St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-24
HIS LOST LOVE.

''l'll tell you why never married."
said Tom LennOX, to his friend DR..
Matthews. Il was desperately in love
since have been away, but was treach-
erously betrayed"
''Let me hear the story, Tom?" said
his friend.
"Well, you see, was on visit at
Frank Harding's house and there met
for the first time his sister Nell. 1t was
a case of love from the start and l was
fool enough to believe that she shared
it. One night afterMe had been be-
trothed for a week, Mr.. Harding gave
an elegant ball. 1 had been dancing
with Nell all the evening and surrend-
cred her to partner while | went out
on the lawn to cool off. l had not been
there more than ten minutes when
heard her voice, l looked through
the bushes and saw her talking to man
and then he stopped and. with words of
endearment kissed her Oh the mouth. [
fed from the scene and the next day
found an excuse to leave the Hardings,
after writing to Nell that l had dis
covered her perfdy. That was five
years ago and l have never laid eyes on
her since," and he sighed and looked in
the fire.
"Pshaw! Don't give me away" the
doctor cried, cheerily. Come around
to our house tonight; there's a young
friend of my wife's want you to meet"
Tom could not refuse the invitation
very well, so about 9 in the evening he
found himself in the Matthews hos
pitable parlors.
The doctor came forward to welcome
him and introduced his wife, who made
some pretty speech about any friend
of her husbands being more than well
come.
''Allow me to present you to my
friend, Miss Harding, Mr.. LennoX. Mr..
Lennox, Miss Harding!" said Mrs. Mat
thewS.
And, turning, Tom was confronted
by none other than his old sweetheart,
Nell, who returned his rather stiff bow
with slight inclination of the head.
Her surprise at meeting him seemed
quite as great as his own.
After he had time to observe her he
noticed that she was greatly changed;
she looked pale and thin, and doubtless
her mourning dress accounted for the
sad face.
Tom felt all his old love returning as
he looked at her. so changed from the
bright Nell of other days.
Presently their hostess asked Miss
Harding to sing, and as she arose to
obey, Mrs. Matthews turned to Tom and
said:
sit seems nice to have Nell with me.
We used to be rOOm-mateS and fast
friends at boarding school, but some
how | lost sight of her until about
month ago, found her teaching in the
family of a friend of mine. She looked
wretched, and after much persuasion on
my part, induced her to give up her
situation and spend a month or two
with me in order to recruit. Her people
were formerly quite wealthy, but the
eldest son, after plunging his father
into debt, completed the list of his
enormities by forging check for
large amount and then quitting the
country. The disgrace killed his
mother, and old Mr.. Harding followed
shortly after, and as Frank has mar
ried and settled in a distant state, Nell
was left alone. She was devotedly at
tached to that scamp of brother of
hers, and used often to meet him in the
grounds after her father had forbidden
him the house. But l ought to apollo
gize for telling you all this, Mr.. Len
nox, as itcannot interest YOU"
pray don't apologize, my dear Mrs.
Matthew's; L have been greatly inter
ested in the story. was personally