Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-04-14
NELL AND CHRIS.

There were only seven of us, all
girls, in the dear old parsonage at
Wrayburn where papa had lived for
thirty years.
Under the daisies in the pretty
country churchyard dear mamma had
slept since Kate was wee baby, and
Aunt Jane had come to care for the
motherless children of her brother as
soon as the calamity fell upon him.
We are a rosy-cheeked, healthy set
of girls, rather good looking, Nell be-
ing our beauty, and the only invalid.
l am cripple, but am not going
to bother you with my story, except
ing as my observations are recorded.
1t was in the spring, and my sis
ters and Aunt Jane were very busy
with housework.
L was in my room, knitting; papa
wandering about. disconsolate at the
invasion of his study, and consequent
interruption of his literary work,
when the murmur of voices from the
porch foated up to me, and l men
tally exclaimed, Dear mel Chris is
proposing to Nell again
''And nobody ever will, or ever can
love you as l do" Chris was saying,
when Nel's voice struck in. ,.
There, that window fairly dazzles
you! Who says l can't clean glass?
Oh, l beg your pardon, Chris. No,
of coursev'
"But, Nell, do listen to mev'
'Chris, did you ask me to marry
you when was in my cradle? l am
sure you have asked me once a week
ever since. 1 won't, you knew, or
ought to know, by this time. Why
can't you ask somebody else, just for
variety? 1 am sure any of the other
girls will make a much better wife
than will; that is, said Nell, with
a sudden spasm of loyalty for the
rest of us, IF any of them would take
you"
"How can l care for anyone else
when my whole heart has been yours
all my life?" said Chris disconso-
lately. 1T is cruel to trife SO with
true love-" t,
"Don't be an idiot" said Nell,
sharply. II never trifed with you!
1 told you that you were horrid
boy, and l would never marry you,
when you used to steal apples to pre-
sent to me, and l never, never told
you anything else" lssi D
No." sighed Chris.
"Then why don't you let me
alone?"
Here Aunt Jane, her head tied up
in a manner that defies description.
came upon the scene with, "Oh, here's
Chris! Chris, do run over to Smiths
and get me paper OF carpet tacks"
Chris departed.
Presently Smiths boy brought the
carpet tacks, and Nell was let alone
for the remainder of that day, as far
as Chris was concerned.
The next day the cleaning went
forward briskly, but it was still early
in the morning when Nell came to
my room equipped for walk.
"Any letters?" she asked, care
lessly. Il am going down the street."
''None," I said; II did not think
you could be spared
Aunt Jane is rather grumpy about
it," said Nell, adjusting a coquettish
wreath of apple blossoms upon her
hat, ''but / want to get the smell of
soapsuds out of my nose. Imay stop
at Gilmore's; have you any message?'
"Only my love to Mrs Gilmore"
Now, Mrs. Gilmore was the mother
of Nell's persistent adorer, Christie
pher Nelson Gilmore, and the fami
lies had been intimate for years.
Still, for Nell to take the middle of
house-cleaning week to call on Mrs.
Gilmore was a little out of order.
She fitted away, her sunny curls
dancing on the soft May breeze, and
I, putting two and two together, re-
that Chris had not been in
the house for twenty-four hours.
Vainly, l tried to recall similar
interval when he was in Wrayburn.
School, college, business had called
him out of the village, but his home
hours were always fairly divided be-
tween his mothers house and ours.
Something must be the matter
1 thought of all possible and i'm
possible catastrophes till 1 was not
to see Nell coming in at
the gate in a subdued frame of mind,
upon her pretty face.
She came directly to me, as they all
do, even Aunt Jane and papa, in
emergencies.
Belle" she said, in low, grave
tone, "Chris has gone to Cape Town"
Gomez l cried. why, he was
here yesterday
He has gone to visit his uncle, the
one who offered him a business open
ing some time ago. Chris did not
want business opening as he had
plenty of money; and, Belle, Mrs.
Gilmore says it is all my fault that
she is left alone and childless."
Scarcely your fault, dear" I said,
my heart aching for the piteous
hn N