The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-03-01

and do not fear it, and / am handy with
such peopie.n
"Bnt, ny dear, you've no idea what
Iyou are undertaking."
eyes, i have" ans swered the soft, low
Itones; land we musS not let him die TOR
went Of proper care? $50
1 "Is your aunt wiIlingW
| "Quite so."
ssihen you may try; but, take my word
for ft, yyu'H back down at tie end or
the. first week., ...s.
| Major N Martindale heard these werds
ispoken, As it were, out Of the clouds, as
| he might have heard the thunder OF the
| waves on the beach outside, or the ring.
ing OF the Church bells, withouJ at all
iconnecting them with himseff. Strange
what q world Of dreams and shadows
| his soul aud brain had entered into.
But one day he came back out OF the
darkness and the immensely and the
4 resUless whirling to and frO oi the waves
Of life, weak and white, and helpless as
d baby.
| And there, sewing by the window, sat
d solt-eyed young glrl, all In white, with
lglimmering hair, long lashes, ana DELI
cately rounded feature. ..u...., ~.
"Pardon me-" hoarsefy uttered the
Major, with little soa0eair OF has Q d.
fasnloned courtesy ana ponteness; "but
l don't know who you are"
"Hush!v said the young lady, gently:
"You must not talk. am here TO nurse
H. And then he found himself taking q
ldraught from her practiced fingers, aud
then drifting off asleep.
81 have been very iii, haven't n" said
he, when the doctor came at noon, as
4 usual.
aYou nave been as close to the Valley
of the Shadow more than once as man
can be in this iife," DR.. Delaguod an
The Major sauddered little-heathen-
jish old Sybarite as he was. The idea OF
death APPALLED, him, and he scarcely
cared to hear how near he had been to
the solution Of the great problem.
"But you pulled me through" said he,
with long BREATH.
ayes, and yodr patient little nurse,
who has just gone Tor half an hours
sleep"
/ aWho is she, DOCTOR" asked the ma
aShe il TIE niecesof one Of the lady
boarders. Martin, think they call her.
Her aunt weht away as soon as the fever
declared itseH-in fact; 1t riddled the
hotel pretty nearly--but this girl would
not allow any one to suffer fur want Of
1 care duu ndloAhSs oO chS NOhAo6SNN"AJ
remained to take care OF you."
| isWhy did she do that" asked the
major, a little lump rising in his throat.
| .Why did Florence Nightingale go out
to the Crimea? Why are all women
born heroines at heartw retorted the
doctor.
"God bless herw muttered the major.
And then he turned his head on one
Iside, and q big drop or two plashed down
ON the pillow.
valescedce, while the pretty young nurse
ministered to him.
s.My DEAR" said the major, one day,
''I think L am beginning to realize now
what the blessing of a daughter would
have been had God given me one. have
grown very fond OF you.s
The soft blue eyes beamed smilingly
down upon him as he spoke.
sand / OF yon." answered the girl in
low, tender accents.
| .sAre you much attached to your aunt
Mrs. Fessenden believe her name is ~
! ayes" said the girl, half doubtfully, 81
suppose SO; 4 never saw her before she
i asked me to spend the season With her at
Atlantic City last mOath.N tt
/ "Is that.alllyou nave seen efherw
sThat's ALL" a. ..t.
! "Then," said the major, 81 shall ask
her to let me adopt you. WIN you be my
j daughter henceforth"
| She threw-her arms around his neck,
| and sobbed upon his breast.
"Do you really love me? Do you really
want me r. asked she. st
IL am all alone, my child,n said thema
jor. sand you will be the sunshine OF my
4 house,"
"But you have,a son9"
4 "Yes," answered the major, slightly
frowning. ''Poor Henryi But he has
lestranged himself from me-"
"ForeverW l.p
"Yes, forexerw (Siekness, you see,
4 had taken none of the inherent o bstinacy
out of our old hero's .charaeter.)a
"Papa v-she knelt beside the satin
i pilloWed invalid chair, which had been
broad yeranda---'I am to call you papa,
am notp"
"Of course you are, dearest" ,..,
l. The Majors hand stroked down her
bright HAIR with a tender touch as lie
spoke.
"Tnen, papa, tell me why you are es-
\ tranged frcHs himf" ~ ..sa4.s
she married in disregard OF my
Wishes" the Major sternly ans wered,
sis that such an unpardonable
\ crime?"
sPpO AELc3 IMdEys IL
The had not made such q fool. such an
| idiot OF himself he might have been your
husband. You might nave been then
| my daughter in very truthl Stranger
things have happened."
4 "But that couldn't be-"
"Wby pot?, demanded the Major.
| "Becatse he Is my husband already!
Oh, papa, dear, dear father!-I ain not
Mary Martin, and yet l ami Ny real
name is Mary Ariel Martindale; and
Harry. away at st. Louis, IL my hus-
band. only came here to stay with
Aunt Fessenden until be couid make
that little home for us W hich we had both
hoped and dreamed OF. Will you forgive
us both, papa, for my sake ~
| 81 suppvse shall have Il" said the
Major, in extreme bewilderment. "Kiss
me, dear. Upon the whole, Harry isn't
such fool as believed him to be! And
you knew who was all the whiIeW
"Of course did," . ~ -. !
Sand you kept it dark2 Sly little.
Ipussi Well, Mary-I mean Ariel"
eyes, papa"
l. ,ssWe'll' telegraph to Henry to COME
right, back, There's only three of us.
LET'S try and be happy tOgether.D N