Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-04-17
New Series-Vol. 1o. No. IA.

standing in the DOORWAY, as / asked.
No one noticed how staggered into the
hall, or how snatehed nv hat from the
stand and darted up the mountain side
to cool my fevered brow and still nv
throbbing pulses. How / went or where
L went could never remember: have
some recollection of falling as bonnG-
ed across beck, of old Elspa's face bend
ing over me, and then no more, until
found myself in my own snowy bed, with
Winnie watching me and an array
OF physic bottles ON the window seat.
Elspa had found me where l had fall
len, half in half out of the stream. I'm
able to drag me thence she had summon
ed help with peculiar whistle she kept
suspended to her girdle, the shrill note of
which no shepherd dared to dlsobey.
1t brought a couple of shepherds to the
spot. My limbs were lifted out of the
stream-she had already bathed my brow
and plastered up my temple-and then |
was carried slowly down, to interrupt
the answer Uncle Ritson was sending to
Bella and Mr.. Neville.
My fall and the immersion were ae-
credited with the prolonged fever which
almost bafied my good uncle's skill. If
anyone suspected otherwise it was old
Elspa, but she was too "wise" to revert
to the subject when she came to see me
eye my cOnvalescence.
Very slow was my recovery, retarded
no doubt by the scraps Winnie read to
me as pleasant news" from her sisters
LETTERS 1t was now Eddie" this or ed
die" that; and as l shut my ewes and
faa fb.o1 1,o&A - r
felt indignant that my nOble-fronted Ed
gar should have pet name like baby
To me he had the majesty of monarch.
How could she address him so?
was down stairs before the Christ
mas came able and willing to assist my
aunt in her multitudinOus preparations,
and tried to smile and look gratifed dur
ing the Christmas merry making.
l had heard but hardly seemed to rea-
liZe, that Bella was to be married early
in the new year, and that she and her
husband would come to spend the honey
moon with us. and was doing my best
to nerve myself for the meeting.
The old year was closing in. Elspa-
who else-came up to the house with a
letter she had found lying in a by-road.
1t should have been delivered some days
previously, and it was supposed that the
pOstman had taken more drink than was
good for him during the Christmas "eand
ings," and dropped it by the way.
Goodness! how that letter stunned
me! Bella was by that time married.
She and her husband were to be with us
on New Years Day, and they would
bring with them New Years gift for
Cousin Adela, as thank Offering for
bringing them together Their photo
graphs were enclosed.
l saw the only one. Yes, it was Ed
gars. There was no mistake.
The house was at once in a hustle of
preparation. Again l slipped out, to
hide my agony and prepare myself for
the coming trial.
Dreamily went along. saw nothing
before me but that meeting on the NOR
row and the revelation it was sure to
bring. My mind seemed a chaos, in
which thought was lost.
All at once l found myself on the
reedy margin of the lake, as the silver
circle of the moon was rising above the
mOuntain-tops. And there I stood, look
ing ON the dark waters, whilst some
thing seemed to whisper to me that there
was peace; that l need not meet the
proud bride and my incOnstant love un-
less / chose, that l might hide my sOrrOws
and secrets here, and none be the wiser.
My foot was on the brink There was
step ON the stones behind me- / turn
ed; and / think my half-formed purpose
was visible in my face, as l once more
confronted old Elspa, weird and witch
like in the moonlight, warning finger
held up.
Sharp were her words, sharp as nv
need. She bade me go down on my knees
and thank God that He had sent her to
save me from my third peril-the peril
of body and soul. What was / pulling
over? What right had to fling away
the life that was given for the service of
others? How dared tempt death, low
ing the creature more than the Creator?
She had heard me raying to the winds
when / thought myself alone, and had
kept watch upon me, And she bade
me go back home and pray to be forgiV-
en-, and to trust the Lord to make his
ways plain"
She took me by the hand and led me
back like penitent child; said to my
aunt that she thought 1 was not well,
duU ny HcI ICdNc hOulQ Wdlcu Ul6
through the night. Something she gave
me. too, and 1 slept.
When awOke a ehaise was at the
gate, and before could fasten my dress
with my trembling fingers, Bella had
burst in, radiant with happiness, and
flung her arms around me.
"Come, Adela, make hasteI said she,
Edward is all impatienee to see you and
show you our New Years gift"
Edward" L grasped.
"Yes, my dear Edward! Did you not
know his name?"
1t was all a tangle. / followed her to
the living-room below, where the great
holly bush was hanging, and there stood
a stranger, who was introduced to me as
James Edward Neville, my new cousin
and surely, too, Edgar, my own Edgar;
for he held out his arms and caught me
as / was falling.
He had been best man at his cousins
wedding, and Bella had only seen him
few days previously. The postman must
have lost another letter, one Edgar had
sent to me. The photograph had been
enclosed by mistake. The other would
be in the lost letter.
Old Elspa kept my secret well But
never forget the>lesson she had taught
me; and though Edgar carried me away
from Cumberland as proud a wife as
Bella, we took good care of old Elspa for
the rest of her days.-COrnells Maga-
zine. ~
H. a. U-an n,,s sn.o nHosn,S