Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-11-23
your leisure time.'%

euo AAAuAOco VI lulS SlClOuuCLlOu 10
her new life, and from these few
words conversation was easily OPEN
ed.
Mrs. Green was interested in the
journey Nesta described with the vi.
vacity and freshness of a young travel
er; and from this topic they easily
passed to others, till both were sur.
prised to hear the mantel-clock strik.
ing nine.
$50 late - the old lady cried. "You
must be quite tired out, Miss Hay. I
will not keep you up one moment long.
r: Ring the bell at your hand, and
Martha will show you to your room.
Goodnight she added, a moment
later, when the nurse appeared, 81
hope you will rest well. l am sure we
shall be good friends, my DEAR
"Good-night, said Nesta, ''and
thank you from my heart for Your
kind reception"
Before a week had passed, Mrs.
Green found herself wondering how
she had endured her blank, life before
Nesta came.
1t was characteristic of Ernestine
Hay that whatever she undertook she
performed with all her heart. Ruth
used to say that ':Nesta made pin.
cushion as if it was the only pin.clsll.
ion in the world, and the fate of the
nation hung upon the stitches 1t
was the same in all her studies and all
her pleasures. She had loved Ray.
mond Bancroft with her whole heart,
and many sleepless nights she spent
| still thinking of him. But having
promised his mother to give him up,
she carried out her promise in the
| spirit as in the letter, and gave him
no token of her whereabouts. So hav.
ing undertaken to be Mrs. Elizabeth
Green's companion, she threw her
! heart into her work. She meant to
faithfully earn her salary at first, but
after the hours of kindly intercourse
that greeted her coming, the salary be.
came quite secondary consideration
in her desire to brighten the life of
the gentle old lady who was so kind to
her.
Martha allowed no interference in
the actual nursing duties required with
painful frequency. But Mrs. Green
had restful sense of loving watchful.
ness when Nesta's hand fell gently up.
on her forehead, or Nesta's gentle
voice spoke words of sympathy.
| When she was better, Nesta divided
the day into succession of interests
suited to her employers feeble health
and intellectual tastes. The morning
walks in the wide, beautiful garden.
the short afternoon drive in low car
riage, behind a fat old pony, the even
ing hours where Nesta's great must
cal proficiency made the time fly upon
swiftest wings, the time devoted to
reading, to quiet battles on the back
CANNON board, to discussing woods or
silks for embroidery, all were invested
with the spirit of affection that made
their recurrence pleasure, where
they had long been a WEAKNESS. 1t
was no atfectation, no sycophancy
that made Nesta find pleasurable in
terest in varying this monotonous
existence by every means in her pow.
err.
She suggested fernery, and walks
and drives took a new pleasure when
she haunted shady hooks for new spec.
linens of feathery leaves to carry home
She taught Mrs. Green new stitches
for her fancy work, and was truly
pleased when wonderfully pretty
things sprang into existence under
their busy fingers. Above all, Mrs.
Green found her 4 true. tender dis
penser Of her numerous charities, care.
fully judicious in the cases she found
out in the village, conscientiously ex.
act in her accounts of the large sums
entrusted to her for distribution. 1t
was not wonderful that before the
summer was over these two were uni
ted by strong bonds of mutual love and
respect.
September had come, and one morn
ing, when Nesta was arranging some
late flowers in Mrs. Green's room, the
servant entered with the letters. 1t had
never been the companions duty tC
open her employer letters, though she
often answered them, and she contin.
ued her task Of grouping the flowers in
vases with artistic SKILL. Soon Mrs
Green's voice reused her from a sort
of dreamy reverie, brought on by the
silence.
''Nesta, DEAR she said, ''did you
ever know family named Fair.
thOrne?''
Eyes, ma ann
:'There was an adopted daughter
| ''1es, ma am.
"Did you know herr Ihave alettel
here mentioning her. but not telling
her true name."
s'Her name was Ernestine Hay
said Nesta. in low tone.
''You! Are you Mr.. Farithorne' {
adopted daughter. that he so wrong
fully left pennies p
II am his adopted daughter, but he
never wronged me, Mrs. Green. lie
was my true. kind father while he
lived, and his death was 30 sudden he
had no time to make the provision fol
me shall always think he intended
He dropped dead in the street with
heart disease
''But why have you not told me of
this before!" demanded Mrs. Green.
II did not think you cared to know
1 had no desire to conceal the TRUTH
| Many more questions Mrs. Green
asked, so delicately and kindly that
Ernestine scarcely knew how it was
she opened heart fully, and told her
old friend her love story, her tears
| 1eSAAAAEs AdSV do 0AO SpOAO VI Ndy llOJ1u,
though she did not call his name.
Mrs. Green patted the bent head soft.
ly, her voice very tender as she said :
"Poor child. You have your troubles
early. May Heaven send you brighter
days soon.'
| 1t was a week later, when Nesta,
coming in from a long solitary walk,
found Mrs. Green in the sitting room,
in strange state of excitement.
''Nesta," she cried rs the young girl
passed the door on her way to her own
room, sscome in here"
Throwing off her hat Nesta obeyed.
"Tell me, Nesta,' the old lady said,
taking both her hands in loving
clasp, sam hard-hearted, proud, and
misery, wrapped up in wealth, and
naughty because of my ancestors g
81 have found you ever kind and
gentle,' Nesta said, wonderingly.
cam a woman, do you think, who,
1Ovinp two vOunr NnOnlo with all my,