The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-03
Nathaniel Hollis Idol
Il am so tired!n

pettlsh exclamation broke through the
fragrant stiffness OF the autumnal even
ing, like a Earring chord in some exqui-
site melody, and Nathaniel Holt looked
up from his paper with a slight trown
on his bronzed, handsome face.
He was tired, very tired, after a day OF
hard labor on his mountain lands, and
had thrown himself into u great easy
chair OF his mothers, on the south porch,
for a moments rest; and he could not
understand how the speaker, u tall, sup
pie girl, with hands as white as milk,
who passed her time in comparative
idleness, could be tired.
For Elsie Marian was not one given
to unusual exertion, and generally man
aged to secure the good things of this
World with as much ease as was posi-
ible'or consistent with her position as
dependent niece in the home of her
mothers sister, Nathaniel Hollis aged
mother, who simply adored the bright
young girl who lad brought sunshine
into her old house, and whose helpless
orphanage covered many serious faults.
At this moment Elsie was seated on
a garden stool, half hidden by the droop-
ing boughs OF a willow. laboriously at
tempting to twist tiny punches of dog
wood berries and autumn leaves into a
wreath, her dead gold hair falling about
a face rs fair as any lily that lifted its
spotless brow to the opal sky, and no
violet that ever blossomed in the cool
tufts ofmeadow grass beyond the willow
copse wa rs blue as the modest eyes she
lifted 10 Nathaniel Hollis troubled face.
He stood owe her. his hands folded
on his back, and his broad, bronzed
brow flushed a little with some sudden
inward emotion.
"Elsie," he began, the brown eyes
that she dared not meet searching the
face that dropped beneath his gaze,
what has tired you"
Nothing"
You were once a contented, happy
girl, Elsie; what has changed you?"
Nothing" she spoke listlessly, yet a
faint, sea-shell pink crept into the round
soft cheeks and up to the roots of golden
hair.
Yes, Elsie, something has changed
%you-you are the same, and yet not the
same. You have lost your blitheness;
you do not come to me with kind words,
US you once did,, Elsie, and charm all
my cares away. Tell me why"
Nathaniel Holt sat down on the grass
mt his cousins feet and watched the
color come and 20 in the face above
him. He was terribly in earnest, this
sober, self-contained man of thirty, for
this young girl had been his idol for
years.
~ am not changed" Elsie tried to
steady her voice. Il am the same to-
day that I have been every day for
years. You know I'm twenty, and I
must try and be womanly."
HAS Lewis Walton anything to do
with the change. Elsie?"
Elsie's face blushed crimson, yet she
laughed merrily.
No. You surely arc not jealous,
Nathaniel"
1t was Nathaniel's turn to blush now,
which he did to perfection. For answer
ne drew the dogwood berries out of the
little hands, and held the slender fingers
in his own.
II am not jealous, Elsie; you do not
seem contented of late-you are always
tired, you never run up the mountain
path to meet me, or take long rambles
in the woodland. so as to be lear me, as
you once did. You see, I have grown
SO used to your tender, watchful love,
Elsie. it would be hard to give it up.
And I have thought that you had grown
tired Of me. and had given your love to
Lewis Walton, who seems amore fitting
mate"
"a divorced man. Nathaniel" Elsie
cried, lifting her eyebrows slightly, al
though her cheeks were dyed with burn
ing bushes and her lips trembled ner-
vouslv.
"a divorced man." repeated Nathan
iel. looking her full in the face; &" yes,
Elsie. there is danger of you forgetting
me through him, for he is . more pol
ished, more fascinating man; yet, Elsie.
dear, he is rs unstable rs the wind. and
not calculated to make any woman
happy" ,:
ble,"broke on. Elsie, whose conscience
was not rs easy rs it might have been;
"when | gave my promise to be your
wife. l meant To keep it,"
Nathaniel Holt drew the golden head
down to his breast End breatlleG n silent
prayer overi it. For Elsie was = woman,
With a beautiful woman's love Of the
worlds follics and aduIation, and he
knew enough Of Lewis Walton's char
acter to know the arguments he would
use, and tina: he would not be sparing Of
ilattering speeches.
Remember this. Elsie" he says
solemnly. what God had Joined to-
gether. let no..lnan put asunder; and al
though the law has separated Lewis
Walton and his wife. in the sight of Goo
she is his wife still"
"There," Elsie lifted her face sud
denly, and held up her lips for a kiss
that will do. must 90 in to Aunt
Eunice."
Nathaniel Holt kissed the lovely face
not once, but many times; and year:
after those passionate kisses were re-
membered with kaenest pain. Elsie
slipped away from I,im and a intoftht
house, and Nathaniel, si!enced but moi
convinced, sat perfectly still and tried
70 reason away his fears, with knitted
brOwS.
After that life went on much as usua,
at the Holt farm. Elsie was to become
its mistress at Christmas, and her aunt
Eunice was very busy over the expected
wedding. She loved Elsie with q
mothers love already, and Nathaniel,
as the autumnal months drifted by,
grew Il tribe thoughtful, for Lewis
Walton, who had been a summer CUES,
in the neighborhood, still fingered and