Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-09-23

mering hair, long lashes, and delicately
rounded features.
'PardOn me" hoarsely uttered the Ma
| jor, with a little souvenir of his Old-fash-
iOned courtesy and pOliteness; "but ]
| don't know who you are"
"Hushp' said the young lady, gently.
| ''YOu must not talk. / am here 10 nurse
| YOU"
And he foand himself taking draught
| from her practiced fingers, and then drift
/ tel of to sleep.
| 81 have been very i'll, haven't II" said
| he, when the doctor came as usual.
'sYou have been close to the Valley Of
/ the Shadow more than once as man can
| be in this Iife,'' Dr. DelagOOd answered
gravely.
The Major shuddered a little-heathen
| sybarite as he was. The idea of death ap-
/ palled him, and he scarcely cared to hear
| how near he was TO the solution Of the
| great problem.
"But you pulled me through, said ne,
with a long breath.
eyes, / and your patient little nurse,
who has just gone for half an hour 5
| sleep"
"Who is she?" asked the Major, anx-
] iously.
"She is the niece of one of the lady
boarders. Martha [ think they call her.
Her aunt wentsesfs.s-as soon IS the fever
declared itself-in fact, it riddied the no.
tel pretty nearly-but this girl would not
allow any one to suffer for want of care
and nursing, 50 she cOurageously remain
ed TO take care of you"
.sWhy did she do that?" asked the Ma
jor, little lump rising in his throat.
siWhv did Florence Nightingale go out
to the Crimea? Why are all women
born heroines at heart! !"retorted the doc
tor.
"God bless her!p muttered the Major.
And then he turns his head 70 one side,
and a big drop or two splashes down on
Dav bv day he lay there in slow con-
valescenoe, while the pretty young nurse
administered to him
''My DEAR" said the Major one day,
'sI think | am beginning TO realize now
what the blessing Of daughter would
have been had GOD given me one. have
grown very fond of YOU"
The soft blue eyes beamed smiling down
upon him as he spoke.
-"And l of you" answered the girl in
tender accents.
care you much attached to your aunt?
Mrs. Fessenden, l believe her name
is.''
eyes" said the girl half doubtiully,
81 suppose so; never saw her before
she asked me to spend the season with
her at Atlantic City, last month"
as that all you have been with her?"
.sThen," !" said the Major, 81 shall ask
her to let me adopt you. VIII you be my
daughter henceforthF p
She threw her arms around his neck,
and sobbed upon his breast
"Do YOU really love me? Do you real
" want me?' Asked she.
81 am alone, my child, said the Ma
ior. "And you will be the sunshine Of
my house."
F'But you have SON."
eyes" answered the Major slightly
frowning. ''Poor Henry but me has es-
tranged himself from me-"
eyes. foreverr' (Sickness, you see,
had taken none of the inherent obstiuacy
out of our old herO's character.)
'Papa l'-she knelt beside the satin
piIIowed invalid chair, which had been
wheeled out into the sunshine on the
broad veranda-'I am to call you papa,
am nOt?"
cor course YOU are, dearest"
The Majors hand strokel down her
bright hair with tender touch, as ne
'gThen, papa, tell me why you are es-
tranged from him2"
Gle married in disregard to my wish
es," the Major sternly replied.
"UnpardOnable? See here, Mary, if
he had not made such on idiot of himself,
he might have been your husband. You
might have been my daughter in very
truth! Stranger things have happened"
"But that couldn't be.
"Why nOt?" demanded the Major.
Because ne is my husband already
J, papa dear dear father forgive me
: l am not Mary Martin, and yet am My
real name is Mary Ariel Martindale; and
Harry away at st. LOuis, is my husband.
only came here to stay with Aunt Fes-
sender, until he could make that little
home for us which we have both hoped
and dreamed Of Win you forgive us
both, papa, for my sake?"
81 suppose | shall have 10" said the
Major, in extreme bewilderment. kiss
me, dear. Upon the whole, Harry isn't
quite such fool as believed him to be /!
And you knew who l was all the while 2"
"Of course did"
"And you kept dark! SLY little puss !.
Well Mary-I mean, Ariel
eyes, papa"
Gwen telegraph TO Harry TO come
right back. There's only three of US.
/ Let's try and be happy together"
So, through Ariel's blue eyes and heay-
| en-sent face, Harry Martindale was dis
| inherited, and through her he was re-
! ceived back again into his inheritance.
Gown up, sir, that 1 knew what was
/ about said Harry, as he stood there
| with Ariel leaning on his arm.
'sYou dogin said the old gentleman,
/ facetiously poking him In the ribs,
you've got the prettiest little wife 60
ing" 1859 El