to
look and turning away abruptly, walked
down the garden path with the garrulous far
mer hObblinQ by his side.
Nancy had Just time to escape her mother )
| eye by running up the stairs. She did hot
| faint but God forbid that girls should often
know such misery as she suffered them When
she at last Joined the doctor, as in duty bound
1.-THE stunned look In her face was pltiful. She
"was not well 'she said, in answer to his alarm
ed queries.
1t was Nancy who proposed that they should
go TO church that evening: In the corner oil
1.-The high old pew, with the veil hiding, heI
face she could at least be quiet ard one houi
! more of effort would have been insupportable
Mrs. Amitage was alone in her pew, and criet
+ silently all through the service. Nancy 8 near
40 went out to the poor woman that, WheI
, thew met in the aisle she pressed her hand lm
: pulsively saying in quick whisper "hrs
Armltage, I'm so sorry for youl'
| II don't want any of your SORROW" was TIT
: sharp response. ATS fine to talk; but yol
and know well enough who's the cause o
1t all. One word from You would stop IL nov
IL
: Poor Nancy The clock was on the strok
9 of eleven that night when her lover finall
took his leave, and she was free to pace IN
It moon-lit sitting room from end to end Wit
It set lips and gllttering eyes. She did not cry
i she felt as II she was going crazy, and In he
b Idesperation she did not care II she did. Hou
J. after hour passed, and still she paced Their
q I'M her rigid face showed whitley in the fir:
10 faint gray of morning. "Oh, would he go
!. !. could he go? would nothing happen to sto
= hlm?" Scarcely knowing what she was doin
a Nancy slipped through the door, hatless, an
ie trailing her dainty blue dress through the dew
grass. ran across lots TO The Armitages.
=, II was still dark and dewy. She heard Il
village clock strike three as she paused on Il
:. outstirts of the oldfashioned flower-garden b
hind the house, and shrunk behind the hedge
blossomy lilaes, whose potent odor sckened h'
st Her mind was in whirl. She did not kno
Why she was there. or what she would do. 3
re was 10 dread fear lest some one shouid discov
her vet she could not go away. For hall
ss hour she crouched there shiveringly never 10
inc her ewes off Johns window, but starting (
he ery time the curtain blew. Suddenly step
,e the garden path started her so violently that
Ice scarcely could suppress a scream.
ng Twas probably some OF the work-people-'
we n ,hey should see her A hasty peep throu
the bushes showed her that it was worse th
cal that /: il was John himself, str:ding toward
-, gap ia the hedge, and wearing most unpro
,as Iious face Nancy, in blind terror OF discove
sr' cravled Oh her hands and knees close under
md liiacs. He had passed, he was almost by VT
sen hird that Nancy had disturbed flew out "
tor ioud ohirnines. one end of the loosen blue 8
ig. had caught on stiff bough, and the color
rested his eve. Two strides brought him to
'ily spot. and he stood with folded arms look
oW down at her moment before his amszem
OH, found vent in the exclamation:
Massey ~
cyl He had never seen such utter abandon and
title ouy of shame as that with which The poor Ii
maiden hid her face and covered In the