Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-22

oh, mamma how could | tell you
al was told you everything before | can
tell nobody ~
1t became torture before long. 1t was
shame, it was terror She heaped re
pooaches upon herself; to her sensitive,
untried, girllsh mind every innocent, in
voluntary melting towards him, every
thought assumed the proportions of II
crime. 1t was something wrong in her
self. All this wlckedness, she said, had
been lying dormant in her nature, and
had only waited to be called forth by some
Que like this. No one could be any worse
than that. She put herself upon the
rack and showed no mercy.
The little blooming, howery room grew
darker and darker. She was quite pale
and exhausted in the end she was over
wheimed with her own reproaches, and
yet again and again her heart would leap
as she remembered look-a word.
She stopped at last by the inantel and
stood there holding it with her hand.
"He is COARSE" she said, with II great
effort, hurryng the words rs she forced
them from her lips. HE is base; he is dis
honorable : he is "A coward he is a-oh, a
liarl He is false and low i'll everything
He is contemplate. he is cruel, Yes, it is
all true. He is hot like Il man at all He
is
And then some feeling rushed over her
some strange wild protest against it all
stronger than herself-and She uttered II
passionate little cry and caught at the
mautel with her other hand.
"Oh, no no ~ She cried. ooh no !
no! no. Dearest Dearest ~ And she
burst into Il tempest of tears, hiding her
face and shaking in fear of this which had
swept all before it.
When she went down to dinner her
mother looked at her anXiously.
'FNon ara rpullX male Nell - Sbp SAID
You do not look well at all.
II do not think | am we'll" she said
"Perhaps ! have been going out IL little
too much"
She often looked pale after ths-so pale
that her mothers eyes followed her con
tinually with bewilderment and solicitude
And She had lost more than her soft color !:
the elasticity of her spirits seemed to have
left her. She played tennis no more, to
the great wonder of Marion and Hester
Beverly, who spent days upon their lawn
and with difficulty forbore to dine with
their racquets under their arms and sleep
with them under their pillows She
ceased to take walks alone, and no longer
went out sketching. Often when they
had evening engagements she excused her
self on the plea of fatigue and remained
at home. Sometimes in the morning she
came down with an air of lassitude and
with Slight shadows about her eyes.
Wy NtuI, UtT ulOilltT NOuINl say. YOU
look Us if you had not slept welt"
The first time She said this Nell glanced
at herself quickly III mirror and family
blushed.
II did not sleep very well, mamma, she
answered
But, my dear" said Mrs. Huntingdon,
this Is something new, isn't 1t You
used to sleep like Il baby"
81 shall sleep so tonight, perhaps said
Nell.
But she did not often sleep so in those
days and so it came to pass that one day
Marion Beverly passing the hedge-rac-
quet over her shouder-with Mr.. lack
Hamilton and stopping to speak to her as
she gathered II few roses-looked at her in
some astonishment.
"Nell,' she exclaimed, do you know
how pale you are ~
"Oh, don't" said Nell "Aunt Maria
told me few hours ago that | was as
white rs rag. She says need exercise
ten miles IL day"
But suddenly she was pale no longer, Il
warm carnation having spread itself over
her cheek.
but you always had such a lovely
color" persisted Marion. Hester and |
have hated you for ii ever since we were
old enough to speak. What have you been
doing? You are as bad rs Mr.. Hamilton.
And-hOW queer Il was just upbraiding
him on the same score
Mr.. Hamilton broke in with some haste,
"Ies.o he said, "she was telling me that |
used to have Il lOvely color"
you had" laughed Marion, "when you
came here, but now"
II was like a blush rose said Mr..
Hamilton. "A blush rose. And now
that you have-have ritled me, so to speak,
you hold me up to public scorn and draw
invidous comparisons
But he did not smile very naturally, as
he looked across the hedge at Nell.
"perhaps," said Nell, meeting his eyes
without smiling at all, perhaps North
Brabaut does not agree with you"
1T DOESN'T he answered with brevlty ;
$50 am going away
Nell dropped Il rose and picked it up
and put it into her glrdle
docs your cousin 90 with you :" she
asked.
"lIe always goes with me-" he replied
with voice containing several Sugges-
lions 81 am not to be trusted alone.
should murder an infant or set fire to All
Aged Females Home"
When she was left alone Nell returned
to the house with her roses. She found
her mother in her usual seat in the bay
window, and as she came forward their
eyes met, though Mrs. Huntington did
not speak.
Eyes, mamma" said Nell, it was Mr.
'IdCh IltlllllOll. btll IL W III HOl pCNul tStlli
for he is going away.
And after she had arranged her roses
she went upstairs to her room and remain
ed there until luncheon.
The next day they heard that the two
Hamilton's had gone to New York. Then
Nell began to take walks again-lOngel
ones than ever Mrs. Huntington noticed
and sometimes she played tennis, but
she did not recover her color and contract
ed habit of falling into silences, from
which she reused herself with slight
start when she was spoken to. secretly
Mrs. Huntington began to be very un
happy-she had never been unhappy about
Nell before-she had never been ever
anXious-the girl had always been wei
and bright and sweet in every mood
The llamiltOns had been away abou
two weeks, when one morning Mrs. Maria
Huntingdon arrived in state of great
dignity, plainly laboring under the etfec
of some deep otiense perpetrated agains
herself
Isabel, she began in her most sonor
ous voice, "whdt is this hear about tn,
liamiltons ~
1T is impossible for me to say, Maria,