The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-10-27

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home, at the joint inVitat on of papa
and myself. He remained over night
and the greater part ofthe next day. He
was an admirable nurse, aud when he
| commanded me to lie still while he
waited on me, l accepted it with that
giriish romantic gratitude which made
ne blush to think that, after all, he
might be the prince of whom l had
been dreaming.
| "'You are more hurt than you think,
so lie still,' he would say to me. Papa
was out looking after his men on the
| farm, and it was q dangerous pleasure
| to lie there and be cared for 50 tenderly
| by handsome young man-lor he was
handsome.
"In that single day l lost my heart. l
loved Philip KimDerlee; and it cost me
a sharp pang, infinitely sharper and
harder to b9ar than that of my sprained
ankle or bruised shoulders, to bid him
| 'good-by' and fail back upon my own
thoughts,
"But he begged permission to write
! me, which was only too glad to grant.
Papa, 100, was greatly pleased with Mr
Klmberlee, for they could sit down over
| their cigars and discuss the thousand
and one business matters in which meu
alway seem to have q mutual interest.
J
merchant, who was then travelling upon
business ior his house. Ills business
would take him 10 the lower counties of
| the State, after which he expressed the
| hope that he might be able TO visit us
again on his return.
Need l tell you that Iprayed ear
nestly that he would return AS he pr, =
posed? My crippled, helpless condition
became 0oubly irksome after he went
away. What joy it was when they
! finally placed me on my horse again to
ride WHITTIER w0uld-anu TO think OF
him!
before this his letters had been COM
| ing every day. Sensible letters they
were, sometimes eketcning a bit of Illi-
nois life; againla bit OF pen-phut graply,
! presenting curious faces and costumes /;
then perhaps fresh, gOssipjng page OF
| society matters, but always 80 kindly
tender inquiries concerning me and my
mlsAap.
"Can you wonder, then, that when
| Philip kimberlee came back to Us, as he
did, l was prepared W receive han with
all the arG0r Of young stiPS nrsl
IoveW
| "Tne scoundre!" suddenly burst from
! the ashen lips OF the strong man VINO sal
| writing in unepeakable misery.
"Wait, my dear friend, be patient I'M
til you hear ALL" she eaid, softly.
! ~ beg pardon. Pray 80 on," he tai,
| tered in groan.
"Philip Kimberlee remained with US
three days. And how vivldly every
nour of those days would come back to
me Tor months and years afterwards.
| Here was my prince, and did not fail
| to render him due homage. And how
tender, cons ,derdte ana thoughtful he
was. When l look back at those days
can not wonder AZ the result. 1t could
scarcely have been different mad l been
older and more experienced III the way
| OF the world.
sit is sufficient 10 say that before he
went away he told mo, sitting together
| there on the bluff, now he loved me. How
he loved me! And L, chiId-like in my joy
and happiness, looked over the Calm
waters and the dark green foliage away
beyond, with the waves or neateu air
ripping up toward heaven, and earnest
| ly thanked God lor this precious b0on-
q mans loyeW
There was a half-audible groan from
john Allen as he moved uneasly in his
chair. Sne glanced up at him LlmIdly
almost deprecatlngly, before she con.
tinueu:
Ills letters came almost daily; and
after each one came and mad been de.
voured, | Went down upon my knees ana
thanked the good God with all M
heart for bestoWlng upon me, poor me,
the love oil such man, my prince, my
hero!
Papa knew and approved of it all
for | had no secrets from him. 1t was
at this lime that he sickened and took to
his bed first. He as TOO fond Of hunting
p,,l tiay, ia, I,n 81 all a ~ "
er. Almost always he woald come home
dripping wet, and not until he mad been
so Tor hours would he make the necee
sary change Of clothing. This was toe
much for one 0! sixty years 10 bear, and
Wuen his vigorous COnsGltuloE dlu give
way the END came all loo soUn.
During papVs sickness | wrote
Philip Almost daily, covering page attel
page with my great happiness, mingled
with tears for my poor papa.
Oils letters were like those Of q bust
lness man, concise and pointed. They
were always mucl too short, but when
| had read and re-read them, and
weighed and studied the weight and i'm
port OF every word, excused The brew
ity because of business duties. Nc
matter,' l argued; lit is all right, lol
men think more and say less tnan wU
men,
"But finally his letters grew fewer as
we'll as brleler. Poor papa WAS Wastil 2
away, and my heart was almost broken
at the thought Of losing him. If PhilIp
only knew and coQld see AL surely b..
would be more cOnsiQeraLe OF me al
such time.
AT last the blow came, papa was
taken away, ana l was all alone in the
worId. Now thought, surely Philip
Will come 10 me in my bitter sorrow |!
But he only wrote bre1iy and, it seemed,
coiuly. But he had been named In tht
will as one Of the executors of papa's
estate; if he accepted the trust, he mus
come and 20 through he necessary legA
iorms.
'Distrust had already crept into ny
heart, lately SO full Of love. How coulC
keep il? More than once the terrible
question would come: Does he indeed
love NE? The answer Was that agonlz
ing doubt 30 distressing to body ant
soul.
"rhey said | looked pale, haggard ant
ighastly, wnen the Probate Judge calleC
10 see me, bringing with him a letter
from Philip to me, incloSed in one t.
himself.
"'He has declined to serve as execu
tor said the kind old Judge. 'ThIs il
his second letter to me. In his first he
desires particularly 10 know the amount
OF the property, and ii devised abso.
lnIalV W.