Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-07-16
A PAIR OF LOVERS.

lovers. A very delightful condition
of affairs, but state of things which
made Nettie great deal of trouble;
and as for the men, they rendered
each other, as we'll as the girl of their
hearts, very miserable.
So it wasn't so very nice after sill.
1t had been years since Nettie hal
been assigned by their friends to War
rem Dormer, and she expected to mar
ry him, for Nettie was On gentle,
yielding nature; but her SOP fathers
son, whom she had never seen, Arthur
Stevening came to quiet Bevingdean,
and fell so strightway and unmistak-
ably in love with Nettie as to alter
greatly the situation, for Nettie did
give him encouragement.
One day party of young people
had gone up to the cliff which over.
looked the harbor, to see the great
man of war the Sultan, come in, and
Nettie had taken Arthur's arm, and
laughingly climbed the hill with the
best of them, though such a little
thing:
And being a bright, magical sight
the white-capped, crisp, dancing waves,
the long, cleaning decks; the small.
active thronging figures of the seamen,
that and the splendid air was worth
climbing the ascent for, they all
agreed.
And then this lmpromtu basket
party spread their lunch upon a rock
among the crisp green moss, and dis.
cussed cold chicken and Italian cream,
up among the clouds as securely as if
sunshine and safety lasted forever.
Arthur Stevening had gone halfway
down the cliff with his gun, and was
banging away at the flying birds, when
sudden gust of cold air. ard the
darkening of the sun, reminded him
that he had foretold a storm at SUM-
rise.
He was not used to the locality, and
was all urprepared for the suddenness
with which the weather changed.
A mist spread over the landscape,
the air grew humid, there was dis
tant growl of thunder, and the next
moment close flash OF lightning.
1t was followed by more vivid ones.
Shouldering his gun, he turned to
retrace his steps. He had ascended a
few yards when he heard the distant
voices of the descending party. Some.
thing in their tones-a cry of alarm or
entreaty-made him hasten his foot
steps, when, suddenly round the curve
of rock came the flying figure of a
girl.
1t was Nettie, who, born with ter
ror of lightning, was running at full
speed down tue mountain, her hat
hanging by it's blue ribbons down her
back, her sweet eyes wide with fright,
her gold hair blown over her face, a
wlld.rose color in the dinpled cheeks,
stung by the sharp, salt air.
Arthur sprang forward and caught
her in his arms, and retreated with
her under the shelter of an overhang-
ing rock.
The drenched and frightened party
rushed by him like meteor, and he
made no attempt to delay them. He
could hardly trust his head to keep his
feet in the din and binding light.
Yet, through it all, he could feel
Netties heart beating family against
his breast.
Poor little darling! he murmured,
seeing that she was quite senseless.
She remained so until the storm be-
gan to abate.
She caught her breath at last; and
uttered choking little cry.
'Nettie, wake up! The storm is al
most over. Nettie, don't you know
where you are?" shaking her little.
She opened her eyes, and then slip
ped to her feet, shaking and clinging
to him. Her broken and incoherent
exclamation gave him some insight in
to the popularity which all her other
friends we're aware Other terror of
lightning-and the loveliness of her
white cheeks and the sweetness Of the
fearful eyes, made the task of reassur-
ing her not distastful. Indeed, be.
fore he knew it, he had kissed the
pretty lips, and brought the burning
bushes to the young face.
"Nettie, dear little Nettie, could't
help 1t. You see love you so Tell
me that you don't care for that other
fellow!"
At that moment there was hurried
step and "that other fellow" stood be-
fore them.
To say that Mr.. Warren Dormer
was astonished,i us but feebly to state the
case He stood looking at his sweet
.heart in the arms of another man in
simply round eyed wonder.
He had been absent from Bevingdean
for the last three weeks, and though
he had been introduced to Arthur
Stevening before his departure, he had
never dreamed of him as rival-or of
anybody else for that matter. For
two years he had considered Nettie Sc
curely his.
He had nice farm and handsome
country house to make Nettie mistress
of ond-thara cnuld ha M douhf of