Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-04-22
BY MUTUAL CONSENT.
cHAprER I.

UT. ana MIS-, MeSSlIlgef we're SlInpte
unaffected people, devoted to their
children and to Nancy, Mr.. Messengers
young step-sister. They treated her
with kind OF reverential tenderness,
chiefly due to the fact that she was en-
tfreiy dependent on them. And, in
her turn, Nancy filed the place of a
loving elder sister TO the tribe of little
ones, and of friend ,-chief to her gen
tie sister -in-lav.
One sunny afternoon in early sum-
mer Mrs. Messenger sat at the open bay
window of the drawing room, reading.
She was a placid liltle lady, seldom
ruffled in mind or temper, and her
sweet face and soft blue eyes were
pleasant to contemplate. The door
opened presently and Nancy came in
rather slowly. Her expression was as
sweet and gentle as her sisters, but
her great dark eyes and firmly-cut
mouth and chin bore evidence of much
greater strength and individuality OF
character. She came over to the win
dow and seated herself in a low basket
chair with an air OF constraint.
IL have had letter from Jim,i" she
said.
eyes; l saw it on the hall table" re-
piled Mary, laying down her book.
"Does he say when he is coming?"
"Yes; he came by the same steamer
as the letter. He will be here tomor-
row. suppose"
Nancy! really?" asked Mary, look.
ing almost excited. Are you not de-
lighted?"
sI-I-have confession to make, y
said Nancy, nervously, looking over
the sea, 81 thought loved Jim when
he went out to India FIVE years ago,
but | was only seventeen then
and did not realize what love meant.
We had known each other all our lives
and | mistook ourfriendship for love.
"When did you make this terrible
discovery" asked Mary in distress.
II have felt it dimly for year or
two, but what made it all clear to me
was Jim's last letter, saying that he
was coming home 1t filed me with
dismay andtfear. / felt that / simply
could not meet him as his betrothed
wife, so / wrote last mail and asked
him to release me from my engage
ment."
"And what did he say" Mary ask
ed, anxiously.
"He is delighted, said Nancy,
Frightening. ''He says that his feel
ings have changed, too"
Il always think of you in the future
as his wife, sighed Mrs. Messenger,
whose mind was slow to welcome new
ideas. "Are you sure you are wise,
DEAR"
"Quite sure" Nancy answered, firm
iy. "And you will break the news
gently to Ned, won't you? And please
get reconciled to the arrangement
soon. j feel so delightfully."- airy and
free"
"You never limited at any change
before, said Mary, little reproach-
fully.
Il only knew it dimly. or might
have done it, replied Nancy, gently.
aud since wrote to him | hayebeen
silent to spare you any anxiety.
have felt it for the last three years in
writing to him. My letters have new
er been from the present Nancy, but
from the Nancy as | could remember
her at seventeen. In fact, | have been
writing down all the time to the level
of his intelligence as shown in his let
tiers, and that level is painfully low.
But happily, you see, he is as pleased
TO end our engagement as / am.
/ ''He would be much more likely to
object if he once saw you,2 said Mary,
frankly, for these five years have done
wonders with you in every way"
20, he is so boyish he1will think me
strong-minded, and therefore dislike
me, said Nancy, laughing. ''And |
did send him my last photograph, you
know"
"Did you send thai hideous thing?"
asked Mary, in surprise.
'Well," confessed Nancy, rather re-
luctantly, 81 believe had some secret,
unconfessed hope that he would offer
to break off the engagement if he once
saw that hideous caricature. But
here comes Ned; shall leave you to
explain things to him."
A day or two later Nancy started
for her usual afternoon walk along the
cliffs. Since she had been released
from the engagement which for some
years past had been weighing on her
spirits she had been in a state of ex-
hilaration which surprised her. The
world seemed wholly beautiful; life
was an unmixed blessing; sin and
poverty were rarer than she had
thought. Walking quickly along, alb
sorbed in these pleasant reflections,
she did not hear footsteps behind her,
and was surprised at hearing herself
addressed. Looking up with startled
eyes, she found young man gazing at
her with puzzled, intent expression
in his handsome face.
'You are Nancy, are you not?" he
said doubtfully, holding out his hand.
"Why, Jim, is it really your" asked
Nancy, regarding him with surprise.
"How you have grown! When did you
come? and how did you find me?"
81 came two days ago." he said,
reddening slightly at her first words.
Father was anxious that l should
stay with him yesterday, but called
at the Ness this afternoon, and Mrs.
Messenger told me where / should find
you."
''Let us 60 home now, and then you
can sec them ALL" she said, turning
back you will hardly know the
children; they were such mites when
you left.
al certainly shall not il they have
altered as much as you have done.
| scarcely knew you," he said, looking
down at her with intent black eyes,
and inwardly comparing this beauti-
ful, graceful girl with gauehe school
girl OF five years since.
al am older" she said, her heart
sinking strangely. "He might disguise
The facs that he finds me q disappoint-
ing failure" she thought. rather bit
terry
''0f course We are no longer boy and
girl" he a2reed "But hope we shall
always be friends, Nancy We have
been that all our lives, haven't we?'
"Yes, let us be friends" she said.
And thinking that he was eager 10 inn
press upon her that they were to be
nothing more, she added "And twas
very wise TO break off that childish
engagement before you came home,
wasn't it?''
Yves" he said, doubtfully; 40
yes, OF course. Your feelings are nat
urally quite changed, suppose, Nan
cy?"
Naturally" she said, calmly, but
thinking to herself that size was not so
cure about that, after all.
Naturally" he echoed, his eyes,
however, becoming little clonded.
"Those boy and girl engagements ner-
err answer, do they7 People develop
so differently from what one would
expect. Judging from your letters,
shpuld hnNsss thnUoit4 Won itfterly diff.