Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-04-23
Through Fire and Water
HOW HE WON HIS BRIDE.

Il
will not say that I do not like Mr..
Mortimer, but Nina Seldom shall have
no excuse for saying such things as 1
overheard last night"
What was that, my child?"
why. that was poor teacher
hunting for n husband, and, OF course,
/ would 60 for Harry Mortimer He
heard 1t, TOO"
"Wbat vulgar girl Nina is. But
you shall have your way. Wen go to.
morrow"
Nora sat in low chair by the win.
dow for long time, but at last threw
herself on the bed and fell into a sound
sleep, from which she was awakened in
a short time by q confusion of sounds
go unusual at that hour rs to cause .
thrill Of alarm.
Rising, she went to the window and
opened It The house was on fire
The shock for moment overpowered
her.
Then she threw on q DRESSING gown,
and seized q small box containing her
few treasures, she ran down the stairs,
carried along by a crowd Of guests, es.
Gaping to the shelter of the summer
house on the lawn. She soon discovered
that her aunt was not there. She threw
the jewel box into the hands of the
nearest person, who ohanced to be Nina
Seldom, and rushed back towards the
burning building.
Harry Mortimer was one of the first
to discover the fire. He was standing
in the drawing room directing o servant
when he saw Nora rush through the
hall crying:
"Auntie oh, auntiel''
He canGht her as she was plunRing
into the flames.
81 will save her; only show me which
Is her room," he cried.
Nora pointed to the front windows,
which the flames had not reached.
But they were creeping slowly along,
each bret re blowing them nearer.
Bring a ladder, quick!' or led
Harry, there is lady there, and the
stairs are all on firel'
In another moment he was climbinR
the ladder. He sprang into the win.
dow and reappeared with an apparent.
| ly lifeless body.
But In q few moments Mrs. Ford yce
breathed and recovered her conscious
| ness. Harry Mortimer was looked on
| as hero.
By the afternoon of the next day all
| the guests had left for their homes.
Nora recovered her box, but though the
| jewels vera safe, her letters and papers
| were gone.
Nina declared that she had received
| 1t Just 80, and Nora began 10 doubt
whether her diary and letters might
not have been somewhere else. She re
membered some late entrances in the
| diary which were not hattering to Nina
| She was very cold to Harry Mor:i-
mer In spite of his attentions, as Nina'i
remarks kept ranking in her mind.
"She's as poor as shop GIRL" sale
one of Harry's friends, "only q COM
/ panioR or som ethinR."
II wish she'd only be my companion,
said Harry.
But fate took Nora away to a new
home that winter. Bertha Isle, hel
old schoclmate, de olared that she need &c
y companion, and she carried Nort
away from her teaching to recruit
Bertha was q small, sprightly brunette
always bright, animated and hand
somely dressed, while Nora with hel
lovely complexion, golden brown hail
and tall, graceful figure, made such an
exquisite contrast that every one stopped
to look and admire or ask who they
| were.
One cool September morning Nor.
was sitting by q cheerful fire In the
pretty little parlor at Brookside, wheI
Bertha came dancing in-an open lie tie
in her hands.
"Well. Nora, you are to meet again
1t is fate,"
Meet whom, pray?"
Your fate, as 1 said, Harry Morti-
mer. He is visiting at that pretty cot
tage down the river; the one you ad
mired as we drove by. He's q cousin
~ NhaaN la1. -, ~ W
might as well be resigned, you can't es
cape. To think you should deceive me
80. You were acquainted before you
met at Murray Cottage. He told me
3d."
II did not say anything to the con
trary. / told you did not want to bs
introduced. He comes OF proud and
wealthy people; l am only poor gov
erness. Why should l let him amust
himself with me.''
Hump" thought Bertha, 81 have
heard jus. such expressions from Nina
Seldom. Nora is proud, but l believe
she is fond of Harry"
Time passed pleasantly at Brookside
IL was as lovely as country seat could
be. 1t seemed like like bit of Eden
to Nora, who thought she would never
grow tired of the velvet lawns, the
| kinOOtuAJ WluuiuR Whlkb among INT
strawberries, with rustic seats here and
there where one could sit and catch 8
glimpse Of the river. They took long
drives, stopping to gather the bright
colored leaves, the "hying gold of the
seered woodlands" which had Just
commenced to fall. They did not &c
on the river because Bertha was timid
about the water.
| One day O call detained Bertha, and
Nora took her stroll alone. She had
been 40 happy that the thought Of goinf
back to her work was rather melan-
cboly.
There was q little boat lying in tn,
water near her, and she stepped into i
idly and sat down into the little sea
lost in thought.
| Harry Mortimer thought she made {
very pretty picture as the sun fell OF
her hair, making it look like spun gold
Her gown of dull blue stuff fell in sof
folds about her rouPd, girlish figure
| H0F violet aVAa WAr0 full OF t0Dd6