Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-06-12

II. Then he said, gently and kindly, as
he always spoke to her. :s3ss .ss.s.
My dear little girl, you are nervous
and irritable Go to bed, sleep soundly, !
and wake up in the morning yourself
again"
Nita said nothing ;but her arms crept
higher and clasped the doctors neck.
"Iou are not angry You will for
give me ?" she insisted, piteously, all
the RIGHTEOUSNESS gone, and with the
peculiar pathetic look in her eyes again.
= The doctor stopped and kissing her,
said, eyes, of course, dear child" and
went ont; and the girl, as the door
closed behind him, threw herself face
downward on the lounge and burst into
passion of tears. ... =
After that night life did not go on
quite as before in the doctors house
hold. There was a difference. Nita
had ceased suddenly, through some
mysterious process, to be tho weird,
curious, elf-like child she had been;
she seemed to have developed into a
woman. If possible the was more ST.
lent, more reticent than before. Her
eyes, in her small, haggard face, looked
more intense than ever. Her manner
toward the doctor had changeda little.
She watched for his coming just as eager
ly, but when he appeared she
would shrink back with a shyness
new to her. At times she had passion
ate outbreaks of temper which consid-
erably startled the old housekeeper,
who had always known her "as quiet as
mousse" at other times she would shut
herself in her room all day, and the
housekeeper, listening at her door out
side, would hear the sound Of mut1ied
sobs.
DR.. Irving apparently took no note
Of any of these things. But he had a
way of seeing and studying much with
out giving any sign Of having done so.
He came in one night bringing with
him to dinner young man. The lat
ter made himself rather agreeable to
Mia and seemed bent upon producing
favorable impression. He returned
after that many times. He called in
the evening while the doctor was max
found him there he discreetly disap-
peared after few pleasant words and
left his ward to entertain her visitor I'M
molested. Mia neither expressed
pleasure nor the reverse at this new
state of things, and thus few moths
passed.
Quite abruptly one day the doctor
said:
"Nita, Henry Payton has proposed for
you"
eyes, I know" said Mia, and said
no more.
"Well," continued DR.. Irving with
one OF the rare, peculiar smiles his lady
patients found 80 fascinating, ''what
answer are you going to give the poor
fellow?"
Instead of replying Nita looked
steadily at her guardian moment.
EDO you want mo to accept him."
she asked,
s'If you think you might be happy
with hint might be good thing"
said Dr.. Irving in quiet matterof
fact way.
The girl turned brusquely away.
DR.. Irving took up his newspaper and
feigned not to see that she was fighting
against one of the passions Of sobs and
tears that had become almost habitual
with her Of late.
"Payton," he went on in the same
tone, is very fine fellow; he is ex-
tremely fond of you; heis we'll enough
off to give you a. most desirable home.
I, my dear child, shall in all prob
ability, not live forever. In ten years
time, when you will be still, as things
60 now, counted as young lady, shall
be-wel, probably, a stoutish, ford,
prosaic old fellow with look of more
or less comfortable middle age stamped
all over me and plenty OF gray hairs in
my head. If anything happened to me
you would b. quite alone in the world.
Moreover, I might marry myself some
day, and then I could not give you the
same care I have hitherto always been
too happy to bestew on you"
DR.. Irving was very clever man he
had had set purpose in his mind as he
talked, but he. had for once made a mis-
take; he had overdone his part; he had
gone too far. With cry like that Of
wounded animal the girl sprang to him
and grasped his arm.
Don't say that" words came
thick and indistinct between short
gasps-"you shall not marry! Mono
one! Do you hear? You shall not!"
The fierce italian blood blazed in her
great burning eyes and her
thin small fingers closed over
his arm like a vice. "You
shall not hurt me so! You have no
heart, no pity, no mercy-oh!" her
hands relaxed their hold suddenly
and she threw them over her face.
'What have you made me say" she
moaned; ooh, forget it, forget it For
the merciful heavens sake-I am not
WE'LL don't know what I said"
p. DR.. Irving had stood motionless all
through the scene. He looked down at
the covering figure of the girl one mo-
ment and came to decision.
Firmly, almost sternly, he took her
by the arm, and leading her to chair,
made her sit down. He waited one in
slant, standing erect in front Of her,
then he said:
"Once-years ago-I loved woman.
Are you listening to me? I have not
spoken of her for twelve years. would
not now but that want you to under
stand. She,,was the wife Of another man,
and she had a child. She was beau
tiful. I loved her the first time my eyes
rested on her. I loved her till she died
only one short year after-as new
er loved before, never have loved since
and never shall love as long as there is
breath in my mortal body. I told you