The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-02-18

| came with its frosts and snow, and old
/ Mr.. Brodie told his stories by the fire in-
| stead of on the porch and the lamp light
| fell on Nellie's yellow hair, she sat
knitting, making the prettiest picture you
ever saw and made up my mind to put
| my fate to the test before Christmas but
didn't. You see when a young fellow is
in love he loses courage. But one thing l
vowed-Nelie should take n sleigh ride
| with me.
| Tom Armstrong had said-I had heard
| him-that he meant to drive the prettiest
cutter, the pretticst pairof horses, and the
prettiest girl in New Bridge. He meant Mel
| lie by the prettest girl. His turnout mi ight
| be what he chose, but Nellie should never
| go with him-she should go with mel
| The snow fell fast, and by morning you
could see nothing for miles around but
great white drifts, though the sky had
grown as clear as though it had been sum
mer called for Nellie in the afternoon,
and she was ready, and away we went.
| She looked charming, with her rosy cheeks
| and bright eyes and sunny hair and was
! happier than ever | had been in my life.
| Going out of the village, we met Tom
| Armstrong, with his splendid cutter. He
| looked daggers at us both-or at least |
thought; and he went, as | heard after
wards, to invite Sue Nichols to ride with
him. AS he drove out OF sight, / made up
! my mind 10 ask the question that would
settle everything on our vay home.
Man proposes and Heaven disposcs.
| Things happened that evening that l had
no. thought of. We were going back in
the moonlight, when | put my hand on
Nellie's and made her turn her eyes to-
wards me.
81 have been trying to say something
/ 10 you for long while" | said. ''Per-
| haps you guess what it is?''
! But before / could utter another word my
1 horses became frightened at something and
away they went like mad thugs. Nellie
clung to me and screamed. l did my best
to stop them, but tl,cy left The .oad entirely
! and tool, their road across a field, and
! striking against stump the snow had MD
| den, the sleigh was overturned, and we
were thrown out together.
| was not hurt, but Nellie lay insens5le.
| lir,ed nei in my arms and c!asped her to
/ my bosom, and begged her to open her eyes
| and speal: one word to me. Bnt she was
| like one dead and in my terror l dared
not lake her home. l carried her, instead,
| 10 my sister, who, frightened half out o.
| her senses, came to meeI me. She took Mel
| lie in al inner room and bade me bring a
| doctor and he was there soon.
spent an hour in agony, such as | bad
never fcls before but at last Jennie came
| TO me, all smiles.
''There is no danger,' she said. ''She
has come to herself; she only tainted from
fright. You haven't killed her, or even
burt her rnncb, you foolish boy"
Aud ] burst into tears. Jennie bent over
me.
''Bui to think that she should be so shy >
she said. GA gentleman's portrait in hel
bosom all tas while, aui not worJ to me
of i,l I'll punish her Tor it now"
! And away she ian back 10 Nellie, but my
tears were Ill dried Up, and my heart was
| gall. She was engaged to some o,le else
| this girl who was so dear to ne. Some one
has been before me, and she wore his por
trait next to her heart. Fool that / was
not 10 guess it.
i never asked whose portrait it was
Tom Armstrong; or Jacl. Mayden 81 die
not care. When Nellie was well enough tt
go, IA The course Of an hour or two, | drove
he. home and )ade her goodbye.
l said 81 regret that l should have
| been the means of alarming you so, Mis-:
| Brodio''
And she looked up into my face with hel
great blue eyes, and said ''It was no
your fault you could nos help it, 1t was
so foolish 90 fain, away"
And Though TO myself, "wbat 6eceitfu
creatures women are!' for the lool, she
gave me was as sweet as il she had no
worn ano.her mans portrait in her bosom
a week s.om tsat day l went 10 New
York, and sought out an old ship owner
who had been my fa.he,'s friend.
'I'm tired of farming l said, s'ant
want to Try The sea as a common sailor"
The cid man would have laughed me GU
of the notion but when be found me firm
he gave me what help he could.
wen; on hoard a vessel bound sor Chin;
and wrote TO sister Jennie, telling Der G.
send fol Uncle William and his wife Il
manage the farm, whjc' knew they woulC
be glad to do ; Dui | never ;old 5er where
WAS or what had done. [ meant, you
see, to throw myself away, and be heard o
no more by any one. OF course was mac
for The time that is the only excuse fo
ME.
So led the sort Of lie one in t.e mer
chant service leads-uo very pleasant one
/ can tell you-for a year or two. l grew
no beiier for is, and no happier. Tue other
men had mostly some Que III home-Oot5eI
Or sisier, wife or sweet aea ito get mes
sage from at times. ], of my cwn act, had
no one. And all the while, at work or al
ci, lie t,t