The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-09-18

my thoughts have been wandering while
Nell talked.
i don't know Nell says, consulting
her letter again. Fanny does not men.
tion his name; perhaps she did not know
1t. They cay that your aunt, Miss
Rumsey. has left ell her money 10 the
son Of man whom she Tilted when she
was young. No doubt she fattered her
self that it was a touch Of poetic justice,
but must say think the plain prosaic
justice OF leaving it to her relations
would have been nearer the right thing.
or course it is all left TO some CreSus,
to whom it will be but a drop in the
bucket, says Nell, bitterly. That's the
way things always go in this world,
while We Oh, Cyril, why don't you
say somethingP Isn't it too bad, and
isn't this an uulucky dayl'
Il suppose it is say, moodily. 4
confess l cannot see how we are TO find
any good in this
We spend our evening gloomily
enough, in spite OF our efforts to cheer
up and forget l read little to Nell
from dear old Ella, and we try a game
of cribbage, Of which Nell soon tires, -
At nine o'clock we bid each other good.
night in sheer despair.
We are little more cheerful over the
breakfast table. Things cannot look
quite so bad by the mornings light as
they did in the evenings shadows.
Bridget is bringing in the hot cakes
in installments, and as she sets the plate
containing the third batch upon the To-
BILE, we notice that she is looking at us
curiously. Evidently she would fain
speak, but respect restrains her tongue.
what is it, Bridgetp' Nell asks,
kindly.
Then the Irish tongue breaks bounds
Sure, MISS she cries, AN haven't yez
heard An wasn't it a blissid thing in.
tirely that ye tore yer dress an cudn't
go to this picnic-bad cess to it and it's
likel The milkman was just after tellin'
me all about it. livery wan O. thimi--
niver wan saved-the purity dearsl-
Och, wirra, wirraP
Bridget is on the point of breaking
into genuine Irish howl, hut Nell's
words, quick and eager, nip it in the
bud: what do you mean, Bridget
what have you heardP'
Budgets tale is not easy to under
stand, diversified as it is by comments,
and embellished with interiections. -
By dint of painful and skillful question.
ings, however, we elicit the truth at
last. That truth concerns the picnic to
which but for Nell's accident we should
have gone. This picnic was gotten up
by small party Of friends from our own
town. We were to have gone by rail to
q spot five miles distant. there pick up
DR.. CASTOR, and transfer ourselves to
huge wagon which was to meet us. This
part Of the programme seems to have
been carried out, in spitesOf Nell's and
my detection. The excursion came to
an abrupt. conclusion, however; for,
barely half q mile from the station, the
horses took fright, ran violently down a
steep hill, and upset the wagon at the
bottom. Two Of the occupants were
killed outright, so Bridget reports, but
who they were she cannot say. OF the
rest not one escaped without injuries
more or less severe.
1 looked at Nell. She was white to the
lips, and her eyes looked big and wild.
Another incident of your 'unlucky
day which turns out the best of good
luck, I say, not having as yet taken III
the full sense of the catastrophe. AREN'T
you rather glad than otherwise now that
you pulled down the wardrobeP'
'Oyrill' cries Nell, in a shrill voice,
which / hardly recognize as hers. How
can I be glad2 Two were killed out
right, and Miles CASTOR was there
Nell seems frozen to statue. She
scarcely moves, scarcely speaks. Only
her dry lips whisper: You will go and
find out, will you not, Cyril dearG'
OF course will go; but just as l reach
the door l meet DIR. CASTOR himself
rushing down the street from the station.
'You herep Thank Godl' he cries. =
But Nell--is she hurtp' Is She He
pauses, unable to articulate the last
word, but l hasten to put him out Of
his misery.
Nell ii here, all right. We didn't 60
to the picnic. An accident prevented.
But your
Il did not 60 either, says DR.. CASTOR.
Il was called out unexpectedly for pro-
fessional visit. 1t was a. critical case,
and / could not leave until too late for
the train. I only heard Of the accident
this morning, and came down at once.
IT is good to see the rosy glow which
chases away Nell's pallor as / usher DR..
CASTOR into the diuing-room. It is good
to see the light Of love and gratitude
which shines from his e,es as he sees
her. / leave them alone as / catch up
my hat and make my usual frantic rush
for the train, which again ss usual /
barely succeed in catching.
Somehow / cannot work to-day. My
nerves are unstrung, my brain hangs
fire. Thoughts Of the accident, wonder
as to the real state of the case, fear as to
which Of our friends may have suffered,
crowd my mind. A remembrance OF