The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1878-06-29

who / was. And then there was
scene!
So commenced my acquaintance
with Nelly Berthe widest, pref
test and brightest little romp that
ever babe defiance to rules. She
and Maggie Heath were cousins,
and together double pest to the
neighborhood. But | ALWAYS got
on well with them, and our init
macy progressed rapidly after the
adventure of the apple-stealing.
They used TO come up to the
house occasionally, and profane the
sanctity of bachelor rooms with
shouts of laughter, herbs, rubbish
and rag dolls. Often they coaxed
me off to tramps over the hills, or
frolieked IN my garden.
But time went by swiftly in the
quiet little village of Hereford, us
elsewhere, and the little girls had
climbed apple trees with became
older. Maggie, who was year
older matuTed first, and had aban-
doned romptng and adopted long
skirts some time before Nellie bad
learned to blush and escape from
my kisses. She was prettler than
ever, though, with her beautiful
lair curled smoothly, and her wild
freedom of manner subdued by an
innate modesty. Her growing dig
nifty did not quite annIhilate our
intimacy, however. She came to
see me sometimes even after she
had attained an age when the vii
lage boys looked earnestly at her
IN church, or strove for forfeit
with her at the hnskings.
One day the time came for me
to leave town. was going away,
and might be gone two or three
years-and L should be Obliged to
leave Nelly. THIS thought troHb-
led me excessively. One Gay she
came To see me, and told me that
she was almost sixteen.
Il shall not be here to give you
a birthday gift, Nellie" SAID. Il
am going away.
She was sorry. When AID where
was l going? All the time she
played dalntily with the kitten
her pretty head on one side. And
then she asked, cartlessly, when L
was coming back?
Perhaps never, Nellie" impress
gively, trying to affect her
That WAS too bad-but could
write! She commenced tucking
her curls into her rigolette, and
said she must be going. Her hood
was dyed pink, bat not half so
rich as her cheeks. Her eyes were
as blue as wood vioiets, and her
curls kept falling from their con
fnement in little bright wavy rings
aud dancing about her face. She
looked exasperatingly pretty as she
stood there preparing to leave me.
"Nellle," said l, at last, 'dont
go yet. want to speak to YOU"
She sat down again.
"Nellie," l began. She was now
looking at me with grave attention,
and stopped. got up and went
to the window, wondering how
should say it, But l couldn't
come to a conclusion. Tue very
thought that Nelly was gravely
waiting to know what l had to say,
scattered every other idea. A tan
tallzlng remembrance of how pref
ty sue was looking as she waited,
helped also to confuse me. The
silence grew embarrassing. How
painfully loud the clock licked!
How still every thing else was! /
grew desperate.
Nelly" l exclaimed, turning
around suddenly; but [ TUNED to
face her quiet look of surprise
winch quite frightened me. Nelly
never looked so pretty and wo-
manly before in all her life. The
matter had got to be serious with
me, and l turned to the window
again. My heart thumped in
distressing manner as realization
OF my intentions came over me;
but bad DO idea Of abandoning
them. How desperately / wanted
composure, and how completely I
failed in getting 1t My face burn
ed, and something kept rising III
my throat to choke ME. | had
vague idea that ] ought to cross
the room aud overpuwer Nelly's
distressing composure with my
eloquence, but that little five feet
OF humanity was the most unap-
proachable object in existence TO