Litchfield enquirer., 1878-08-29

John took up the letters she had dropped, and glanced over it. Yes sure enongh, Nelly's mother was dying, and asked to see her daugh- ter 'once more."
 ! ''Of course you must go," he said warmly Il cannot spare you to-day, but you shall start tomorrow morning."
 ''Io-morrow, sir will death wait till to-mOr- row must go noW-now."
 My dear child, l am tobe out all day, and 1 expect a most important letter, and James, poor fellow, is lying i'll in bed, as you know l cannot spare you today"
 ''Sir John," resolutely said Nelly, 'I shall go to-day: I am sorry to disoblige you; but
 ''Hotspur had great deal to do to keep his temper down." said Sir John, when he told me this, especially as the little chtss black eyes had just turk in them which remembered rather too we'll. However, 1 remained quite cool, and all said was Well, Nelly, I have servants to obey me, and not to have their own way. l give you months warning from this very day''
 ''Very well, sir" composedly said Nelly. q am sorry to have annoyed you. but cannot help it."
 Hotspur deigned her no answer, and Nelly went. S-is within two hours of London by rail. It was three o'clock when Nelly reached it. She had to walk a mile from the
  along the very lane in which she had wander ed with her lover a month back ; but how sad and changed was it's aspect Its June beauty was gone. The hot July sun had scorched it. The hedges were white with dust the trees looked athirst for rain :; the sky was grey and lowering, and the beautiful country seemed sad and ue-stricken to poor Ellen. ''I felt sure. sir" she said to me later, ''that my poor mother was dead"
 At 1anrth sho roaoho6 ha oottoro ua, hand shook as she raisedthe latch and entered. Her lover was the first person whom she saw He came forward and comforted her with a word
 'sAlive and better. Nelly" ''Better!" If he had said ''cured" Nelly's joy could scarcely have been greater. She cried, she laughed, she kissed her little sister, her mother, her lover, Mrs. Dering kind neighbor who had come in to nurse the sick woman. She could have kissed the ground in the gladness of her heart. Yes the poor wo- man who had been dying the day before was better now, and, what was more, the doctor felt sure, from the turn her complaint had talk en, that she would live This glad news Nel- ly's lover gave her outside the cottage door, for the invalid was too low to hear much"
 You have had useless journey, Nelly" said Mrs. Dering, coming out to join the pair, ''but we had to send for you to quiet the poor dear"
 And do you think she is safe now, Mrs Dering? ?'
 ''The doctor says he is almost sure of her, Nelly, Nelly. And how do you like your place? Your mother says it is such good One."
 Nelly answered that twas very good place indeed; but she sighed as she remembered Sir Johns warning
 You'll be saving lots of money, and coming ! boo1- fC, l ing.
 ''I hope so," said Joseph cordially l This Joseph was a very good fellow, asteady workman, and he adored Nelly, but he was not very bright, and Nelly never told him her | little secret. So, even after Mrs. Dering left them and entered the cottage, she said nothing about Sir Johns warning. She know what | shock it would be to her sick mother, and sup | pose Joseph should let it out ?? Joseph was so happy to see his mistress again that he was in l the highest spirits. He could talk of nothing but the future, and he could not see that future unless under the rosiest aspect. His song had but one burden to it. Sir Johns twenty pounds a year, Ellen's savings and welded bliss
 Matters, as he viewed them, went on delight fully. Nelly was to save thirty pounds, and he Joseph thirty more. With sixty pounds they could begin life. Of course, this would take time; Nelly must send money home, and Joseph had his aged and helpless grandfather to support but ''wlth time," argued Joseph, ''it could be done." And again followed glimpse of that married life for which Joseph had been pining for years, as only the poor can pine for love. home, and woman. Nelly heard him, and said not word. She was very glad to have found her mother alive and ''safe," as she said, but darkness had come over her joy. "Poor fellow if he knew the truth" she thought, as she listened to him, ''and if he knew that every word he utters is stab to me!' But every one seemed bent on tormenting her. Mrs Dering came out agaln and extolled Nelly's place and salary, Little Jane, hearing so much about money, wanted to know what Nelly was going to give her; and when the sick woman was able to speak, her first words were an injunction on her daughter not to exceed her leave of ab- sence. Nelly must not vex Sir John on any account. She became so excitable on this head that to pacify her, Ellen asked if she should go away by the night train.
 ''Yes, you had better, my dear" replied her mother, rather eagerly
 She was as anxious to see her daughter de- part as she had been to make her come. Nel- ly herself was not so sorry to go. The burden of her secret was too much for her. As she left the cottage, Mrs. Dering followed her out mysteriously.
 E'Ellen," she said, T have some money un- known to my husband, and want poor Will liam to have it. You just take it for me, and he will call for it in day or two. I can't send it by the post.''
 She slipped little silky packet in Nellys hand. And do take care of it, she whisper ed again. ''for it is four five-pound notes, Ne- ly."
 Ellen hestated William, Mrs. Dering's son, by first husband. had been so beaten and ill-used by his stepfather that he had run away to London years before But misfor- tune had followed him, and he was now sickly widower with three little children
 ''You cannot refuse doing that for me-" said Mrs Dering.
 ''No, no, Mrs. Dering, I will do it with | pleasure. But it is such large sum-sup- | pose should lose it."
 You'll not lose it, Nelly; there, take it, | and do not tell any One,"
 ''Any one" meant Joseph who now came l to escort Nelly to the station. They walked | along the shady lane, arm in arm, and, as they | had plenty of time, poor things, they fingered. | Nelly felt much depressed when they parted l at the station, and Joseph saw it.
 "You are fretting about your mother" he l said. 'sI am sure she'll do, Nelly; but I'll be sure to write"
 ''No," said Nelly nervously, 'no news is good news-only write if she gets bad again" | ~Nelly had her reason for this. "HOw should | bear the suspense if Sir John was out ?" she | thought. But Joseph said, little shortly, | Every well, when write you will know it is | bad news Nelly wanted to explain but she had no l time to do so. The train was going tostart
 Make haste," said Joseph, hurrying her | away. ''It is only writing him line when I | get to London" thought Nelly. ''Poor Joe he was hurt"
 An accident which had taken place on the | line delayed the train, so that it was nine in | the morning when it reached the station. Sir | John lived at the other end of the town, and It was ten by the time Ellen got to his house. James opened the door for her, and very cross James looked. The poor fellow had been kept on duty almost the whole time she was away.
 "A pretty mess you made of it, ma'am," he said, with sarcastic politeness and a nice way poor Sir John and have been in all the time.'
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