The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-11-06

man.
The mother was silent. Incident
after incident came tbronging back
70 her, which, pat together, made an
uubfoken chain Of evidence against
her daughter.
Farmer EastoR went Up alon9 70
his child she was lying on The
lounge asleep. A picture Of Lloyd
Whitlow Was or the aoor, where
Il had fallen cut Of her hand.
"NelHel" called the father, sbak-
ing her, "Nellie, wake up"
She opened her eyes and looked
around bewildered.
Say, Nellie, said the old man, in
. high, harsh voice, do you know
what people are saying about you 2"
An asby peilor crept Owe her
face, but she made no answer
They say, Nell that you sre TO
become a mother to LLOYD Whitiow'e
child. It's not so. is Il, Nelly"
There was q chord Of grief 10 the
old mans voice that aid not escape
Nellie's notice. IL added to her IN
atterable anguish. With 8 moan Of
pain. like a wounded animal at bay,
she threw herself upon the floor, bid
ing her face over the picture Of the
man that had brought all this npoR
her.
why don't you speak, girl? is
this thingtrue Pr
Still 30 answer.
"You needn't lie groyeliug there, il
It is. TITS house can't shelter such
as tina &" said ihe old man, white
with rage.
The words reached the poor half
stunned creature, who rose and pass
ed from her fathers presence Out IN
10 the raging storm and piercing cold,
alone and unprotected.
Mrs. Easton heard the loud tones
of her husband, ana, determined TO
shield her daughter, hurried to her
room. The father was alone.
where's Nellie ~
Mr.. Easton pointed out Of the
open door.
ooh, father how could you turn
cur child out on such a night as this?
You and | could scarcely make it
home, aud we came such a little way.
/ And she will seek no shelter. Oh,
my child nv child I"
"Neilie 3" she shrieked, running
cut of the house, down the lane 10
The highway Nellie. come back p
10 vain the mother called and call
ed. Hurrying back to the house, she
gresped her husband by the arm and
said, in o voice that lie felt compelled
to obey {:
ave must go back TO the house
we just came from and get the men
to search for her. She can't get
very fer awsy in this Storm
And SO, within two hours, she
was found found Oh the roadside.
insensible, and not many minutes toe
soon, either. Most of those who
saw her when she was brought to the
house where the gathering had been
that day-it being the nearest shell,
ter-thought her dead. There was
not one in all tina; crowd whose hear
did not ache over the sufferings o.
the poor girl and the agony Of ths
parents.
Nellie's eyelids pressed down Sc
heavily upon the white cheeks thai
Death himself might have laid bis
eternal seal on, were raised at last
and the gray eyes, with their untold
depths of sorrow, rested upon th'
crowd of faces about her. She turn
ed her head away, and reaching to.
ward her mother, sobbed II have
suffered 80 much, Oh, mother, moth
er, why didn't you let me die ?"
And then, after q little pause, sh,
added:
81 will tell you now. IL scenes
such n shallow story that | could no
tell you before, not even tonight
when father was so angry. And
knew that you would all say s1cl
hard things about Lloyd and Eel
as though / could not bear it 50
have kept putting i, of until now
Early last fall Lloyd took me to To.
city. and we we're married by
friend of his, whose name | do no
remember. We both decided &
keep our marriage a ecret as long d
we could. When We found it mus
be told Lloyd said be would 90 frs
and confess to his Uncle, hoping thu
to be forgiven, and he would return
for ME. If his uncle cast him off W,
were to tell you and then ask for
home on the farm. He has neve
come back never answered one O
my letters. On inquiry | learne,
that be was travelling in Europe
Where he is now | cannot tell"
Lloyd! oh, Lloyd!r the poo
thing sobbed, you have forsaken me
but | cannot hate yoa. You hav'
made my name q by-word among m,
friends, but | love you still; and, ia
ther and mother, forgive me, but
would leave you both tonight an
follow him to the uttermost part c
the earth TO hear him say once more
as be used to, Nellie, little wife,
love YOU But | shall never see bin
: again. | gave that NJ long ago.
! could only give up this terribll
h~eartache. But it will stay with m
till / die. And oh! father, mother
, how ! wish j were dead now"
/ Several months afterwards, at Ne
lies urgent appeals, Farmer Eastol
decided to sell out and take hi
daughter and her child from tn
} place where she had been so unhar
} py. So they found a home in ID
West. There the old man met los
: after loss until Nellie began TO real
ize that she would have to supper
the family with her own earnings
! She tried sewing, and failed at II
! gave music lessons and failed ct thai
TRY the stage" a friend advise
one day.
, "Don't laugh at me,n said Nellie
81 am in earnest" urged th
friend. Il discovered long ago tha
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