The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-09-21
sweet, agitated face.

sweet, agltated face.
She was lovely. AS he knew her,
she was a sweet, innocent, afiectionate
girl; but the thought of marrying her
never entered his head until that mo-
ment. His ideal was older, graver, as
one to understand him thoroughly must
been. lie fancicd face of more
more power, deeper eyes, and strong
er 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 reso-
lutcly. Such face had deceived him
once, when he was mere boy, and
loved with his passionate first love.
lie dropped her hands at last, and step
ped back.
"Are you going TO school this sum-
merT he asked, plucking a dry leaf
from geranium on the window-sill.
"Yes. graduate in July"
"Oh, yes; l had forgotten. And in
July comes your birthday?'
eyes; | am eighteen in July
She was womanly for her age after
all. If he could only be sure that she
was not as light naturcd as she was fair I!
But that pretty way of tossing back her
curls was Bessie BrudfUrd's own. lie
did not wish TO be fooled twice by the
same style. So he chatted about the
school exhibition, the closing of the Ii
brary, and the military review in April
and finally took his leave.
"He thinks me only 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 i'll, but escap-
ed 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 be-
came anxious. Nellie was surely study
ing too hard; she never could bear the
excitement of the exhibition. So Mel
lie was taken almost by force from
school and sent to Nahant.
Nahant's sea breezes had no effect.
Nellie's chaperone, Mrs. Bertram, of
Boston, recommended tonics and bath
ing, drives and flirting, and did her best
to have her prescriptions carried into
effect; but Nellie endured everything
listlessly, and finally begged, in answer
to her aunts expostulations, TO be let
entirely alone. She should do better so
Mrs. Bertram gave up in despair, and
Nellie read and dreamed in solitude, or
sat idle on the rocks watching the sea.
The wild wind Drowned her face and
blew very faint roses in her cheeks, but
days and weeks crept by, while Mrs.
Bertram bemoaned that Nellie never
would be like other girls.
One evening fishing party came to
the hotel. They were entered upon the
books as "Manfrcd Lowth, of Boston,, :"
edward Rowland, of Manchester.
New Hampshire" etc.
"Nellie, my dear, do hurry. Mr..
Lowth is here, from Boston-the finest
man! Well of, well connected, gentle
manly, and of excellent character. You
can never expect to make very bril-
liant match, having no expectations
yourself, but | consider this just the
thing for YOU. Now, Nellie, if you will
only have your wits about you, instead
of being so indifferent to everything, |
shall be thankful. Why, there is no an
swering what that pretty face of yours
might do, if you would only see your
chances. Terry Holmes declares you
the prettiest girl here, and his father is a
millionaire. Just think of it, Nellie!"
Nellie, strangely pale, with her back
to her aunt, turned Maccassa upon her
handkerchief, saying, chollingly:
"What Mr.. Lowth, auntieT
IManfred Lowth. He's n shipper
from Boston. Belongs in my set"
Nellie found another handkerchief,
gave defiant glance at her pale face in
the mirror, and turned TO her.
81 am ready"
They went down to the dining-room
and took their places side by side. Ex-
actly opposite Nellie sat Manfred Lowth,
mixing lobster salad, and chatting soft
ly and gayly with Mrs. Vernon from
New York. AT Nellie's right side sat
Ned Rowland, her old beau from Man.
chester.
Lowth looked up and bowed to her.
She returned the salution, then TO Ned
Rowland.
Perhaps for an hour she flirted-nev-
er afterward. After dinner she went
to her room, bathed her head, which
ached horribly, then joined her aunt in
the parlOr. There was Manfred Lowth,
who stood at her side moment and ex-
changed q few words with her, then
sauntered away. But Ned Rowland
bent over her chair all the afternoon.
AT night she went to bed feverish and
ill.
A week passed. Nellie became aware
that Ned Rowland loved her. He was
a good-hearted, good-looking, but rath.
er effeminate young man handsome and
very winning, however, and a year be-
fore Nellie might have loved him, but
truly loving Lowth as she did, the thing
was impossible. She finally told him
frankly and kindly, that She did moi
love him.
They were sitting on the rocks al
twilight.
"You used to like me, Nellie" said
Rowland, his lips growing pale under
his pretty moustache.
81 like you now, Ned"
"But think you used TO love me-a
little, Nellie"
She clasped her hands nervously.
"That was not love, Ned-oh! il was
nothing like love! Don't talk to mC
any more, please. am sorry YOU arc
: grieved, but l can't help il. Don't
} lame me-and be kind to me. | have
my own troubles to bear"
She did not know whether he was Of
tended or not, and, suffering from 4
keen sense of her own sorrows, she
hardly cared. She knew he would be
in love with some one else within 9
week.
There were bitter tears in her eyes a.
J she looked over the ocean. Suddenl,
firm hand was laid Oh her shoulder.
"Nellic, how do you know so wei
what love is?''
She turned her head and looked into
, Manfred Lowth's grave face.
because | have reason TO know >
she answered, passionately.
"Nellie, Nellie" he said, ~ Low,
YOU. Will you answer Inc as you die
= llowlandT
"No."
/ "Why"
"Because love YOU"
4 A -.