Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-07-14

shOp In the mines, where he though
he would do well He had every pros
pect of success.
Then Mrs. Preston died and the car,
OF the younger children devolved upol
Nubbins, who developed an excellen
capacity for that. The little farm yer,
nearly supplied their wants and tn;
minister's salary, though very small
filed the vacancy, leaving the uncer
tam benefits of donation parties out O
the question.
And so things went on for six years
Walter wrote often and Nubbins was
content to wait for his return. He had
made much money, but the cost of iv
ing had been great, then he had beer
very sick, and at last had been robbed.
He wrote that he feared that she would
tire of waiting for him, and begged hel
to be patient, and added that the hope
of seeing her would nerve him to new
efforts, and with protestations of love
Unreasonable, he ended his letters.
No thought of deserving her lover
had ever entered Nubbin's loyal mind,
and her love grew and ripened as she
grew older and passed from youthko
womanly age.
At last year went by, and no news.
Another wore its sad length along and
no news came; third passed and
Walters name was spoken in hushed
voice, as they speak of the dead, and
then other weary years went by, mo-
notonous, heavy, freighted with an I'M
accepted sorrow, until at last it was
fourteen years since Walter had left
his promised wife.
Some said he had died. Nubbins
could not accept his death as fact.
Others said he had probably forgotten
her and married some one else. This
reused her anger, gentle as she usually
was. Others, again, said, nodding
their heads, that he had most probably
taken to drink, like his father, and so
never was heard of more. This she
heard in panied silence and only prayed
in secret that it might not be true.
Still he did not come, and they heard
no news.
Fourteen years had brought silver
enough to blanch the golden curls that
had clustered on Nubbin's forehead
and had stolen the delicate bloom of
her cheeks and added a quiet dignity
to her manner, and she was now spoken
of as Miss Preston, the old maid, al
though she was but thirty-two. The
other sisters followed in age with about
two years difference, and the youngest
OF all was almost seventeen. Blossom,
as they called her, was almost exactly
like Nubbins, as she had been at that
age, only she was more vivacious and
full of coquetry, which Nubbins, her
elder sisters and father all in vain tried
to suppress.
So were matters on the day which
had been devoted to robbing the old
orchard of it's abundant harvest. Num-
bers of friends had gathered there to
lend willing hands to help their pastor,
for there were none that did not love
him for his genial, human love for
them, each and all, as we'll as for his
devoted administrations as pastor.
While they were at work piling up
the apples in the capacious bins in the
cellars, and picking them down from
the trees and carrying them back and
OF forth, stranger appeared upon the
scene.
Had tramps ever been heard of in that
peaceful valley, they might have called
him rather respectable one, but as
these had never been known, they
looked with high degree of curiosity
at him as he came walking over the
meadow with strong, firm steps, like
man we'll assured of himself and his
surroundings.
He looked among the assembled peo-
pie and then his eyes fell upon Bios
som, who was standing beside tree,
and he was by her side in a moment,
and caught her by the hands, and then
took her in his arms and held her
closely to his breast as he said. bro
kenly:
"Nubbins! my little wife! forgive
me, for this long silence, but I can ex-
plain it. Have you thought of me?
You haven't changed bit, and I've
grown cid and rough and gray. Why
don't you speak?
I'm the first place you gave me no
chance. In the next I'm not 'Nub' but
Blossom, and think have changed,
so now. Nubbins is over there by that
pile of baskets. I'll call her."
The first freshness of his Joy had
been given to Blossom, and it was with |
a bewildered sense of change and
strangeness that now took possession
of Walter that he went to greet the cold,
stately woman that stood before him,
and he felt chilled in spite of himself,
and their meeting was constrained and
awkward. Then his story must be
told, and he must greet all his old |
frion6s and ho introduced IN na~ orao 4
He had been caught in caving tunnel
and his skull fractured. A piece of |
bone being forced in the brain gave
him . brain affection by which he be-
came insane, mildly 80. but still enough
to make him oblivious, and he was
placed in an asylum at Stockton and
there remained for years 4 new
physician took charge Of his case, per-
formed an operation which restored his
mind and memory, and he went
back to work, and to write to his
promised bride, but he had not heard
from her There were many 1oktorr