South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-03-30

as we have said before, Mrs. Moore
was reckoning without knowledge
OF the materialin her hands. Had il
been only the plant. sweet -natured
Nellie, with whom she had to deal
her course would have been an easy
one. But her son was made OF stern.
er stuff
All that long day, his MUD was
busy with plans and hopes for the
future of the girl whose fate he knew
was in his hands.
In three years. he thought, 'there
Is no telling what they may do with
my darling, aud not by to sustain
her, so | shall make all sure before l
leave. Mother viii find that am
not so easil y turned from my path US
she thlnks.'
So in the evening when it came
time to think Of turning toward home,
he left Nellie in the care OF friend
Tor an hour, and when he returned it
was with o rather pale and determin-
ed face.
Lifting Nellie rather hurriedly into
the buggy, he spoke Tot word until
they were several miles on their way
when he suddenly placed in her hands
little document that ;o!d to whom
it might concern that Douglass Moore
and Nellie Arden were hereby licen.
sed to marry. With startled eyes and
pallid face she looked ut him, aud it
vas with very earnest eyes he looked
ut her.
Darling, it must be- he said ten.
derry, but soicmn!y. Il know you
aud mother both SO well, you sce.-
She so stern and you SO yielding
Long before my three years voyage
was over, she would have made you
give me up. So am going TO make
you safe before leave. But she must
not know it because cannot take YOU
with me, and she would no longer
give you Il home if she knew it. No
one knows OF the license, but the clerk
who is my true friend, aLd no one shall
know OF the ceremony but our dear old
Father WATSON, who loves us TOO well
to betray u.s.
For while she argued weakly a.
gainst him, but her heart being with
him, the weak little head was soon O.
ycrcome, and it ended as he knew il
would, by quiet little wedding in
Father Wasson's parlo:, with no 9th.
er witness but the old gray cat, who
bliaNed at the lovers, laz.ly, from a
great arm chair
/ shall fr,pn ,,,,,
Nellie. before | leave said Douglass,
gravely, as he folded it up aud placed
it III his pocketbook. If anything
should happen. yon could show proof
OF our marriage. Don't let me forget
it
But in the sweet confused bliss of
the week that followed, they did both
forget II, and it sailed away to China
III the inside pocket of the bride.
groom's coat, just two weeks from
that day.
They were very exemplary pair
during the week that followed, SO
much SO, that Mrs Moore battered
her soul with the sweet delusion that
they had given each othe; up. But
as she seldom left her own room how
was she to know OF the long hours of
happiness spent together in parlor and
gardenP
So Douglass called away, leaving be.
hind him a proud, stately mother, who
would not give way to tears, and a
weeping, wretched little bride, whose
grief could not be hid.
Just a week from that day, the
clerk who granted the license was kill.
ed ia collision Oh the the railroad
AMI n month from that time, poor
old Father WATSON was found dead
10 his armchair, with the old cat still
purring on his knee.
But little cared poor Nellie for all
that, just then. 1t was not until some
time afterward, when dark cloud OF
SHAME aud reproach lowered over her,
aud she began to look about her for
some proof of her hasiy marriage, that
she discovered that there was no proof.
1t had died aud been buried with those
two men all except one thin slip of
paper, and that affair on the ocean with
her young husband. Proudly she
proclaimed her marriage to his moth.
err, and as proudly and scornfully was
it repudiated, and she sporued from
that mother's feet
Go. ungrateful girl, she said 'you
have brought shame aud disgrace up.
on name that has hitherto been spot.
less. Mover do | wish to see your
face again
Gathering herself up like a woun-
ded dove, poor Nellie crept away.
leaving only the words behind herr
God forgive! my Doug ass mo.
ther =
From that hour she dis ppeared as
completely from Moore Farm and its
viSinity, as if she had been dead and
buried.
The proud, lonely woman shut her.
self up, dreading the hour when her