The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-01-07


your office hours ?"
"Confound my office hours" com
mented the doctor to himself. Alout
he said: "I'm sometimes obliged tt
break through my Office hours. In
going now to see a-patient on the out
skirts of the town." So they drove on
The "patient" could not have beer
in critical state. The doctor leaning
back in the carriage, let the reins liz
loosely on the horses back as they
passed slowly through shady wood
roads smelling of pines, while the warm
breezes futtered light curls across
Nancy's arch black eyes and blue silk
parasol had to be held mp to keep the
sun from her rosebud of face. The
doctor had a lurking fear that Nancy
was rustic and ignorant, but ah she
was 80 pretty
How far they rode in this lazy way,
wholly wrapt in conversation, is not
known. How far they would have rid.
den is not certain, if Nancy had not
sent mischievous glance straight into
the gray eyes, and inquired :
"Why, where does that patient Of
yours live %
The Goctor laughed frankly, coloripe
nevertheless.
"I see you understand the wa {
that are dark and the tricks that ore
vain, pretty well, Miss Nancy. And now
I don't dare to tell you what I was 60
ing to before you spoke"
"What was it?" queried Nancy, en-.
rious and conscious.
"It was," said the doctor, bending
his own face closer to the curl shaded
one ut bis side, "that I wish T had the
right to keep you with me always. Miss
Nancy, well, look ct me--will you let
mep'
1t was well that the doctor did not
guess why, amid Nancy's bright bIushes.
her lips Guivered and her eyes tilled
with tears. She had made up her mind
10 accept the doctor, but in this decisive
moment the thought OF John Armitage
sent a pang, crue! in intensity through
her heart. Then came the memory of
their yesterdays quarrel, and Nancy
faltered with struggling smile.
ell don't know"
She did know, when in the late twi.
light she and the doctor walked to-
gether into the dusky sittipg.ro0m al
home, where her father was doing ana
hor mother knitting, to ask their con.
sent and their blessing.
"Dear me-" aaid the good father,
rubbing his eyes. "Two such pieces Of
news in one day'a Gurus hereabouts. ]
heerd on'y an hour since that Johnnie
Armitage is goin' to Texas to farm on
his own account. Isorter thought, too,
t he an Nancy fancied each other, but
here she's wantin' to mary another. It's
curue."
Nancy had taken her hand from tho
doctors arm and had sat down in the
window. She heard mistily comments
and congratulations, laughed at jokes
She walked down to the gate with the
doctor when he left and stood there I'M
der the liIacs, his arm about her, re-.
plying to his tender talk but when he
was gone, leaving farewell kiss on her
lips, she rushed upstairs and threw
herself on the bed ia a perfect agony
of sobbing that she could hardly stjGe
in the pillow.
The story OF the next week is hack
neyeG. Such happenings arc too COM
mon. Nancy came and went like the
ghost OF herself, bnt the whole village
was gossipping over her engagement,
and her evidences of trouble were
ascribed to the "queerness of girl
Just engaged" Little tired Mrs. Armi-
tage ran over across lots one afternoon
TO tell the Eyanses that John was going
on Monday, and she guessed he would
manage TO get over and bid them good.
bye and cried because her pet son was
going away, and was cool and sharp to
Nancy, evidently suspecting that she
was the cause.
Perhaps light natures suffer most
overwhelmingly. Often in these beau
iiful june days Nancy, all alone in some
grassy place, with sun
beams shinmering above, would Won
der in a dim, childish way if she should
not "die when John went" Only one
hope was left. John was coming to say
good bye. Oh, if she could only Let
him know how it really was But how
could she? md she would look down
at the little gold circlet On
her finger.
Sunday afternoon John finally came.
Nancy, sitting in the parlor with the
doctor, caught glimpse of the we'll
known figure ut the gate under the l.
lacs again. For a few moments the
room whirled around and she was
3eathly white, then she rose mechan-
ically, saying she must bid Mr.. Armi.
tage good bye, and she went out to the
doorway, where John was greeting with
her parents and warding of the New.
ioundiand with laugh.
"Yes," he was replying, a. Nancy
came up, "tbey say there is n pretty
good chance out there for a young fel
low with health and cnergy-how do
you do, Miss Nancy ?-and I've always
been enterprising, 20 me an to try it, J."
Nancy stood pulling the rose vines to
prices, while for an hour the others
talked crops, politics and prospects.
She could not have spoken for her life,
though she longed to speak as a CON
demned criminal longs to ask for mercy.
Not once di': John turn his obstinate
auburn head to look at or spe.k to her,
aud at last lie rose to go. He inter
rupted himself while detailing partic
lars about grazing lands, to say good
bye while he just touched her hand. II
he had looked at her, the miserable,
pathetic look Of appeal would have
gone straight TO his heart, but he did
not dare to look, and turning away alb
ruptly, walked down the garden path
with tho garrulous farmer hobbling by
his side.
Nancy had Just time to escape her
moth r. aye by running up the stairs.
she dill mol flint but God forbid that
girls shoulI often know such misery rs
sLp suff,.fpd then. When she at last