The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-23

fair, and if he needed any excuse or
apology for this appropriation of Miss
Egerton, he found it in the fact that
every one else on board was German,
and not at all congenial company to
him-or to her.
And so the days went on each one
wearing off little of the young girls
shyness and reserve, and confirming
Ralph's purpose to win it altogether
away, and secure that last bit of her
confidence which she still carefully
withheld. And yet, intimate as their
relations had become, and confidential
as she was in all things but this, day
followed day, and the end of the voy-
age drew near, and still Ralph had not
learned the purpose of her journey.
And before he did learn it the knowl-
edge came to him that he had now
more than a mere curiosity in Nelly
Egerton's affairs, and more than a COM
passion for her loneliness, and that it
was now with the interest and anxiety
of love for this pretty, warm-hearted,
puzzling little foreigner that he awaited
her final disclosure.
1t was a mild moonlight evening, the
vessel was within eight hours of Sandy
Hook, with the pilot on board and the
sea more than usually smooth. The
other passengers were diverting them
selves in various ways, and, Ralph and
Nelly were standing behind the wheel
house watching the phosphorus which
lit up the wake of.the vessel.
They had been silent for a few
| &c xtrhn oh tn -,
the low, quiet voice that had come to
be the sweetest of music to him.
"Mr. Hawthorne, she said, softly,
81 think | ought to tell you why | am
coming over to New York. It's only
because one feels some hesitation in
talking about some things that haven't
told you before"
She stopped for an instant, and Mr..
Hawthorne wondered what the some
things might be.
81 told YOU" she went on, "that l
had friends in America. might prop
erly have said one friend"
Then there was another pause, and
though her face was turned little one
side, Ralph, somewhat perplexed as to
what it meant, could see the rising
blush in the moonlight. And with the
next words he had the sudden revela-
ton, which in the blindness of his new
found joy he hadn't even apprehended,
that the place in her affection which he
sought to occupy was already filled.
Her voice was still little lower as
she said. 60 am going to New Y ork to
be married, Mr.. Hawthorne.
| Parbapc n oloud nassau nUar fbn 11oOOn
just then, or it may be that the ship
suddenly lurched; at all events, Haw-
thorne felt a sense of momentary dark
ness, and grasped the rail to maintain
his center of gravity. 1t was only for
an instant though: and Nelly, looking
out toward the distant horizon, did not
detect any emotion in his face, or even
in his voice when he quietly asked:
1.-The gentleman is Americana
Nelly nodded somewhat abstractedly.
81 met him in Paris about a year and a
half ago." she said, in her soft under
tone. He is an artist, and used tc
come to madame for French lessons
We were to have been married in Paris
Mr.. Hawthorne, this last week; but
when it came to making out the neces,
sary legal papers, | couldn't tell the
name of the place in India where L was
born, and they wouldn't let the mar.
riage 90 on. John''-and here there
was just the slightest change in her in.
lection" told the name of the place
as Remembered it, bat it turned out tc
be province, and not town, anC
they thought John wanted to evade
the law, and were very angry. Then
John thought it best to 90 over tc
America at once, especially as he was
near through the ecote, and we would
have gone anyhow afterwards; and sc
he took the steamer last week, arrang
ing that l should follow him in this one
| felt as though ought to tell you all
this" she continued, naively; "yor
have been so very kind that / didn't
want to hold back anything"
81 am very grateful for your conf
dence, Miss Egerton," he said. as
quietly as before; but with every wore
she had spoken the consciousness of hi;
loss had so grown upon him that his
power of will was barely equal to stand
ing there and calmly hearing her tel
the tale.
! L maps lOu hllOW HILL, MI. I1dW
thorne," she went on, in the same tone
altogether unsuspicious of his state o.
mind, and hesitating just a breath o.
time before withdrawing this last rem
nant of her reserve: " his name is Bre
voort-John Brevoort"
Brevoort?" he repeated, question
ingly. go, of course-Theodore, yor
meanm
Her blue eyes opened wonderingly.
"No, Mr.. Hawthorne; his middle
name is Temple, not Theodore. Theo
dore is the younger brother, you know
But Hawthorne's lips were angril,
compressed. And while he mechanic.
ally said, go yes, you're quite right
is John Temple Brevoort," his thoughts
were running on unanimously in an.
other vein. "John Brevoort,' he has
tily soliloquized; "why, he's engaged
to Agatha Fraser, and old Mrs. Duyc
kinck has died and left the girl a fort
une, and Brevoort is the last man il
the world to give up money. And thi,
little girl has got to go on and find il
all out for herself, and break her heart
perhaps, over the contemplate scala
wag!' And forgetting his own trouble
and never thinking what advantage he
might derive from this new situation
all the love and svmDathv of his natiIr,