The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-01-12
NELLIE's NEW YEARS VISIT.

"Quarreled with Frankr exclaimed
Mrs. Wentworth. "Quarreled with
Frank! echoed the husband in the same
breath, ard with no less amazement.
Then they both looked at Nellie.
Nellie was Mrs. Wentworth's unmarried
sister, and she now stood before them
all dusty with travel, having just &C.
counted for her unexpected journey by
saying she had "quarreled with Frank
the said Frank being her lover, to whom
she had bssn engaged.
"Quarreled with Frank!' repeated
Mrs. Wentworth, holding up her
hands. sob, Nellie! and thought him
30 nicer'
Nellie laughed.
Don't look so horrifedr' she cried
"The faults all mine. You were good
enough to ask me to spend the winter
with you, but declined, because, you
see, thought was in love with Frank
But now that find I am not, l have
come"
'Not in love with Frank" exclaimed
her sister. holding up both hands. "Oh,
Nellie! how can you say SOP"
But l do say it. Or, rather, I find
can't marry parson, and live hum
drum life in some stuffy little rectory all
my days. So Frank must 90. I have
come here on the last day of Decem Der,
as you see, so as to finish off the old year
and be done with the old life. To-mor-
row begin new year and a new life.
shall come out, as it we're, at your recep-
ton. 1 intend to catch millionaire,
and be happy forever AFTER as the story
book says"
"Be happy forever after?" echoed her
brother-in-law, obviously.
"And why not?" replied the gay girl
turning sharply on him. Doesn't every
body nowadays say that money is the
chief good? You've got SO much of it
yourself you don't understand about 9TH
ers. You can afford to be romantic, but
1 can't. And as for living all my days in
a poky little rectory-"
"Ah, my dearr' interrupted her sister,
with a deprecating shake of her head.
There now, don't be didactic," re-
torted Nellie, laughing. 1T doesn't be-
come you, darling, and besides, / intend
to have my own way. I always did have
it you know"
Nothing more, therefore was said about
Frank. The winter that followed was
one of the gayest for years. Not an even
ing passed that Nellie was not present at
some party or other. and the days were
filled up with reception calls, sleighing
parties, etc. For Mrs. Wentworth's
beautiful sister was quite a belle. A
dozen fortunes were laid at her feet be-
fore Lent came, bringing with it some
slight cessation of the round of gayeties;
but they were all rejected. This sutton
was too cold that one insufficiently Guilt
waited, third was too obviously selfish a
fourth too high tempered. Besides, now
that she had tasted of the siren cup of
fashionable society, Nellie found as many
a one had found before, that it was, after
all, but dead sea ashes" She turned
from it finally with loathing.
II suppose l have exhausted life,"
she said one day as she sat in her dress
ing room, and curiously regarded her
self in the mirror. 81 am looking fright
fully old and worn-not a bit like the
fresh, bright girl that came here last
December. The fact is, all men are tops
or fools, seeking rich wives; and we,
we'll, we're no better; all the women are
scheming puppets, among which may
class myself, trying to secure rich hus-
bands. I'm Disguised with them" she
cOntlnueuS Win myseI mOSt VI Ill.
I'd rather go back and marry the parson,
and mend stockings in the bay window
of the little green rectory, than marry
the best man in society"
"But the parson isn't there now"
said Mrs. Wentworth to her, one day,
when she had repeated something like
this in her presence.
What has he left Dingley parish ?"
and she gave gasp, while the color fed
from her cheeks.
Eyes, heard he had"
"Left Dingley parish What, for
good?'
80 suppose. Some rich city church
has called him. They thought the jewel
required finer setting
''And it did" she said frankly. Frank
was too great for us and our little
village; l might have seen it. Why
hasn't anybody written? Mother knew
that lat least, she might have thought
that it would have been of some interest
to me-"
Mamma knew you had thrown him
over, and took it for granted, I suppose.
that you didn't care to hear"
Nellie's reply was . significant shrug
Of the shoulders.