The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-22

hand upon his heart, looking about him
and saying, beneath his breath, "This I
hers, then, and given TO mel l am glad N
other fellow has Il, / believe | woulC
knock down any other fellow who haC
this room, who dared to sleep in II, o
who dared to take 3 long look AZ Il
Dolly, my darling ANGEL l hardly
dare to sleep in 1t myself, II Is so sacreC
-Isuppose she fixes her hair there" b
glanced at the blue and white toilet
q And ! suppose she kneels down anC
says her prayers here;n be not only
glanced at but be kissed the blue and
white coverlet Dolly was Ned's fire
love, and he adored her. "Idon't think
l shall sleep tonight, or II / do, twill
be to dream Of her, like n who look
on life when he Is dyins; for ! know very
well-and surely / have better rea-
son to know It than ever-my love il
hopeless-What Is this7 Ny card? p
His eye had caught the crested card set
against the pin.cushion. BE approached
and read It without lifting it, recognizing
his own handwriting. "Ahl !" he sighed,
n remember thedAy / gave that to Dolly
more than = year ago-yes, for It wa n
Christmas time, and now 1t Is February.
/ slipped il into her hand az she passed
through the hall, at the DAmois breakfast
with that detestable Eustace Hurd. ]
saw her blush quickly before she took It.
How we'll she knew / had something for
her! / believe Dolly and ! could make
each other understand anything without
q word or whisper. "A word 10 the wise,'
they say, 's sufficient ? 8 look is enough
to the loving. And what eyes she has
Well, l must learn TO forget them. But
not to-night-not to. night, Dolly"
He took up the card and mechanically
turned il over. IN. B = and sfew lines
Of handwriting. He paused at IN. b.
Her writing, and my initials, as she names
me Ned, Ned Berton. 1t must be for me.
She knows that / Am here. What else,
than, could the card-my card-be here
fort N. B.'--to any other eyes, and In
case Of accident simply nota bene ; but to
me ;-Ah l will note we'll, my ANGEL N.
B.-Ask mamma tonight and II she says
no, ask papa ; and II he says no, make him
say yes. Tonight without delay. Feb
ruafy 1O!'
"~'February lOth,-tbat's tomorrow.
ASK mamma Oh, Dolly, s you mean
it2 Your command Ia law; but Mrs.
Derwent will say nc That's Aforegone
conclusion, since / have no prospects
no immediate prospects At least--aud
here's Eustace Hurd worth half . millios.
Tbere's no hone for me there. Then ask
papa; and II he says no, make him say
yes,i Can / make him? What shall l
say to make him? What arguments can
/ bring to bear upon this intelligent,
kindly, but thorough man Of the world
in this age Of high living, when sentiment
rates at little and money rates At so much,
10 show myself, 4 young lawyer with m
income Of barely three thousand 4 year,
a Just rival, in q claim for the hand OF
Dolly Derwent, Of Eustace Hurd, worth
half q million2 What arguments can |
use? Or, in default Of argument how
shall Iexpress myself to reach his heart?
for / suppose that under all his iovisl
worldliness be has 4 heart Let me think"
And he thought. Alone there in Dol
lyis room, with the light lowered TO a
spark, sitting in the arm chair, with his
head leaning upon his hand and his eyes
downcast, be thought. The wind that
had arisen with sunset had died down its
wild sobbing across the bills and in the
tree.tops ceased ; rain fell, then s sharp,
fine sleet beat against the window.panes;
that too ceased. The little:procelain clock
upon the mantal struck half.past four,
and still Ned Berton thought. At last
dim daylight glimmered on the walls, and
then, wearied to the soul, be flung him.
self upon the sofa and fell asleep.
Some one awoke him late. He was the
last one at the breakfast table, and the
sleighs-eight dashing little cutters, with
@iust room for two"-were at the door.
The eight had been procured with some
difficulty; but this Ned Berton was not to
know; politeness would not inform him
that he was the odd one oil the party, the
seventeenth, who had not been provided
for, having been invited BY Mr.. Derwent
on the ~supposition that "of. course Ned
was included'-a superstition which Mr..
D. learned emphatically, aiterward, had
not been founded upon fact.
Mrs. Derwent, however, MOTTO be remiss
"a hostess, made the best Of an embarras
sing blunder and in spite Of her plan that
only the young people, seven couple,
should enjoy the sleighing, and in spite
Of her antipathy 10 that diversion and
her uncomfortable fear OF horses, which
even the sober grays OF her park phea,on
could not render calm, heroically ordered
the cutter.
She came and rested her plump little
iewelIed hand with matronly ease upon
Ned's shoulder, as at the now deserted
breakfast table be bent over his plate in
ab.tracted mood, trying TO swallow his
hot roll and coffee, and said, genially,
$50, Ned, I am to go with you. But
only on one condition-that you will
promise moi TO run away with me"
Ned withdrew himself from his souls
~preoecupatiou Just sufficiently to Jerk
down a last mouthful and say. with
rather confused g~allantry, u cannot
promise for myself, Mrs. Derweut, but
| will promise that no unappreciative
animal, no Unframed fiery steed,' shall
"Then come" said she, gaily, "for they
are all going or gone. Why, Ned, you
have eaten nothing. Won't you have
another cup Of cofse7 No? Well, We
shall lunch sumptuoasly at the Blue
Globe ;! they have been two weeks pre-
pairing for Us, That will be dejeuuer for
you. Where i. Dolly7"
All, Dolly There she stood on the
doorstep by the side OF Eustace Hurdr
wrapped tight In her fur cloak, ready for
departure, and her sweet, warm face
not hooded deeply enough to hide It's
golden hLo-turned wistfully backward.
SGood>by mamma" she cried and thea
she saw Ned, and the sweet face CHANGED
turned pale for the instant Ned
thought, Il such q thing could happen that
A rosebud should turn pale. She gave
him Just a look, scarcely q smile. He Eel!
his hearts wild beating answer her ap.
pealing look.
Such a morning as that morning was
-one OF those miracles OF mornings when
the white mantle Of the snow makes the
world like a newborn planet when nat
ure shows herself in all her artistic rem
derings 4 sculptor more than a painter,
exclaiming, for the moment, like the pas
| sionate angel OF the palette, Storm ].
everything ; the outline Is the picture
M Id noliabad tha annw and