The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-06-05
OUT OF PITY.

She was just II; The very youngest
little bride that any one remembered
ever coming to reign at Arntown Towers
che sweetest dantiest little Lady Fielding
that the country had ever welcomed.
To herself it was like dream, it had
come so fast; it seemed as if all her life
had lived itself in those six months, the
leaving her English school and going
out to her fathers plantation in Ceylon,
30 proud to be his housekeeper and COM
panion; the strange brief life on the up
country coffee estate. Then the young
English stranger who passed through
Lindoola, in his rather vague wander
ings for adventures sake, and who was
received at Holme Harcourt with the
delightful open-handed hospitality of
the colonies.
And then the awful night when the
sudden terrible stroke of cholera left
her fatherless, and life seemed great
black void; and the cllaplain's wife had
been good to her, and kept her from dv-
ing in despair; and Sir Harry Fielding
had been still more good; and then
and then-she was resting her poor
little orphaned head on heart that was
kind and true as her own fathers and a
strong arm was close around her slender
waist, and the voice she liked alone to
hear, of all the voices around her, was
telling her she should never know an
other sorrow he could guard her from.
he seemed the only real thing in all
that dream time; the sad past, and the
present that was so happy, but Just as
unlike reality. Was it really herself
simply little Nesta Harcourt, that peo-
pie were fussing over and pettine and
welcoming home as if she
had been Il royal princess?
Perhaps it was as we'll she could not
\ realize it, Or her head might have been
turned. Why, had not the whole week
Harry and she were spending with her
sister, Mrs. Mostyn, to present Nesta to
the countryside, been one round of fes-
tlvities, of which she was the queen {?
This evening they had all driven to a
grand concert in the country town to
hear famous singer; and Nesta, in her
wonderful golden satin gown, rich with
embroidery and lace, with her eyes out
shining the diamonds on her white neck
and her cheek flushed with it's pretty
shy pink, had been an attraction only
second to the queen of song herself
She felt little weary with the excite
ment and the happiness. now that they
h06 Il Il l.
per in the great hall, for the concert
had forced them to dine rather earlier
than usual.
The house was crowded with guests,
and they were all vehemently declaring
that night was hardly begun yet, and
they meant to finish it with few games.
The furniture in the blue drawing-room
was beirg hatsily moved, and Nestas
heart sank at the thought Of further ex-
,ertion, her head ached and she was
worn ont. She would slip away quietly
to bed, and leave Harry to make
her excuses to Eleanor Where was
Harry, by the way? She had not seen
him since they sat down to supper, and
he and that beautiful Miss Tafford were
talking in the doorway. A hasty serch
through the nearest rooms had no re-
suit, and Nesta stopped by an open door
to glance in at the half cleared drawing
room.
Two portly lowagers were deep in
conversation, their heads bent together
behind their fans; but their voices rose
above the music Eleanor was playing,
and Nesta could not help hearing what
they said.
"Gladys 'rrafford; yes, indeed!" cried
the black velvet gown to the purple
brocade. "A very, very old love affair
that, my dear. He and she were per-
fectly inseparable, and most suitable
match it would have been. The two
oldest families in the country; his equal
IN position and fortune. Lord Stour-
bridges estates are next his you know,
and Gladys is heiress toa great part"
What made Nesta's heart give such
leap, and her feet felt spell bound to
the spot where she stood? Arnwood
Towers was the only place near the
Traffords. 1t was as if her whole being
were strained to hear the rest; she
never thought of caves dropping, poor
child, it was life and death work with
her.
"And why didn't it come about 2"
asked the purple brocade
Heaven knows! A lovers tiff, I sup
pose, or some such rubbish It is a
thousand pities! Lady Fielding has
always been at the head of the country
society, and Gladys Trafford is Just
made for the position, with her beauty
and cleverness and talents. She has
And who is the girl he has married ?
She seems nice little thing enough"
ooh, harmless sort of creature
pink white prettiness, nothing
more. She was planters daughter in
Ceylon, or somewhere; and he was stay
ing with them when tho father died.
She was left quite friendless and des-
titute, and he married her out of pity.
He was always Quixotic goose, Harry
Fielding"
The spell was off now; and Nesta,
white as death, was hurrying up the
astairs to her room. There was little
sofa in sheltered nook in the corridor,
and there sat Harry-the missing
Harry-and the woman he should have
married.
N>Noo' oPVu PnoO DuU 10 SAo lieu SIG
saw Harry bend his head to kiss the
beautiful hand he was holding, and she
heard his low nurmur-
If had only known years tgo, things
might have been so different"
On, on, till her own door closed be-
hind her, and she gazed wildly around,
at the pretty. ornaments that strewed
her bower, as if she had never seen them
before. She flung the diamonds from
her throat and wrists as if they hurt her,
and sank into chair beside the quaint
old ebony table,. leaning her head,
with its tangle of crisp brown hair,
down on her folded arms. She did not
shed tear, but her brain seemed on
fire.
Beside her stood the tall vase of rushes
that Harry and she had gathered from
the lake only yesterday. Wasn't it q
hundred years ago.