The Washington critic., 1885-08-22
H0NORA'S DECISION.


the wood. Nora Leigh was seated on
the grass, with one rosy child on her
lap and two or three others scattered
around, her fair cheeks crimson, and
the braids of bronze brown hair shin
ing beneath the cottage bonnet that she
wore. She looked up radiant as her
lovers shadow fell across the tangled
ferns of the woodland glade.
Bolton, is it you?' she cried.
Send the children away said he,
impaticntly; 81 want to talk to you"
"Thcy will not disturb us.
"Thcy will disturb me"
A look of pain came over Honora's
sweet, submissive face.
Charley" said she TO the clcdst lad,
"take Katie and Nell to where the
blackbcrrics grow johnny can carry
the basket, and see how many berries
you can pick before | come"
Charley obcycd without word; but
the defiant glance which he bent on
Mr.. Black from beneath his knitted
brows showed that he fully comprc-
hcndcd the situation of things.
II hate that mani" He said to Katie.
ooh, Charley cried out the limo.
cent child, that is very wicked"
Il cant help it, replied Charley.
"Hc's cross, and he scolds Nora; and
hate HIM"
In the meantime Bolton Black had
seated himself on the grass beside
Honora Leigh, and thrown one arm
carclessly around her waist.
Mora" said he, Eve made up my
mind"
"As to what?'
She looked up fondly into his dark,
handsome Castilian face.
CAS- TO the propriety of our being
married next month. Jennings says
that | ann to have Il partnership, and |
see my way clear at once. I've spoken
to.thc agent about the little house in
C street, and"
ooh, Bolton, do you think that the
house will be large enough 2" inter
ruptcd lIonora, with troubled face.
Large enough for what?
"For the children. There are four
of them, you know, and"
NO" said Mr.. Black, abruptly. Il
don't think that il will be large enough
i didn't mean that it should. You
surely cannot intend to burden our
household with your ants four chill
drcn? They are nothing to me, and
they should be nothing to you. | dare
say ! can find some excellent institution
where"
II promised my aunt, on her dying
bed, that the children should never lack
n mothers care, said llonora, who had
| grown very pale.
"And you have kept your word,
broke in Black, impaticntly. For two
years you have fed, clothed and sup.
ported them out Of your slender earn
ings. 1t is all nonsense TO keep up
this sort of thing any longer. The
boys are biz enough to work; the girls
can easily be provided for in an orphan
asylum"
'Oh, Belton-ncvcrw
"Just rs you please, said Mr.. Black,
his face growing a. hard ms adamant.
But remember one thing, Nora--you
must choose between them and your
lovcrW
Ilonora uttered n sobbing cry.
"}clton, Bolton - walled She, chow
can you be so hard -
II am only sensible and practical. ="
"Thcy are so little, so helpless. Oh,
/ cannot turn them over 10 the cruel
mercics of the world, pleaded lIonora.
That must be for you to decide,
She sat for a minute looking at the
tiny hild.tigures that fitted about on
the edge of the wood, listening to their
innocent laughter; then she looked up
into his face
81 have decided" said she; Il can
not leave the children"
Bolton Blacks brow grew dark rs
night.
Every we'll" said he, rising to his
feet you ure aware what that i'm
plies"
Yes in low, trcmulous voice.
Are you willing to abide by it?"
YES"
"Good,by, then" extending a cold
hand.
"Good-by, Bolton"
And her eyes followed him with II
vague, fascinated gaze MS he strobe
out of the green glade and was lost to
view.
"lIave | done right" she asked her
self, with n sharp pain at her heart, and
then, ns little Nellie came up, crying
out; Mora, Nora, me got u form in
me iingcr!' and holding up the tiny
digit, with tcarstaincd checks she
caught the child in her arms and sObbed
out: God help me! Yes, have done
right, for these little ones have no one
but me,
SO ITonora Leigh went back to her
life of patient drudgcry and ceasclcss
toll once more. And the rich gentleman
ON the first floor, who saw her 20 in
and out with her little musiC,rOll, asked
| thp lnudluuV who she WAS
Its Miss Leigh, sir, said the wo-
man; "a daily goycrness, and one Of the
sweetest, most self-dGnyng young
ladies ms ever gave up her life for the
benefit of others
"llumph - said the rich gentleman;
there are not many such in the
world
mo, sir; indeed there's notN said
Mrs. Moore
How the rich gentleman on the first
floor became acquainted with the daily
gOvcrncss-how the children began to
run in and out of his room and ask him
TO tell marvellous stories of America,
from whence he came--and how at last
pretty Nora went back to America with
him as his wife, would make too long "A
recital in detail. Suffice it to say that
such was fact.
God bless the little ones " Mr.. Bon
field said there's room and to spare
for them in my house And to my
thinking there's no swccter sound
about the house than children 8
voices"
And If anything could have made
Nora love her husband more dearly
than she had done before il would have
been these words of his,
And the years went by and the little
children grew up into health and
beauty ,and Nora, in her satins, had al
most Forgotten the sore straits Of her
early girlhood, when one day the past
was recalled to her by most uncX-
pected accident.