The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-10-04

+" suppose the Colonel is still improv-
doing very we'll"
"Oh ; they are all fools,'' Seth replied,
angrily. "The Colonel eau walk round
the room little on crutches, and that's
something he never expected to do
Just think, twelve years, Miss Caroline,
without walking step. tell you that
last Bull Run gave him dose"
Isn't that better ?" the lady inquired
Grossly, the blood coming back to her
face in great surge. Some emotion
must manifest itself, aud, as sometimes
happens, in cases where there has had
to be great repression, anger is the first
to come forward.
That's better as far as 1t goes" said
Seth, but the Colonel's health is very
bad, and the doctor says if he don't
have something to rouse him from the
awful fix he's got into he's goner. He
looks fearful, Miss Caroline. His eyes
are as big as saucers, and he's pale as a
ghost"
"Well, we have all got to be ghosts
some time," the young lady answered,
after pause, and with an assumption
of heartlessness which was utterly for
eign to her nature.
:" shall be obliged to you, Seth," she
continued moment after, +" II you will
ask John to saddle Nero. L will be
ready in ten minutes
You've done it, Seth Smith, said
Huldah, in rage, as her mistress walk
ed out of the kitchen and closed the
door. "Going to ride Nero. l don't
believe the Old Harry himself has got a
horse in his stable that'll come up to
Nero for viciousness. If you'd only
held your tongue she'd helped me to
make some cake, and been as peaceable
as you please. Now she's all worked
up"
I'm glad of it, said Seth. " It's
time somebody was worked up, and If
you could see the Colonel you'd think
SO too"
Yes" said Seth, "of course he did,
'Tisn't likely an honest, square-minded
man like Colonel Lowell would expect
woman to stick to an engagement
with a cripple for life, is it? But I'm
just as sure as if I'd heard him say so,
that he never thought Miss Caroline
would take him at his word. She thinks
he wanted to get rid of her, so there's a
pair of idiots together"
~ 10 atab
Nero, and brought him round to the
front of the house. Miss Caroline had
spot on each cheek, as she walked down
the hawthorn -hedged path to the gate
where Seth waited.
"John wasn't anywhere round" said
Seth, apologizing quite humbly, for do
ing the lady kindness land so 1
brought the horse round myself Shall
l give you mount, Miss Caroline 2"
"Yes; thank you, Seth," she replied,
sprlnging at once to the saddle, and
while her companion held the snortng
and impatient Nero, Miss Caroline, drew
on and buttoned her gauntlet gloves.
81 don't know but this beast will be
the death of you, sometime, Miss Caro-
line!" Seth remarked as he stepped
out of the way of the dangerous hoofs.
"Oh, WE'LL" the lady replied, eff he
is, there's one good thing, there won't
be any one to care very much about
it,"
This was said with childish petulence,
but the tender look in the deep gray
eyes, and round the lips which would
tremble in spite of all efforts, touched
her companion to the heart.
Seth," she broke out again, before
he could collect his wits to reply, "you
are always talking to me or at me, which
means the same thing, onlyit is more
disagreeable, about Colonel Lowell, and
as If were in some way responsible for
all that has happened to him. Now, 1
want to tell you one thing, and 1 hope
you will remember it sufficiently to spare
me in the future, and it is this-I am no
more to blame for Colonel Lovell'sbeing
aloneand unhappy, either in the past or
in the present time, than 1 am for the
wounds which have made him an inva-
lid all these years. If he had allowed
me, 1 should have been with him, not as
a duty, but because couldn't be any
where else, in comfort but could not
force myself upon Colonel Lowell, Seth.
You have heard of course that he broke
the engagement. 1 have given every
body to understand this, because could