The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-29
AT THE END.
"I aIu SO tiredI"

II aIu so tiredl'
The fute-like voice that uttered this
pettish exclamation broke through the
fragrant stiffness of the autumnal even
ing, like jarring chord in some exquis-
ite 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 a great easy
chair of his mothers, on the south porch,
for moments rest; and he could not
understand how the speaker, a tall, sup
pie girl, with hands as white as milk,
who passed her time in comparative idle
ness, 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 depen-
dent niece in the home of her mothers
sisters, Nathanial Holts 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.
He stood over her, his 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 hisgaze, "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 her
golden hair.
II am not changed" Elsie tried to
steady her voice. II am the same to-day
that have been every day for years.
You know Pm 20, and / must try and
be womanly."
"Has Lewis Walton anything to do
with the change, Elsiew
Elsie's face blushed crimson, yet she
laughed merrily.
"No. You are surely not jealous, Ma
thanielT'
1t 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.
"I am not Jealous Elsie; but you do
not seem contented of late-you are al
ways tired, you never run up the noun
tain-path to meet me, or take long ram
bles in the woodland, so as to be near
me, as you once did. You see, l have
grown SO used to your TENDER watchful
love, Elsie,it would be hard to give it up
And l have thought that you have
grown tired of me, and had given your
love to Lewis Walton, who seems more
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 nerv-
ously..
"a divorced man." repeated Nathan
iel, looking her full in the face; "yes,
Elsie, there is danger of your forgetting
me through him, for he is more pol
ished, more fascinating man; yet, Elsie,
dear, he is unstable as the wind, and not
calculated to make any woman happy"
"His divorced wife was a confirmed
Airt," Elsie says, dreamily, drawing her
hands away from NathaniePs strong
clasp, and gazing out at a scarlet rift in
the bank OF orange clouds that overhung
the western hills.
"His wife was too good for him, Elsie.
Take warning and do not listen to his
sophistries, for, believe me, he is not
worth a good woman's esteem"
"You must think me very impressi-
ble," broke out Elsie, whose con-
science was not as easy as it might have
been; "when gave you my promise to
be your wife, ! meant to keep it,"
Nathaniel Holt kissed the lovely face,
not once but many times, and years after
those passionate kisses were remembered
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 as usual
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
a mothers love already, and Nathaniel
as the autumnal months drifted by, grew
a trife thoughtful, for Lewis Walton
who had been summer guest in the
neighborhood, still fingered, and still
called on Elsie, who tried to hide hel
growing fondness for his company.
Nathaniel watched her with broodine
tenderness. He was so loyal himself tha
he would instinctively notice any waver
ing on Elsie's part he thought. yet thu
eyes of love are often blinded by self
confidence, and when Elsie came to hin
and laid her golden head against his arm
as she often did in the autumn gloom
ing, Nathanieps happiness was too deel
to be delusive, and he would hold her tt
his breast as if nothing would wrest he
from his faithful arms. Poor Elsie
Little did she know of the passionate
depth and power of this strong mani
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