Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-07-26

htitTtE HtF ttlu5ln,t1Dk HtT nVfOi Eltf
her blsnn, and snOthtd II il ulnH,ct
!. 81 'hily. When she spoke her swtt
Voice was very low mud II ltiiie sat
II, having loved csll rtsr,gniz
the swe,t. iafr opening of hove.
she said gently. ave are so carC
less of q heart which lies at nur feet
Neiiic, that we torture 1t, play Wit
It,, wsaintl ii sometimes sorely, bC
cause it is not our own! / know
Nellie. No woman wants TO owl
that she loves, not even when tn
one who is as her life pleatls for he
affection. We would be free all o
our lives, We're we 10 have our way
free la win love which we do no
care for; 10 laugh at heart-ache ant
love power, t0 keep men at our feet
and look down on them from thg
height OF our indifference. Blu
when the master comes we rebe
against his power, Nellie. We dc
not want to kneel to him, noble
though he may be, We tremble al
his touch, his smile. but that We
tremble chafeS US, while we trust IL
others to try for the old forgetful
calm-which will not come back to
us, Nelliel / read your heart, be-
cause. when Ii was too late, I learned
to read my now bitter memories,
that when love would fain answer
love a woman's sole chance for hap.
piness lies in her own hand for q
single hour that hour gone by, she
either stands among the loving,
happy women who are blest by a
mars best love, or she looks drear-
ly as her harvest, which Is but re-
gretiul sorrow" ~
i Nellie's tears had ceased 10 flow ;
she lifted her head and laid an i'm.
pulsive kiss upon the lips OF her
cousin. sagffr,s,,
Tell me Laura" she whispered
softly.
Not unless you love my brother ,
Laura answered. my story would
warn one who truly loves, yet hesi-
tates before her happiness on care
less ears it would fall too lightly"
"Nellie's pretty iace WIS crimson
as she miaile her confession. i
IL think T. would If he was
not so uakind- to me-" she said.
| Laura kissed her.
"You are scarcely kind to him,
dear" she said with a faint smile,
"what Was it last night, Nellie ?"
"I suppose 1t wasn't quite the
thing to do but gave pretty
flower to Yane Brandon, which ]
refused 10 Jack and, / think |
told somebody, where Jack could
hear, that he and / were sort of
cousins and ] would like a dozen
more just like him." owned Mel
lie. t 74 $50 l.
"Yes," said Laura, bitterly, 'fand
you loved him best all the time. 1t
was so with me. Nellie, had cold,
careless words for the man who was
nll the world 10 me. l would turn
from him to the most frivolous
among my acquaintances and treat
him with the most utter indiffer-
ence. A favor he would ask |
would grant another in his very
presence after having denied II to
that by seeming Indifferent / might
become so, and AS my heart turned
more strongly toward him my
manner became more cold and
naughty, and the end was that-we
parted. He has gone from my life,
and the void he has left is a dreary
one. Nellie, be more tender to your
own heart, more merciful 10 your
own life than / have been to mine"
"If-if Jack loved me-" Nellie
commenced, but just then Jack ap-
peared in the doorway, his hand
Some face full OF genial light.
"Laura," he said, 81 have left an
old friend In the parlOr. He can
give uS but few moments, and l
know you'll be glad to see him
again."
Nellie was sitting very erect, but |
her cheeks were burning. AS Lau-
ra left her seat, she asked who their |
guest was.
Z 'tArthur VAUGHN, Jack answer |
ed and Nellie's quick eye noted
the hot wave of color that burned |
in her Cousins cheek, ~ with few |
low words, she left the room and
forgetting her anger against Jack
who yet lingered-she asked eager
ly:
; "Was this Mr.. Vaughn lover OF
Laura's Jack ?" rEt.
"Yes," Jack replied, sinking into
the chair Laura had vacated. "And
she treated him like-Well about as
! have been treated By the woman
/ love?"
"Has Miss Foster used you bad
ly? ?" the girl questioned serenely.
"My complaint is against you,"
Jack retorted. "What have you to
say for yourself. Do you think that
fool OF Brandon SO much more
worthy Of" aa
But little hand stole shyly into
his, and the faintest OF faint whis-
pers reached him:
"Pm awfully sorry, Jack !" and
instantly Jack was very much In
terested, and his interest coinnuni-
Gated itself to his companion and
verything-quarrels f1owers, neg
iected dances, Laura-was forgotten,
until, in the midst of a very tender
speech on Jacks part, Laura enter
ed the room on the arm OF 6 tall,
fair man, whom Nellie had never
seen-Laura with a new joy glorify-
ing her face and shining in her dark
eyes.
The stranger held out his hand.
Jack, not exactly knowing he
took it in his own.
''I'm the happiest man in the
world. Jack" he said, not paying
the least attention TO Jacks coIrl-
panion. Laura il to be my WIFE,"
"Then there's two OF us" Jack
said. laughing "This lady-Miss
4 h,,,