The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-12-01
HER LOVERS.


stood before her looking glass, fastening in
her ears and about her dainty wrists the
pearls that had been her uncles gift the
night before, when he said to her:
Jessie, you are twenty-three. You are
young and pretty still, but youth and wom-
ans beauty are feeting things. cannot
live long, and do not want you to be left
alone, an unprotected spinster, when die.
Make your choice before long, and give
your old uncle some chance of blessing YOU
on your wedding day"
g Poor unclel" sighed Jessie, brushing
away tear. He is worth twenty lovers
to me, dear old man. Why does he want
me to marry? Make my choice Well,
who should it be? Ashley Honeywell
certainly the handsomest man in our set /?
lie admires me. 1t would be worth the
trouble to make him love me. And the
doctor " she laughed. "Oh, how much in
love he is with me. A smile mikes him
happy neglect breaks his heart Oh no !!
You are too plain, too small. and rs bald as
an egg. l sha'n't choose you, Doctor
Manly
Pinning coquettish little bow in her
hair as she said these words, Jessie left the
glass, and ran down stairs and out into the
garden, where she always spent an hour
before breakfast. A gentleman was there
already pleasant-looking man, who wore
large hat of Panama straw, and a collar
that exposed his handsome throat a little.
Good morning. Miss Rue !" DIR. Manly
cried, taking off his big hat. 81 have
come to beg some flowers for a patient"
You must always help yourself to flow
ers for your sick folk, and l shall be proud
er of my garden than BEFORE" said Jessie.
" Lend me your knife"
And when he had opened it for her she
cut him bouquet, fragrant and beautiful,
and arranged it with unerring taste, and
made him hold it while she bound it to-
Sether with some silk from a reel she had
IN her embroidered apron pocket, he look.
ing at her with admiration all the while.
When ut last he thanked her ard went away,
Jessie laughed.
don't believe in your patient, Doctor
Manly" she said to herself " 1t was only
an excuse to see me-"
And she thought SO every morning when
he came for his flowers. She saw h IN
oftenest in the morning. Ashley Hoaeyu ell
she met where she visited ut teas and dane
ing parties. How often Jessie wished the
two men could be changed in some way.
Ashley was the man she int nded to choose :;
but sometimes that light in the dark gray
| eyes under the doctors great straw hat
made her wish that he were Ashley and
Ashley he
Time passed Some little things happen.
I'D. Ashley had openly declared his admi-
ration. They were ON the point of being
engaged, and the doctor suddenly ceased
to be lover like. He came for the flowers
still; but she knew now that he did not do
it that he might meet her. He took them
to patient Once, taking long walk,
she had paused at a little cottage on the
roadside to ask for drink of cool well
water, and had seen, in great chair near
the door, girl as lovely as as angel, though
she was very evidently still quite i'll. Near
her, in great glass pitcher, stood bouquet
| Of flowers, that Jessie thought she recog.
nized as those she had plucked that morn.
ing in her own garden.
"Those flowers are beautiful, are they
not Z" the sick girl asked of Jessie, while
the little boy ran for fresh water. "a dear
riend brings them TO mo every day. He
says lady has told him may have I'LL
want. He brings them long way. The
lady must be very rich, | think. | fancy
her old, white Notwithstanding like my
grandmother in her pretty lace cap.
have all sorts of fancies in this invalid
chair"
Then the nurse came in, and Jessie said
good-by
: He has not even described me-" she
thought; and, oh how lovely this girl
is !" And then she found herself crying.
That evening she engaged herself to Ashley
Honeywell.
The doctor came for his flowers she
picked them for him, but she did not smile
as she used; nor did he look into her eyes.
With every motion of the hand that held
the flowers which she cut he saw the flesh
of Ashley Honeywell's engagement ring.
One morning, as she sat at work upon
her porch, n boy hurried up the path She
remembered him rs the child who had
brought the water in that pretty cottage
parlor where she had seen the beautiful
invalid to whom DIR. M ,nly took her flow
ers.
9 Is the doctor here ?-Dr. Manly Z" he
asked. +" / was told lie might be. Miss
Gwendoline is dying. Aunt jane says. Oh,
Miss If You only can tell me where to find
him! He'll save her, if any one cam"
The child was crying. Jessie felt trou-
bled and agitated.
The doctor must be on his rounds of
visits" she said. "Pll send Jack to look
for him."
She called the lad who helped the gar
dener, and babe him to go with the little fell
low and search for the doctor. And then
she hastily donned her riding-habit and
rode away toward the cottage-why, she
did not know, or whether she could do any
good, but her heart babe her CO. She
alighted at the door and entered in haste.
The girl sat in her chair; the old nurse
stood behind her. She made little sign to
Jessie, and the girl went into the kitchen
with her.
She is sinking fast" she said. 81 sent
my nephew for the doctor an hour ago."
~ know said Jessie; that is why l
came"
The boy is searching for him. Say
nothing to brighten her." said the woman.
Jessie gave her look.
81 quite understand" she said.
Then she sat down by Gwendolinc's
chair.
You have come" said the girl 81 am
20 glad. SO glad. They came this morning
saw both of them. You don't know, per-
haps. Mother smiled, father looked stern
but they will forgive me after awhile.
They are both dead bnt they came saw
them"
In dream 2" asked jessie.
NO. said Gwendoline "Their spirits
NM