American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-02-16
NELLIE DARE's LOVE.


81, It was March morning, and yet the
sky was as blue in June. Manfred
Lowth stood on Wilson's hill, looking
down upon the city. 1t cleaned white
- q SAND beautiful from the plains, and the
hills, green with their covering of pine
---=e forests, rose still and stately beyond.
The dull-gray meadows - within sight
had peaks of snow upon them, and the
g.. breeze brought the atmosphere of snow
from the mountains, though the sunshine
fell so bright. f- l.rt G-s-
Manfred Lowth stood with his arms
folded across his breast, and his tall,
powerful figure outlined against the
clear sky. As he stood thus, still and
resolute in his solitude, with his absorb
ed masterful eyes, and face of Spartan
firnness, he looked every inch king
-Itwas his thirty fifth birthday. There
may have been something sad in the
thought to him, for he was utterly alone
In life, and the circumstances which
gave a sense of airy freedom at thirty,
i8l bring a feeling of DISSOLUTION at sixty
/. Possibly Manfred Lowth thought of this
as he hailed his birthday morn, and
thought how much of his life was gone.
Not that there were any signs of advanc-
ing age in his vigorous figure and
abundant dark hair As he suddenly
placed one hand upon the stone wall
before him and leaped lightly over, he
displayed a vigorous agility of exceed
ing grace, and his step, as he walked
rapidly down the hill, had the buoyant
elasticity of youth and hope. If his
thoughts had been grave they were so
no longer. He went down the hill
whistling cheerily.
There was a long road of yellow clay
stretching before him to the city, patches
of bare scrub-oaks at either side In one
place the road went over slight eleva-
ton, at the commencement of which the
s73~spaee beyond was concealed by the hill,
and Just here Manfred Lowth ceased
whistling, and began searching his
pockets eagerly. He laughed merrily
as he brought forth from the breast
pocket of his inner coat little worsted
mitten. This is how he came by it:
The morning before he had been go
t. ing erthat very hill, but not whistling
as then; Reaching the top, he looked
:. = down upon little figure seated upon
stone by lonely roadside where hardly
= & "a house was in sight. 1t was perfect
picture. The girl wore dress of Grim
oI19ls merino and pretty. snowy hood,
which was pushed back from her rose of
face, over the sweet, low forehead of
which little tresses of golden hair were
blowing in the mild March wind. She
was altogether too intensely occupied
to put back her hair; curiously occupied,
too. She had pulled her stocking and
IL L IL
examining the small sole of the white
worsted stocking, while the little bare
snowy foot rested unnoticed on the
frozen ground.
Manfred Lowth recognized Nellie
Dare, and thought she must be crazy |
What in the world was the child doing?
Suddenly quick smile flashed over
Nellie's face, her cheek dimpled, she I
l3n tossed back her hair, and looked up and |
saw the watcher on the hill. The stock
ing was turned and slipped on in flash,
the little boot put on (Manfred Lowth
was sure it was only half put on, by the
tracks it made in the snow near by), I
and Nellie Dare sprung into the cross
road and hurried out of sight Arriving
at the place, Lowth picked up the little
white mitten. He put two fingers into
it-walking on looking at it and smiling
and then Nellie had looked so pretty
49, and frightened. But why had she I'M
covered her foot and examined her
t stocking by the roadside? Surely there
8" were no thorns or thistles about at that
time of the year.
When he came to the cross-road by
the pines he hesitated, and finally struck
into it. Then he put the mitten back
into his pocket, buttoned his coat, and
walked faster.
Nellie Dare's home was on the Auburn
road; little white cottage, with bare
ilacs and rose vines clinging about it
the loveliest place around in the sum-
mer time. Now, there was face pref
tier than any rose at one of the parlpr
windows, and Manfred Lowth looked
=. up and bowed to it
Nellie's fresh young blood flooded her
heart as she caught sight of the face
which personifed all her girlish ideal +
+ dreams. She dropped her book and
rose trembling as Manfred Lowth enter
ed the room. He looked with laughing t
eyes into the prettiest flushing face as he
took her hands.
s. Miss Nellie, have called out of the d
purest curiosity to know why you have a