The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-12-05


sightless eyes in the direction of the
strangers voice.
She did not know that they were
sightless; they only seemed to be regard
ING her with cold vacant stare. ,..
"Come Lulu she said presently
with stiled sigh.
Emily
1t was Nigel Macpherson's voice.
She did not answer.
Emily he cried again in that sharp
ringing tone. Surely, surely, | cannot
be deceived that is her yoicer'
"Am so changed" she said, that
Nigel Macpherson needs to ask if it
is Ip"
The words were spoken bitterly; his
are more bitter still.
"Aye, changed changed! So chang
ed it were better we had not met"
He had sunk back in his chair again,
all the eagerness dying out of his face,
and weary pain settling down upon it.
Emily's lip quivered but she manag-
ed to keep the tremor out of her voice,
as she said very low:
"We need not meet again, at least.
need not tell you this time was an
accident. | did not know that you
we're living here. Come, Lulu, come!"
The little thing put up her face to be
kissed. Nigel Macpherson felt the soft
cheek against his own. With a sudden
yearning he could not have accounted
for, the lonely man said hurriedly:
"Your little daughter-if she might
sometimes come to see NE"
"My daughterP'
al beg your pardon-your stepdaugh.
ter" said Macpherson stifly
Emily drew the corner vi her Grape
veil through her trembling fingers.
Lulu is my brothers child came
to him to take charge of her when her
young mother died. My brother, too,
Is gone-left her to me-the little one
could not put by the mamma and
Milly is her way of saying Emily
She made this explanation in hur-
ried, breathless fashion, and then she
would have drawn the child away.
But Macpherson had suffered the
child to lead him towards her.
Emily" he said in hoarse, broken
voice, 1--WE can at least be friends? My
blindness might well have been barri-
er to love; it need not be to friendship"
"Your blindness-your blindness,
NigelP"
She had caught his hand in both of
hers; she was looking into his blank
eyes with fear and anguish in her own.
when sent you that letter two
years ago." he said; land sent you
back your letters, and told you that in the
great change that had come to my life,
I thought it best that we should part
l did think it best, Emily, that you
should not be fettered to a blind man
~
"Blind-blindr' she cried again.
And then: "Was it that your letter
meantp Tell me the whole truth; was
it that? Oh, Heaven! and | thought you
were writing to me by another's hand
and telling me that, since you had been
left your uncle's heir and were to take
your place among the foremost of the
county families, you saw your error in
engaging yourself to marry apoor little
nobody, a simple, untaught girl. Oh,
Nigel, Nigel, what must you have
thought me all this timer"
She is in his arms now; her soft hand
is huttering over his eyes.
"Poor eyes--poor eyes! But l will
be their light.
A small hand pulled her dress. Lulu
was looking up at her, her round blue
eyes full of delight.
400 is not vexed with Lulu? 90 is
| going to stay, so we will not be lone
somep"
Nigel Macpherson stopped and lifted
his little good angel against his breast
and Emilys.
Never again, my little one; never
lonesome again, he said.