The Wilmingtonian., 1886-09-25

anu IL was generally unu rSto0d that the al
fair, if not an absolute engagement, amount
ed to ian understanding, whatever that
may mean.
! At last the long, lovely summer came to
an end, as summers will. Scarlet boughs
famed in the forests, golden-rod burned
along the brook,sides the birds flew, and
with them Captain Hallett prepared for
flight, His orders had come to report in
Galveston, Texas, and his leave takmgs were
| hurried. The last moment was Millys, and
though no one knew the exact situation of
affairs, it was taken for granted that another
year would bring orange blossoms and a
wedding.
Mtlly's own expectations were not so def
mite. No definite promise had passed be-
tween her and her lover but she trusted him
and waited brightly and llol leruly. Letters
came and went the scarlet boughs burned
into ashes and fell to the ground in pale
heaps then came snow and the winter, to
be iu turn scourged away by the whip of the
fierce New England spring. Still Milly
waited but not so brightly. now, for the lst-
ters came less regularly than at fist. BY
and by they ceased altogether. Weeks pass
ed without word. Mtlly, with Wis ols Of
yellow fever and Indians chasing each other
across her terrified brain, wrote and wrote
again, but no pr. sage of the real danger
which threatened glanced over until one day
opening the newspaper this net her eyes !:
"At Galveston, Texas, by the Rev. Pierre
| nv In p
Captain Edward Hallelt, U. S. A., aud
Blanche Emily, only daughter Of the late
Pierre st. Cloud Of Piatka. Florida. No
cards.
Mrs. Graves upstairs heard no sound, but
when she went down Milly lay on the sofa
white and rigid, the newspaper still clasped
in her cold fingers. 1t was long before her
senses came back. Her mother famed with
anger, but the girl hushed her with weary
sob.
"We were never really engaged, you
know"
"Not engaged Oh, Mnly y
But Milly turned her face to the wall and
said no more.
Baymouth was stirred to its depths next
day by the news that Captain Halette was
married to Southern lady, and Milly Graves
was down with typhoid fever. Everyone
wanted to help to nurse, above ALL to know
the particulars. Such masses of blanc mango
and jelly were sent in that poor Mrs. Graves
was at wits end to know htw to dispose OF
them. But no one could readily aid, not
even poor Stephen, who scarcely left the
house day or night, OF ate or SLEPT, till the
crisis passed, and AIily was pronounced cut
Of danger.
Out of DANGER but it was weeks before
she could sit up, and weeks longer ere she
came down stairs, thin, white, shrunken-a
mere shadow and wreck )G the blooming lit
tie beauty who walked so gayly up Love
Lane at Ned Hallett's side not quite year
ago. She was patient always, and uncom-
planning, but she did not often smile. Per-
haps Stephen won these infrequent smiles
oftener than any one else, and be counted
them as precious payment for all time and
trouble spent in her service.
Only once did he see her shed tears. This
was when, hoping to give her pleasure, he
brought in the first wild roses of the season
and held them before her. Suddenly spasm
passed over her face, she gave a gasp, turned
aside,and struggled for composure. Stephen
dropped the flowers as if they burned bis
fingers and hurried out of the room. A hot
anger shot through him. "He has ruined
everything for her, /" lie thought. Even a
rose reminds her of him. Coward that he
is. They hang man for poisoning the watel
springs, why not hang him ? though hang
ing is too good for such a villain as he"
Natures processes of cure are secret II
is in their depths that wuunds begin to heal
Gradually, as months went by, the renovar
ing principle worked in Milly. She resumeC
her place at home, the little duties aud pleas
urcs, and took up again the burden of life
She was pale still, but the paleness infoldet
a sweet serenity which was no less Lowell,
than her girlish bloom. "Mily Graves hd
real improved since her appointment" F." CO i
tain severe old ladies asserted, and they wer
not far from right. Staphen adored he
more than ever. Two years later he tol,
her so.
To his surprise, she was neither astonishet
: nor shocked, but looked In his eyes with
smile which was sad and tender and swee
all at once.
"Dear Stephen" she said, ''this is Jus
like you. Do you recolleet the day in Low
Lane, and the rose you picked up out of til
: dust? You are doing tue same thing now
but am not worth it, dear, not worth tn
picking up"
"Milly," said Stedheu, trembling wit
eageIness, ''there never was a day since
first saw you, and that was twenty-one year
: ago, when didn't love yon beyond an
other living thing. Pick you up, indeed
You, my Rose of all the world Can yo
not love me little bit in return? ?''
sob, Stephen, do p and the fair littl
! fingers closed over his. ''There's nobody i
}. the world like you. | always knew that
Il Its only-the others are so much flesher, ,yo
y know-fresher and brighter, and-the
! might make you happier than | can. Your
quite sure You really want me? Then L
0 do my hest. Why, Stephen, how happ
u you look.'
"Happy should think SO, when I've g
g everything ever wanted in my life," eric
Stephen. [Pittsburg Leader
I 4, H.