The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-08-07

ing her. rather shortly asked, ANY
letters 7"
Nelly placed ell the letters 10 his
hand. He saw hers, and gave 1t
back to her without q word. Nelly
took it and left the room. Sir John
was a slow, deliberate mGn. When
one of bis letters was sealed, he
nerer broke the seal, but cut the pa
per around it. lie rang the bell TO
ask Nelly for q pair of scissors. She
came in staggering. and before SIR
John could utter his commands, Mel
lv was in a dead swoon al bis feet.
.Bless nav soul, what is the matter
with the girl ~ cried poor Sir John,
very much startled. He picked her
ND. and. in so doing, saw e little bit
Of rumpled paper in her hand. |
trust no . will think the worse oil
Sir John for looking at that paper.
II was a short missive-and ran thus;
nMoney is ell safe; mother is getting
better and better. Yours truly,
J. NJ"
So it was all right; bat the sud
den relief had been too much Tor Mel
ly. This. however, was Greek to her
master. So be rang the bell, and
thanks to water, vinegar, and burnt
feathers. Ellen was got round. But
she was so weak by the bitter sns-
perse of seven hours, that 1t was
some time before she could answer
Sir Johns questions and tell him her
story. She related it very simply,
but be heard it with the deepest
amazement "By Joye J" be cried,
there was never anything like this
never, Aud so, not knowing but
that the money was lost, or your
mother worse, you would not read
the letter."
"No, sir" quietly answered Nelly,
81 could not break my word"
"You are a noble girl" cried Sir
John with a touch of Hotspur enthu-
siasm, "and I'll tel you what, Nelly,
if | was ten years younger | would
marry you."
"But | would not marry you, Sir
John" demurely answered Nelly.
"Of course YOU would not" be rue
fully replied. "You would not jilt a
man, and poison the rest Of his life
You would not DO that"
That absurd Sir John with poison
ing his life indeed ] wonder how
much poison it takes to produce my
worthy friend's-I will not say how
many stone or to give a man that
bluff rosy face, or that hearty voice
and iovial "Hai hs J" Poison in
deed :
There came another letter from 10
seph the next morning, explaining ev'
e%rything.
Need | cav that Sir John rescinded
the warning he had given Nelly, and
that he authorized her to open bel
letters the moment the postman pa
them into her hands. So, though be
was out, she read this one, which, al
| said, explained everything. Tel
minutes after Nelly had left be-
mothers cottage, Mrs. Dering found
the notes in the garden. As soon a
Joseph returned she told him th'
whole story. At once he wrote, bu
il was too late for the post, so 10
seph went to the station, and o frient
whom he had there promised to fn'
him a safe messenger in n OF tn
guards, by whom his letter should b
posted in London as soon as the hrs
train came in.
"Oh, Joseph, Joseph J" though
Nelly, eff you had only written you
letter outside instead Of inside, wha
a world of misery you would hav'
spared me-"
"Why did he not send you q tele
gram ?n Indignantly asked Sir John
"But SIR argued Nelly, Il SHOULD
not have opened that either T; beside
the letter came as fast as myself
was all the promise"
Yes, it was all the promise, ant
Sir John did his best to atone. Ne
Iy and Joseph have been marrie'
years, and their prosperity is not tn
mere offspring of their labor aud in
dustry. A kind helping hand has o.
ten been stretched out toward then
"But | owed Nelly more than | eve
did for her" says Hotspur. "Woul
you believe it, Sir, ever since tina
girl left my house my letters hav
gone wrong again"
L have no doubt Sir John woul
like me to believe that. As if could
The ArgoSy.