The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-12-08


fnement, being pale and withou
: appetite but he was always livel
and agreeable, and very soon Aun
Mary began to like him better thai
!, che could have ever believed would b
!. the case.
> She encouraged him to spend NOR
4 Of his leisure downstairs, and thus !
}. came to pass that very soon he begai
$ to employ all Of Il there. Sometime
} he acted little oddly but Nellie sale
r IL was the eccentricity of genius, which
: explanation her aunt accepted as salts
c factory. And so the time went on
: for Nellie glorious dream.
The periodical irruptions of John
Mortimer were the only disagreeable
phases, for John was jealous. Nellie
had been his Alliance for two years
an interval Of laborious pecuniary &C.
emulation on his part-and this con.
slant association with Mr.. Chelmont
was not relished by John. at all. He
hated the author and the author des-
pissed him.
Mr.. Chelmont soon made himself
known in all the families for ten miles
around. BY means of tact and address
he got up great many social gather
ings, and was the lion at all. He ap-
peared to forget all about the quiet and
retirement he had come to seek; for
he took Nellie to a ball or party two
or three rights each week. Time, as
she often said, Seemed to fly like the
wind.
One evening John Mortimer's jeal-
ousy reached a crisis. He brought
Miss Jennie Bell to a party where Mel
lie was to be with her usual attendant,
hoping to irritate his betrothed into
some decided action. He succeeded ; !
but in very unexpected manner, for
Nellie, with contemptuous laugh,
said:
John, you are only making goose
of yourself. don't care pin whom
you dirt with"
He saw that she was speaking truth,
and the next minute, with rare dignity,
replied:
"Nellie, you are right. have been
playing the fool, it is true. l love
you-God knows / do-better than
my life; but you care no longer for
me. Something tells me to warn you
against that man; but | shall not
trou lie you with my udvice, except
to take proper care of yourself"
That very same night, coming home,
Mr.. Chelmont declared his passion, laid
his heart and fortune such as it was
Che did not know how much, he said
at Miss Tyrrelrs feet. She accepted
him, and it was the bappiest hour of
her life.
A title while afterward Mr.. Chel-
mont's book was finished. He an
nounced that he was obliged to go to
town to put it to press.
mo end of bore. my darling" he
remarked to poor Nellie, pale and cry
ing; "but such things are memorable
as fate. / shall return as soon as /
can, and you may expect letter from
me every day."
The next morning the train bore
him away, and as he passed Chestnut
Farm in the train, he waived his hand
kerchief from the windew; and, for
the first time, Nellie felt an interest in
the cars that so regularly sped by to
and from the city A.
Then came the old dead blank again.
To Nellie the reaction was terrible.
There were no more parties, no delicious
ove-making, nothing but dead calm.
Mr.. Chelmont did not write so regu-
arly as he had promised, nor were his
etters very long. He said that bust
less took up nearly all his time, but
'oon he hoped for better things; and
his, with many ardent protestatiOrs of
owe, was the burden of all his cores
John Mortimer came to the farm ,
but Nellie was very cool to
lin, and he seemed almost as misera- ,
de as herself.
After some weeks he unexpectedly
topped on his way from the village
With letter. Nellie recognized the q
handwriting, and tore it open with
'eating heart. II read thus:
"MY DARLISG.-Look for me every !
lay. This is the last word you shall
ave from me until we are face to face. '
L." $
She watched as patiently as the I'M 4
Apply Mariana in her moated grange. '
When he came he would take her I
way fiom this horrible place, and v
hey would be married, and she would .
ever set eyes upon the scenes of her C
again. She counted the .
cry minutes. n
But after many more tiresome days |
he torture OF delay grew uncomfortable. C
pring had come, and all nature was a
'vely as ii rose out of the winters p
- i 4.