Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-11-07

Oh spring singing, II You had pulled the
stocking from your left foot, YOU would
find ON the inside of the sole"
What?'
:" \ hair like that Of the persons YOU
are going to marry"
: You ridiculous child !"
! Nellie's face was burning hot Mt her
foolishness, but she could not help
laughing at Lowth's evident appre-
citation of it, and his thorough aston
ishment
" Nellie, I'll buy you rattle the next
time go into town y
Nellie pouted.
well, did you find the hair
Yes, sir.
"Was it like mine?" tossing back the
loose masses of dark brown hair.
A little quivering smile spoiled Nellie's
pout
" The rest Is a secret.
"Then you don't intend to tell whose
the hair was like
" No, | shall not tell
=" May guess"
4" / can't help your guessing, sir,
"Was it like Ned Howland's amhro-
sal locks, little Dignity
Il haven't promised to tell if you
guess"
SO you haven't Then | shall not
waste my time guessing. But tell me
one thing"
"What is that?'
of you have faith in the tricks"
Utter faith" Nellie said, smiling and
shaking her head.
Then wish--I do wish that the hair
may be like mine
Manfred Lowth spoke with no rail
lery, yet he hardly knew why he spoke
as he did. Nellie Dare turned pale as
Il lily. There was moment Of swift
thought in both their minds.
Manfred Lowth had committed him
self; as an honorable man he had com
mitted himself. He had no right to say
such Il thing in such tone, unless he
meant what ne said. So he stood, half
condemned, looking down at Nellie's
sweet, agitated face.
She was lovely. As he knew her, she
was sweet, innocent, atlectionate girl
but the thought of marrying her never
entered his head until that moment His
ideal was older, graver, as one to I'M
derstand him thoroughly must have
been. He tancied face of more pow
er, deeper eyes, and a stronger effect
but, if he read Alright the eyes and lips
before him. their meaning was very
sweet and thrilling.
Nellie blushed with distress under his
eyes. He searched her face resolutely.
Such face had deceived him once,
when he was n mere boy, and loved
with his passionate first love- He
dropped her hands at last, and stepped
back.
Are YOU going to school this sum-
mer?' he asked, plucking a dry leaf from
a geraniuin on the window-sill.
Yes, ! graduate in July"
! "Oh, yes had forgotten. And in
July comes your birth-day?'
Yes | am eighteen in July"
She was womanly for her age after
all If he could only be sure that she
was not as light-heartcd as she was
fair? But that pretty way of tossing
back her curls was Bessie Bradford's
own He did not wish to be fooled
twice by the same style; so he chatted
about the school exhibition, the clos
ing of the library, and the military
review in April, and finally took his
leave.
He thinks me only a child and |
love him SO, she murmured,. sObbing
bitterly. 81 hate my baby face And
he always finds me doing some childish
thing. ! wish was dead.
She cried herself nearly ILL., but es
capped undetected to her room when her
brother came in. The next day she
heard that Manfred Lowth had gone to
New York.
The spring wore on. Nellie Dare grew
pale and grave. Her mother became
anxious. Nellie was surely studyingtoO
hard she never could bear the excite
ment of the exhibition SO Nellie was
taken almost by force from school, and
sent to Nahant.
Nahant's sea breeze had no effect
Nelie's chaperone, Mrs Bertram, of
Boston, recommended tonics and bath
ING, drives and flirting and did her best
to have her prescription carried into
effect but Nellie endured everything
listlessly, and finally begged, III answer
to her aunt's expestulations, to be let
entirely alone. She should do better
90. Mrs. Bertram gave up in despair
and Nellie read and dreamed in soil
tude. or sat idly on the rocks watch
ing the sea. The wild wind Drowned
her face and blew very FAINT roses in
her cheeks, but days and weeks crept
by. while Mrs Bortram bemoaned that
Nellie never would be ike the other
girls.