The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-02-26

cannot change my wounded youth,
Nor hour Of bleak hereafter,
For love to me proved tears and ruth;
For him twas lies and laughter.
NATHANIEL Hollis IDOL.
II am 30 tiredl"
The aute-ike voice that uttered this
pettish exclamation broke through the
fragrant stiffness of the autumnd even
ing like Earring chord in some exquis-
ito melody, and Nathaniel Holt looked
up from his paper with slight frown
on his bronzed, handsome face.
He was tired, very tired, after day
of hard labor on his mountain lands
and had thrown himself into q great
easy-chair of his mothers, on the south
porch, for q moments rest; and he could
not understand how the speaker. q tall,
supple girl, with hands as white a. 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 possible
or consistent with her position as de-
pendent niece in the home of her
mothers sister, Nathaniel Hollis aged
mother, who simply adored the bright
young girl who had brought sunshine
into her old house, and whose helpless
orphanage covered many serious faults.
At this moment Elsie was seated on q
garden stool, half hidden by the droop-
ing boughs Of q willow, laboriously at
tempting to twist tiny punches of dog
wood berries and autumn leaves into q
wreath, her dead-gold hair falling about
q face as fair as any lily that lifted its
spotless brow to the opal sky, and no
violet that ever blossomed in the cool
tufts of meadow grass beyond the viii
low copse was as blue as the modest
eyes she lifted to Nathaniel Hollis
troubled face.
He stood over her, bis hands folded
on his back, and his broad, bronzed
brow flushed 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 q contented, happy
girl, Elsie; what has changed you ?"
Nothing" She spoke listlessly, yet
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,
Is you once did, Elsie, and charm all
my cares away. Tell me why"
Nathaniel Holt sat down on the grass
Ut his cousins feet, and watched the
color come and 60 in the face above
him. He was terribly in earnest, this
sober, self-contained man of 80, for
this young girl had been his idol for
years.
II am not changed" Elsie tried to
steady her voice. am the same to-day
that I have been every day for years.
You know I am 20, and I must try
and be womanly."
HAS Lewis Walton anything to do
with the change, Elsie ?"
Elsie's face blushed crimson, vet she
laughed merrily.
"No. You surely are not jealous.
Nathaniel ?"
It was Nathaniel's turn to blush now,
which he did to perfection. For answer
he 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, 80 as to be near me,
as you once did. You see, I have grown
50 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 q more
fitting mate"
"A divorced man, Nathaniel" Elsie
cried lifting her eyebrows slightly,
although her cheeks were dyed with
burning bushes and her lips trembled
nervously.
"A divorced mar" repeated Nathaniel,
looking her full in the face. Eyes,
Elsie, there is danger of you forgetting
me through him, for he is . more pol
ished, more fascinating man yet, Elsie,
dear, he is as unstable as the wind
and not calculated to make any woman
happy
bic" broke out Elsie, whose conscience
was not as easy as it might have been.
When l gave my promise tobe your
wife, I meant to keep it"
Nathaniel Holt drew the golden head
down to his breast and breathed silent
prayer over it; for Elsie was q woman,
with beautiful woman's love of the
worldsf ollies and adulation and he knew
enough of Lewis Walton's character to
know the arguments he would use, and
that he would not be sparing Of aatter-
ing speeches.
Remember this, Elsie," he said, SOL
EMMY; what God has joined together,
lot no man put asunder,' and, although
the law has separated Lewis Walton
and his wife, in the sight of God she is
his wife still"
"There"-Elsie lifted her face sud-
denly, and held up her lips for kiss
that will do. I must go in to Aunt
Eunice."
Nathaniel Holt kissed the lovely face,
NOT once, but many times, and years
after those passionate kisses were re-
- membered with keenest pain. Elsie
!, slipped away from him and ran into the
house, and Nathaniel, silenced but not
convinced, sat perfectly still, and tried
to reason away his fears, with knitted
brows.
- After that life went on much a. usual
y Ct 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 a moth
er's love already, and Nathaniel, as the
:; eotumnal months drifted by, grew a
. tribe thoughtful; for Lewis Walton.
IT, who had been q summer guest in the
neighborhood, still fingered, and still
. called on Elsie, who tried to hide her
growing fondness for his company. He
was wealthy, INDECENT and gifted with a
. persuasive tongue. Elsie loved ease,