Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-09-03
Like Man, Like Husband.

Mr.. Marcus Wilkinson sat alone in
his office, with dainty little per-
fumed note between his fingers,
and puzzled frown upon his brow.
The note, directed in graceful fem
mime hand, was brief:
Dear Guardian,-I will be at the
office at ten in the morning, to con-
suit you upon matter of import
ance NELLIE.
ga matter of Importance, mutter-
ed Mr.. Wilkinson, twisting the note
nervously. ''Can my fears be true?
Has Cyril Ormsby proposed to my
pearl? l am afraid he has And
what can 1 say? What can I urge
against the man, if Nellie's own in
stincts have played her false? Ten
o'clock p
The last silvery stroke of the man
tie clock had not died away when the
door of the office was opened by a
clerk, and Nettie Bentley entered the
room.
Just few words to describe the
ward of whom Marcus Wilkinson al
ways thought of as pearl, lily,
everything pure and fair. She was
of medium height, slender and grace
full, with thoughtful face of exquis-
ite beauty.
Very young, only eighteen, Nellie
Bentley had borne early the sorrows
of life. Her father, having been
wealthy, had failed in business, and
committed suicide. Her mother, del
icate and helpless, had fought power
ty feebly for two years, and sinking
under privation and toll had contract
ed a fatal disease. When all hope
of life was over, news came that Mel
lies uncle dying abroad, had left a
large fortune to his only sister. A
will was made by the dying woman,
leaving her own too lately won indie
pendence to Nellie, and appointing
their old friend, Marcus Wilkinson,
guardian to the heiress.
Sorrowing, and womanly beyond
her years, Nellie turned from her
own grief to a noble endeavor to
solace some of the trials of those
with whom her own poverty had
made her familiar. A cousin had
come at Mr.. Wilkinson's request to
make home for his ward, and she
resumed many long interrupted stud
les. But large portion of her time
was spent in the humble homes of
those who had been her mothers
friends in the dark days of widow
hood; and her gentle charities soon
extended far beyond this small cir
| Gle.
She had been an orphan for two
years on the day when she came to
seek Mr.. Wilkinson, as already de-
scribed, and the sorrows of her life
had lost some of their bitter sting,
leaving only gentle sadness behind.
"Well, Nellie,' the old gentleman
said, "what brings me to the pleas
ure of seeing you to-day?'
SIT is about myself Nellie said,
the softest rose tints flushing her
cheeks.
"Dear me! I didn't know you
ever took such an Insignificant per-
son into consideration at all.''
"Now, Uncle Mare, please don't
tease.'
"She wants something enormous, !"
said the old gentleman, mentally ad-
dressing the walls. "Whenever l
am Uncle Marc / know what to ex-
pect next
But then the kind man detected
signs of trouble in Nellie's face; and
the jesting voice was at once turned
to one of tender gravity.
"What is it, my child"
"Cyril Ormsbury came to see me
last evening, and he will come here,
to-day; but I wanted to see you
first. He wants me to be his wife,
Uncle Mare, and"-she hesitated
here-''you do not like him?''
"Who told you that?"
sNo one; but see for myself"
"Well, you are right. 1 do not
like him. But my like or dislike has
no control over YOU
ssNo controlp' Nellie's voice was
piteous. ssPlease don't talk so. /
come to you as / would come to my
father"
s'There, dear, 1 was wrong. Tell
me then: as you would your father,
do you love Mr.. Ormsby?"
81 think he's the noblest man l
ever knew. If you could see him
with some of my poor people, how
gentle and courteous he is, you would
like him, too. He has given me SO
much sympathy in my work, Uncle
Marc, feeling, as ] do, that the pos
session of great wealth is steward
ship"
"And so won your love?"
''My respect aud admiration, un-
Gle. | cannot yet realize that a man
so noble and so good can really de-
sire my companionship and help in
life. But since he does, l am glad
and proud to have won his conf
dence."
"Hem = yes! Enthusiastic but
heat whole," was Mr.. Wilkinson's
mental comment. ''Suppose you