The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-02-09

night we met long ago, l am proud. |
make enough money by my books now
10 supply my wants, which are simple,
SO am not poor
After this decided refusal Nellie grew
very preoccupied and unhappy.
1t were man and he woman it
would be easy to settle it, she would
say to herself, | would ask her to marry
me, but woman must he dumb or the
world is Mortified.
Mother, ask any cousin to come here
and visit us,h will do that at all events,
she said al last.
So Lady Erie gave the invitation and
he came.
Nellie received MIN warmly, but as
she looked up at his face the blush of
her first meeting with him suffused her
cheek again; he was older, graver, but
the same clear eyes with their dreamy
sweetness gazed into hers and reawak
ened the one passion of her life.
That night che knew she loved
him and there ore she could never let
him find it out. unless-ah, if he could
but love her
But whether he loved her or not no
sign of more than the -merest cnusinly
affection was manifest in Lionel during
his short visit to Erie Court, He was
charmed with the beautiful home of his
ancestors and his poetic nature revelled
in the ancient rooms and all the
thoughts they called forth; but Nellie
steadily avoided pointing out to HIM
her favOrite plCture;.a strange shyness
came over her when she thought of the
fascination 1t had always possessed for
her and how like Lionel was to it. Oh,
how like he was!
Nellie was very i'll. For weeks she bad
been gradually wasting away. There
was no manifest disease,an the doctors
were baffled, but for all that she seemed
to be sinking rapidly out of life.
| am glad | am going to die, she said
to her mother, who sat by her sofa; it
viii set things right and Lionel will
have his lawful estate.
Lady Erles tears fell fast, her con
science was reproving her now for years
of enmity against the innocent heir.
Must his rights be only purchased by
the death of her only child.
Mother, said the invalid after she had
been laying quiet with closed eyes, just
before die, when there is no possible
hope of my living, | want you to send
for Lionel that may bid him good by
Promise me.
She promised amid her fast falling
tears.
A week afterward Sir Lionel Erie re-
ceived telegram and in a few hours he
was standing by his dying cousins
bed.
Lady Erie left them; she knew that
the parting was a sacred one.
Nelly held our her thin white hand.
Lionel she said now that I'm going to
die want to tell you something which
never should have told you if had
lived.
The young man flung himself on his
knees beside the bed, laid his head down
upon his folded arms and sobbed like
child.
Nellie. live! love you so.
She touched his bowed head but could
not speak.
He seized the fragile hand and cover
ed it with kisses and tears.
Oh, my darling, live! For my sake.
live! l have loved you for all these
years.
Nellie lay like one in a heavenly
trance. Had love come instead of death
to claim her? Presently she said in
faint voice.
l never imagined that you loved
me.
Pride has been my curse, he groaned;
if you had only been poor, long ago
would have poured out all my heart to
you. but you were rich and l poor, and
| knew your generous nature would
have accepted me to make me rich.
Not for that but because | loved you,
Lionel-because l have always loved
you.
He raised his bowed head and looked
into her face.
Nellie, If had only known he cried
despairingly.
shall live now, she whispered, and
her eyes cl, sed in gentle sleep.