The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-03-02

inc urlNe.
Nell actually gasped as she looked
after him. That was new order of
things, to be sure.
Only yesterday Dick Lynch6eld
would have considered sail down the
river alone with her the seventh Hea
ven of delight.
She must teach him better manners.
He would surely claim that sail to-
morrow; then she would punish him.
But on the morrow Dick had appar-
emily quite forgotten the matter. Nell
watched him with increased exaspera-
tiou He treated her with gay gal
lantry that was very unlike his usual
earnest Difference.
He did not try to gain a single tete
q tete with her, and he tlirted outra-
geously with Helen Durfur. He
seemed suddenly to have acquired a
new power and fascination.
Nell wondered that she had never
before noticed how handsome Dick
was, and how pleased the other girls
were with his attentions. He had
been her humble slave for so long that
she had ceased to put any special value
on his delicate attentions but she
missed them sadly to day, with sur
prise and anger at first, then gradual
sense of pain and fear lest through her
own willfulness she had lost him,
They were standing together upon
the veranda late in the afternoon,
watching a group who were practicing
archery upon the lawn.
"Dick," she said, reproachfully,
you were to take me down the river
to-day"
81 declare, so I was - exclaimed
Dick in well simulated dismay.
"Better late than never ma m selle !!
and then leaning over the veranda
railing, he called the others "Judson
Simmons, Fiske, and ladies, what dc
you say to n sail down the river? The
moon will be up by the time we re
turn"
His proposal was hailed with ac
clamations of approval, and ten min
utes later they all went trooping dowl
to the shore.
As for Nell, she was ready to or,
with disappointment, for she had ex
pec,ed to regain the lost ground in
quiet sail with Dick, but it was yer,
evident that he thought nothing at al
of being alone with her.
She had lost him now, all through
her own foolishness. And worst o
all, she must keep up brave front fo
it would never do for her to nope il
the presence of her guests. Not on,
of the party was so gay and bright a
| Dick he laughed, and sang, and tol,
stories, and Nell looked, and listened
and smiled, with a growing pain an,
dreariness in her heart
They came home through the moon
light, Nell walking silently with down
cast eyes at Dicks side. He looked a
her pale cheek and said tenderly, We
with certain light undertone:
"Iired little girl?
Nell laughed and did not look II
lest he should see the tears in her eyes
"No indeed" !" she said
After that he hardly spoke to he
all the evening.
As the summer deepened, Nell an
Dick seemed to have changed places
OF all the lordly, cavalier-like lover,
he was the greatest; and of all tn
meek, deprecating maidens, she wa
the meekest and most deprecating.
And strangest of all, Mother Oakle
made no attempt to bring matters to
climax, although she could hardly hel
seeing that Nell's capricious heart ha
fixed itself upon this handsome youn
fellow, who seemed in no haste t
make known his Intentions. Ho
was Nell or anyone else to know tn;
Dick had already made confdant {
Mother Oakley and won her owe
to his side?
1t was a lovely day in August; s
near to September that some of til
richness aud dreaminess of autumn
seemed to have favored it.
Nell, on the way home from IL
village in her pony carriage, had owe
taken Dick, and he was beside ht
now, watching the little, gray glove
: hands that held the reins.
Presently he told her in cool, il
different sort of way that the firm {
y which he was silent partner, woul
send him to South America next montl
that he would probably spend two {
three years there.
Poor little Nellie. Her pretty fat
, was like white rose. She tried I
meet Dicks keen eyes with a careles
smile, but she could not control til
, quiver of her pallid lips. In an agon
of shame she dropped the reins an
} clasped both hands over her tear-fille
r eyes.
Dick caught the reins in one har
= and uncovered her face with the othe
'Look here, Nell, he said, rath
hoarsely, "Would you like to go
2 South America with me 2"
81 would go to the end of the wor
t with you, Dick, you know that" 81
cried, a passionate sob rather distur
l ing the clearness of her enunciation.
Dick drew the little fearful dams
closer to him, and kissed her in
: masterful way.
"All right honey" he said concisel
"llave you a pretty, white frock al
all the fixings? We will be marie
i in just two weeks"
"Oh, | could not get ready so soon
\ demurred Nell, wiping her eyes al
trying to look dignitied.
"You must" asserted my lord, cali
y, ''or | must go without you"
a And he kissed her again, and n,
clung to him and declared that
/ shouldn't go without her if she had
be married in print dress, And
e didn't. Nell accompanied him
r South America,one of the daintiest lit
Y wives imaginable, with an irreproac