The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-22

luggage; and then sent her, under
convoy of a maid-servant, to the
presence of the lady of the house.
ut is very i'm probable I shall
have the pleasur, of seeing you
again for a long while, but
you will let me hope you may not
find it altogether unpleasant here"
Then he smiled and bowed as Nell
returned quiet, stately little ac-
acknowledgement. And that was the
preface to the gloomy, monotonous
life that opened before her at Roy
ston Towers, where the duties taxed
her time and patience to the utmost,
until, in sheer desperation, she
thought it would be better to die
than to tread the mill any longer.
And besides-somehow l shrink
from laying bare the pitiful little
secret of my sweet Nell's heart, be
cause she was so proud and sensi-
tive, and so ashamed, that even her
own self knew that she had not been
able to keep from thinking about
Duke Hartcourt, until her pure wo-
mans affection had slipped its leach
and gone irrevocably to the hand
some fellow she had never seen but
once.
So the dreary, dull life wore on,
until, all unexpectedly, one day, Mr.
Hartcourt came back to the Towt b
to come across Nell, an hour or SO
after his arrival, in the big, IRON
barred oriel window, at the end of
the long, dim picture-gallery.
All her heart was in her eyes as
she dropped them to receive his
cherry greeting.
"A prisoner of hope, Miss Nell:
Or Mariana in the Moated Granger
Or the fair one watching. for her
Prince Charming?"
She forced herself to adopt his
bantering tone.
81 greatly fear my Prince Charm
ing has forgotten where am, for he
is very long a-coming. How glad
Mrs. Grantham must be to have you
home again"
He bent steady, quizzical look
on her. ,.s'-
"Do you really think so? Now,
perhaps you may not believe it, but
it is a matter of very much more in
terest to me to know if you are equ-
ally glad"
She flushed to her temples,
81, Mr.. Hartcourt? Why, certainly
am glad. You have no idea how
fearfully lonely it is here with only
the servants"
He looked just little vexed, then
laughed.
"Thanksr' II understand. Any
thing is welcome that breaks the
monotony. Well and he stopped
trifie nearer to her face, and look
ed steadily into her eyes, with q
glance that made her pulses stil
! holtly, perhaps 1 deserve to be pun
lshed for my presumption. But
had thought so much of you. and
i imagined-I see now, foolishly-
that you might be as glad as / te
renew the acquaintance"
Then Nell raised her frank, sweet
eyes honestly, and a charming little
impulse, laid her hand on his.
"And so 1 am glad-as glad as
glad can be, Mr.. Hartcourt. And
please, don't call it presumption
because-because-"
He was softly caressing the little
dark hand, and looking at her with
kindling eyes.
Because what, little Lady Nelli
Because You feel forced to admit you
have not utterly forgotten me? Bless
you for that"
and for one little instant, as his
pressure on her hand frightened
Nell thought that he would be gull
ty of the horrible presumption Of
kissing her.
And 1 think she was right, but
that something in her face deferred
him. :
1t is so easy to understand what
followed; how. in the succeeding
golden days, Roysten Towers was &
paradise to this girl, who bloomet
and blossomed into a glad radiance
that even old Mrs. Grantham's snap
ping, inerciless black eyes detected
and at once comprehended. -
81 want you to let Duke alone,
she said, coarsely, to Nell, one day
''No good comes of these interview
! between rich young men and obscur
young girls" -oa ' i
, And Nell had turned like rag
ing leopardess on her, with marble
white face and glowing eyes. /
"Mrs Grantham, allow no on
, to speak to me in such way.
| you object to your nephewsI acquail
tance with me. lay your command
on him, not on me" -H
!, And, somehow, the old lad
: thought she would not say anythin
!, further to Nell on the subject, bu
q take her advice, and speak to Nj
Hartcourt. ..4.-e ao,ful
f This she was slow to do, ant
an hours heated discussion betwee
1 the old lady and her nephew. Ne
f happened to pass the door, on ht
!. way to her duties, just as his loy
t clear lazy voice, enunciated q sci
a tence that paralyzed her for a se
ond, and then sent her flying j
8 shame and anguish to the privat
Q of her own room; just a single sci
j. tence-this: -.
oil aDo not let us discuss it furthe
n auntie, for 1 have pledged you n
II word that nothing could induce n
to marry Miss Wilton. although
t. daresay, she is all very we'll in b
n place" "la.a Y Z .Haeea,,s' Il
Oh, ii was SO cruel-so awfnll
is awfully cruel. And poor Nelrs hea
o was crushed aad~ buried past all a
Ie tempt at rallying. go .-,.... ~. 81.
=. And SO, rather than ever see hi
z again, or hear again the voice 81