The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-08-22
NELLIE DARE's LOVE.

NEI.LIE DARE'S LOVE.
"a wos a March norn;no and vet tbe
sk1 vas as blne as In line. Manfred
T,owtb stoaa on Wilson'S hill LOOKING
5o.,, ,,noy tbe c;tv II cleaned wbite
os,T Laa,'t;fni from the ,s1a;ns and the
LII. Ill a .raor nth t6e;r cover;no
~ So ,osa s+;II anS
piHe ioo, ~, .sI..,, M eaS a'
sIate1y 9eyonu Ill me S.d uum asls cray muau auow
NV Uno,, +ha@ s and the I hreele | hroncbt the
etpn,osnhars pUn Tie 'ii II sno,v from the NOM.
N .',. nc fa,t 40 br;gbt
oa1Iss, se.O outh ny, stood with b;s aTn,s
e.iIe5 1900 =. ~ h;s braost and his foil
ro,e,,i -.e- S~yra ontl;nsd aga;nst tbe
Pts;,, PGn0s -, 7s he stood tbns still and
ssnl ssua,',t 5;s soi;fnJa Nth his oh
sosSad sesSI's nastarf,,1 ~ J ~ avss and face Of
Snas $3.50, e-.s.nass beIootsJ svarv inch a
pgar 'aI r. n, maa 81 ~ +b;rt1f;ftb % h;rtbJay | .
Thss. & ,sv - "oo bsva I baan On soroatL;ng o. sod n
~ tSo,,1.h+ - him. Cor he woS n.tariv
49, LS sA - I;fe ond +ba c;rcnnstaY,ces mr.,
which Give sense of airy freedom at
thirty bring a feeling of desolation at
s;rtv, Possibly Manfred Iowth thought
of This as he hailed his birthday morn.
and tbonyht how much of his life was
come Not that there was anv SION of
sdvsnc;ng ace a his viUorous figure and
abundant dark hair. AS he suddenly
placed one hand upon the stone wall be-
fore him and leaned lightly over. he dis
plaYed q vigorous agility of exceeding
grace: and his step, as he walked down
the hill. had the buoyancy of youth and
hone IF his thoughts had been grave.
thew were 20 no longer. He went down
tbe hill whistling c6eerily.
There was q long road of yellow CLAW
stretr,hino before him tn the city. with
matches Of hare scrub oak at either
Side. In one place the road went over a
slight elevation, at the commencement
of which the space beyond was con-
cealed by the hill; and Just here Man
fred Lowth ceased whistling, and began
searching his pockets eagerly. He
laughed merrily as he brought forth
from the breast pocket of his inner coat
a little worsted mitten. This is how he
came byit
The morning before he had been go
ing over that very hill, but not whistling
as then. Reaching the top. he looked
down upon a little figure seated upon a
stone by a lonely roadside, where hardly
a house was in sight. 1t was perfect
picture. The girl wore crimson merino
and a pretty snowy hood. which was
pushed back from her rose of face,
over the sweet, low forehead, off which
little tresses Of golden hair were blowing
in the mild March wind. She was alto.
gether too intensely occupied to put
back her hair-curiously occupied, too.
She had pulled her stocking and shoe
from her left foot, and was intently
examining the small sole of the white
worsted stocking, while, the little bare,
snowy foot rested unnoticed on tie
frozen ground.
Manfred Lowth recognized Nellie
Dare, and thought she must be crazy.
What in the world was the child doing ?
Suddenly a quick smile flashed over
Nellie's face, her cheek dimpled. she
tossed back her hair. and looked up and
saw the watcher on the hill. The stock.
ing was turned and put on in a fash,
the little boot put on Manfred Lowtb
was sure it was only half put on, by the
tracks it made in the snow near by), and
Nellie Dare sprang into the cross.road
and hurried out Of sight. Arriving al
the place, Lowth picked up the little
white mitten. He put two fingers int
it-walked on. looking at it and smiline
and then Nellie had looked so pretty
and frightened. But why had she un
covered her foot and examined hel
stocking by the roadside? Surely there
were NO thorns or thistles about at thar
time of the wear.
When he came to the cross-road b,
the pines he hesitated and finally struci
into it. Then he put the mitten bacl
into his pocket, buttoned up his coat
and walked faster.
Nellie Dare's home was on the Auburn
road, a little white cottage, with bar
lilac and rose vines clinging about it.
the loyeliest place around in the sum
mer time. Now, there was a fac
prettier than any rose at one of tn
parIor windows, and Manfred Lowt
looked up and bowed to it.