The Indiana State sentinel., 1879-05-21
Nellie. violatioa of ai1 rqls vm ihc6s my
eternal displeasufe. Govern yourselves &C.

ery much-snd-I win feel highly honored
to be allowed to address You by your Chris
tian name." r-ffLW
,sPshaw, Tom! it'll please her. Won't it,
Nelle" ~ &f
She laughed and gave me q bewitching
look accom- panied with q nod.
'sI was going to say,n said Nellie, 'that
perhaps you could sing with me-"
''No, no; excuse me, l can't sing
Nellie" h
( The word was uttered with gasp, and
certainly turned violently red in the face.
Joe was looking at me, and saw he had
desperate struggle 10 control the muscles of
his mouth.
tranced with her magnificent voice. The
evening passed on golden wings. Joe ran on
in his wild old way; told his jokes and
laughed Just as boisterously as he did when
we roomed together at college. he did not
give Us much chance to join in the conver.
sation; for one comic anecdote reminded
him of another which he must tell. We
both laughed heartily at his stories, and
talked volumes to each other with our eyes
That night I dreamed loved Nellie. fOh,
truthful dream!) dreamed she reciprocated
that love. (0h, vain DREAMY Then I
dreamed intrigue began We determined to
elope. My heart bled for poor Joe, but
felt it was death to live without her. Now
she has met me under the old elm south. OF
Joe's house. see her pale, excited face!
we are fleeing! On, on, and now we are pur
sued Joe is on our track! The scene changes,
and we are on the river. We glide along
smoothly in q light boat. Now we are
safe, and she is mine-mlne forever. But
no, Joe still pursues us. Now he is close to
us. Why can not we glide faster? Joe sp-
proaches swiftly. Now he closes in on u.s.
He has caught her in his cruel grasp Her
beautiful pleading eyes are raised 10 mine
Joe raises a knife aloft. Then catch his
| srm; we struggle silently together. wrest
the knife from his grasp and plunge 1t into
| his breast, and he drops from the misty
| boat and sinks beneath. the dark
| waves. How dark the river has grown
! by the pale light of the moon! The gaunt
| and gastly figure of Mr.. Long suddenly
emerged from the waves. saw him catch
| my darling in his long arms, and, before l
| could interfere, they had both disappeared
beneath the turbld waves OF the river. This
| awoke me. / arose and resumed my wear
| ing apparel, bathed my feveish face and
went forth into the air to try and exercise
| the evil spirits with fragrant Havana.
By the ensuing morning my dream had
ceased to trouble me, but the reality of
1 things did not cease. There was Nellie be-
| fore me in all her beauty, all her sweetness.
| to tempt me on to love her. There was Joe,
| with all his exuberance OF spirit, and as un-
suspicious as child, to tempt me on to love.
| He seemed to do all In his power to bring us
| together. He often lured us into interesting
conversation, or managed to get us engaged
in singing and playing, and then leave us
alone for hours. Days passed away
| and lapsed into weeks. In these
weeks 1 was almost the constant
companion of Nellie Hall. We were out
| boating, riding, and to innumerable con-
| certs and entertainments. all through the
suggestion and planning of Joe. felt and
| first sight-now I was irretrievably in love.
The thought of breaking away from this
| charming creature caused me pain like unto
death. 1 resolved to leave. No matter what
it cost me, the only honorable course for me
| to pursue was to return to the city and for
| get-no. not forget, for never could 1 forget
the only woman ever loved or could love
Joe was absent on the day arrived at this
| determination. All the better, I thought;
1t would be easier to get away. proceeded
to pack up and get ready to go on the even
ing train. l noticed, during the process of
packing, that the long body Of Long was
overshadowing ME. He seemed determined
not to let anything escape his observation.
At length, when had finishedm work, he
approached me. His long arm was raised to
his breast pocket, and from thence he alb
stracted letter, which he handed to me. l
tore it opsn; it was from Joe, and read:
Thomas Thurston. you are traitor! 1 no
longer doS6t your perdy; Long has watched m @
anI OF with Il her se
satisfaction, and it can only be h Ad from your
hearts blood. Meet me on the river bank
/ and, by the light of the moon and in the pres
ence of Long, we viii settle our differences.
looked up. Long had disappeared, and
\ "Why. Tom, you're not going to leave us,
4 are you?" she asked.
| i thought she addressed me in q tone ol
regret. looked in her bright eyes-such
beautiful, loving eyes! How could l pain
her? How could drive the blood from her
cheeks and the light from her eyes By show
ing her Joe's letter and telling her all? She
came very near to me, and said, coaxingly
Don't go, Tom; 1 will be so lonely here
now"
leave you'-my words came fast and almost
inarticulately. 81 ought to be on my way
now. and can only stay long enough to bid
you adieu."
"But, Tom. what will Joe say? Surely you
will stay till ne comes!" she cried.
mo. no; I can not, Nellie; indeed, car
not. 1 can never forget the happiness have
had had here this sum mer; but must leave
you now, and Ifear-it-is-foreyer!"
My voice was unsteady, and clasped
both her hands very tightly in mine.
Forever" she repeated. "Oh, Tom
foreverl"
What q world of tenderness, of regret, il
her intonations! 1t died away as wall o
woe- & 4t w t@
mo, Nellie, never shall see you again
| never sndu L Gasp tneSe iltLlo uhuuS IL
\ mine-never hear the music of your swee
, voice shall never see you again, neverl'
, 'sNeverl" the moan died away, and tn,
beautiful eyes were raised to mine in speech
less agony that wrung my heart with pain.
t "Oh, Nellie, do not break my heart! NJ.
! grief, my wretchedness is beyond bearin
now. Your beloved eyes looking into min
. will haunt my coming years. You know
r my secret. Recriminate me il you will
: Nellie, my darling" light sprung int
, her eyes-a strange, dazzling hight tina
{ spread over her beautiful face-the light o
; measureless love, of transport of JOY
( FAREWELL" cried, in husky voice, no
daring to stay longer; farewell" ana
( turned to go, when her fingers closed owe
mine. 1 turned to her again, and she threy
r her arms about my neck.
"You must not 60. You shall not 60, 70
, Il love-you!' and the beaming face Wa
q hidden on nv breast. .tfs