The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-12-07
THE LAST
THE NUGENTS.
ny THE AUTHOR OF "swEErnEARrs.'

tl The AUTuOR Ot SWEEIllEAltIS /
'The year was almost over-indeed Il
only wanted q week to Lord Elias coming |
Of age-when Lord Culverton died very
suddenly. The third daughter had been
married about amonth, and they had been
unusually gay at the Towers, and of
course, were all looking forward to the
festivities to celebrate Lord Elias coming
of age. In the midst of it all, Lord Gull
verton died; SO your father was summoned
home, and arrived two days earlier than
he had been expected.
s'The Earl was buried on Lord Elias
birthday, and then Lord Ella was his
own master entirely. Not that he made
any changes; he told his mother that she
was not to be disturbed at the Towers ut
present; and to every ones establishment,
he went abroad again-he said he was
afraid of an English winter. To my aunt
he explained that, since they could not
with propriety be married before six
months at the very earliest, he found the
time of waiting easier to pass away from
her than when he was near her. So he
went away-that time without a question
as to her truth or her love. He wrote to
her however, with tolerable regularity,
and nearly another year yassed over
Dolly gave up speaking of him, and yer
wore any of the jewelry that he had given
her.
"Onem morning there came a letter telling
her that he wished to be free; such a
letter, BERTHE, so cold, so cruel-it makes
we weep to think of it. He told her that
he felt his love for her had been o mis-
take, and that he could never love any
one as he found he loved an Italian lady
of high rank, whom he had known init
mately for eighteen months. 1T has not
been sudden he said; Il have tried to
fight against it. 1 feel that my engage
ment with you cane about more as a mat
ter of course-rather from long friend
ship than from any real love; and al
though if you wish it, l will keep my
promise, l feel we should not be happy
'That was not all; no mention OF her
feelings-only thought for himself. She
gave him his freedom and he married
your mother. But that was not ALL
Dolly,Nugent had never been strong and
this great grief brought or a kind of
low fever, which weakened her sadly
And besides the pain of losing her lover,
and the humiliation of desertion, she had
yet another pang to bear.
"Not only did Lord Culverton immedi-
ntely marry, but, q month after the we'd
ding, he brought his bride to the Towers!
Nay, still more, he ven brought her here
to see my aunt! Only think OF it! He
told his wife quite carelessly that Miss
thoughts of marrying, but that they had
the cruelty of being obliged to hear such
a speech as that from the man she loved,
to the woman for whom he had forsaken
her and married! My aunt bore up like
&. true Nugent through it all; but she had
still to endure another pang. When you
were born, Jour father asked her to be
your godmother and she consented
Rather than betray to him or to my one
else how bitter was her suffering; but,
before the day fixed for the christening
arrived, my aunt wasdead. She had long
been in what the doctors called q .decline,'
but what less practical people called
heart broken and she burst n blood-yes-
sci, and tied. She kept her promise, and
loved him for ever and it cost her her
life"
my darling" said Lord Culverton SOL
emily, IL have been away from you for
five long years. l have been thrown
amongst the most beautiful and fascinat-
ing women of Europe; l have been
sought aitcl-I will not be so conceited as
to think los myself, but for my title and
for my riches; and yet l have come back
TO you. All those FIVE years, during
which l never saw you, l never forgot
the golden-haired blue-eyed child who
threw her arms round my neck and cried,
on don't know. BERTHE, how I love your"
sNol" said Dolly softly.
II never did. l made up my mind ten
Aars ago that I would one day win you
~ my own; and, oh, my dearest, if aught
come between us. thcn let me die, for I
could not live! If the last Bert,am Nu-
gent broke Dorothy Nugent's heart, I
shall not follow his example. Look at me
and tell me you can and will trust me-"
81 will trust you" said Dolly softly.
"My dearest" he cried "you don't know
how happy you have made me! Dolly, l
will have no dangerous delay; you know
you might change your mind this time
with a smile at the idea OF it.
"The Nugent motto is For ever,'" re-
turned the girl proudly. ''Therc never
was a Nugent who went back from his
word yet; and you may be sure 1 shall
not be the one to start such an objection
able practice"
Is III 1uSuSts silu tcTI Ill u
mnsing tone. II shall ask for you on the
first of October"
"Oh" cried Dolly demurely. "And who
is to settle the question: :.
sin the first place, you of course. Do I
make too sure of you, my darling7 if so,
that is your own fault; for, if you remem-
Der, you always used to do whatever /
asked you"
ayes, l did; but that will neverdo when
we are married, you know, BERTHE. I
shall be obliged then to be very cross
grained and disagreeable, or we shall
never be qual1elsome enough for married
people"
.Do the Squire and the Mistress quar-
rel?,
"Quarrel?" cried Dolly in amazement.-
Why, we should as soon expect Deane
Ella Church to walk across the park and
fight the Towers as to hear them quarrel
ing! No, they never quarrel, but then
father gives in to mother always'-with
much emphasis on the last word.
"But you will give in to me about this,r
he pleaded, "won't you, Dolly2 If you
knew how lonely it is at the Towers all
by myself-eating my wletched dinner, as
l did last night, at the end of n table forty
feet long, and feeling like a Gulliver in
Brobding, whatever they call itw
Sand pray how shall I feel when YOU
go to York to dine at the club, or at the
barracks, as Lord Culverton used to do,
and you leave me all alone, as he used to
leave the Countess?" she asked.
H used to go to get rid of her scold-
ing tongue" he answered. 'Poor father!
1t would have been more cheerful for him
if he had stuck to his first love. OF
course, you know, darling, the Countess is
dead, and / do not wish to say anything
agains. her; but, oh, she did hate me!
She never tried to disguise it. I've heard
her say to my father many times, in the
most calm and dispassionate way, as if she
were quietly stating an indispntable fact,
4 hate you-oh, how I do hate your
That was why he went over to York so
often; and small blame to him."
Every small" returned Dolly sympa-
thetically.
sand so, until you tell me you hate me,
I shall not make a practice Of going to
York or anywhere, and leaving you" he
said fondly.
'.Father is coming up the road" cried
Dolly suddenly. sCall him. BERTHE"
"Hi-Squire," shouted Culverton Wig
orously-1Squire-wait a minute"
Squire Nugent stopped short, though
not quite sure whence the shout came;
and the two Young people ran nnicklv