The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-10-07

I
meath him in rank, the old gentleman
disowned his son, and forbade him ever
to enter the home Of his childhood days
again. Your father, Nettie, was as
proud as his unjust parent, and though
we struggled hard at first for sustenance,
we finally amassed enough money to
carry us over the broad Atlantic, and we
found comfortable home here where
you were born."
"Well, / declare !" calculated the
girl. "This is revelation to me,
mamma. But my possessing noble
blood does not alter our situation.
What shall we do?'
81 cannot tell" replied the widow,
despondingly.
The next day Iennox called at the
cottage, and Nettio told him their mis-
fortune. He tried to comfort her as
best he could, and then left her. He
called several times after that, but
seemed to grow less affectionate as the
time passed 10y.
He left Roselle for four months, and
returned again when the flowers were
beginning to bud into beauty with the
advance of another spring, BY this
time Nettie and her mother were
sorely pressed for money; they had
lived comfortably through the winter,
owing to the kindness of the grocer,
who had brought them such groceries
as they needed every week. Mrs. Bor-
rowdale had told the man she had not
the money to pay for it but he smiled,
and saying no money was needed, went
away with her blessing. This had con-
tinued until Mr.. Vale's return in spring,
when the grocer suddenly ceased bring
ing them their weekly basketful On
the day of Mr. Vale's arrival letter
bearing the post-mark of New York was
handed to Mrs. Borrowdale, and won
dering who her correspondent could be
as she had never received letter in the
twenty years she had resided in Amer
ica-she opened and read it, Its con
tents seemed to perplex her considera-
bly, and her leaving Roselle with Net
tie for New York that same day, per-
picked the villagers still more.
Lennox called during her absence,
and he was attired more fastidiously
than he ever appeared before. There
was an extreme nervousness in his man
ner, too, and when he found the house
lockedNp, although he appeared to be
disappointed, he breathed sigh of re-
lief and went away again.
Nettie and her mother returned to
Roselle the next day, and both seemed
to be greatly excited at something which
had occurred. Lennox called again in
the afternoon, and as he approached the
garden he saw Nettie wedding the
flower beds. A little cry escaped her
lips when she saw him, and she flew to
him with hearty greeting. Then she
noticed how grave he looked, and a
chill came over her heart when she
thought of his coldness when she told
him of their poverty. Was he fortune
seeker, and thinking her financially
"well off" had been hoping to gain her
and her fortune? The widows having
had Il comfortable amount of money in
the bank was no secret, bnt none knew
of her losses save Nettie and Lennox
besides herself, In her innocence Net
tie did not imagine that Lcnnox was
anything else than poor man, and if
he proposed she would have accepted
him rs such /; but now
He spoke gravely to her as they wan
dcred in the shade of the trees in the
garden, and in the course of his conver-
sation declared he loved her, and asked
her to be his own. The sweet words of
consent trembled on her lips, but an
instant later a thought occurred to her
that sent the blood from her face and
left it as white as snow. She trembled
violently, and with a negative answer
she burst into passion of weeping, and
breaking from his embrace ran into the
house.
He stood still u moment, utterly
dumbfounded then, with contracted
brews, he hurried after her, firmly re-
solved TO hear an explanation Of her
strange conduct. He found her in the
parlor weeping on her mothers breast.
Then u dim idea of why she acted as
she did crossed his mind but he
said,--
"Nettie, you must explain this. Mrs,
Borowdale, do yoU think am fortune
hunter2
~ cannot tell, Mr.. Vale" replied the
widow, coldly. "If you truly loved my
darling daughter, why did you not con-
fess it when she was in her most
Strengthened circumstances p
81 will explain" he replied hurriedly.
"But first, Nettie, if you truly love me,
come to my arms"
The young girl hesitated moment ;
then the sweet emotion that enthralled
her very soul proved its strength, and
she flew to his embrace, and was claspod