Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-12-04
Nellie Morris Mistake.

- NoAc. Iudnk lOEIuneA ana
now can rest, and"-with a rosy
little blush fitting over her round
cheeks-''Tom will soon be here. He
promised 20 come at seven. He said
he would be early this evening for he is
gong to finizh reading Aurora
Lei-.h.'"
She closed the sewing machine, folded
her work, and placed it in a dainty
bIsket; and then ran up stairs to don a
pretty white muslin. and loop back her
curly brown hair with a blue ribbon.
Her toilet completed, she descended to
the coy sitting-room, where her mother,
who was an invalid, lay reaiing upon
a soft couch.
'Win you have your tea now, man.
mar" she inquired.
Mrs Morris glanced up; a fragile
little woman with pathetic brown
eyes.
Yes, DEAR she answered. "You
are expecting Tom, suppOseY'
The girls pretty face flushed; that
was answer enough Mrs. Morris
smiled.
lam glad that you are engaged to
Tom. she observed, ''for he Is good
and reliable, unusual trait in the young
men OF the present day. Nellie, if l
NNAS ACfCA . man
who broke his word, even in the most
tritiIng matter"
Nor l." quoth Nellie, gravely.
shaking her curly brown head mann
NAL after brief silence, ''Jennie
Ford has done all in her power TO sow
dIssension between Tom and myself
But she shall not succeed, for i would
trust Tom anywhere. They are not
many men like Tom Lewis"
An, little Nelll the time Is fast ap-
preaching when your faith will be put
10 the test.
She hustled about, little household
fairy that she was, and prepared her
mothers tea; that having been dis
patched, she shook up the pillows,
threw an afghan over her mother, and
having lighted the lamp on the center
table, turned it low, then she stole out
upon the porch to wait for Tom. Not
that she would let him know that she
WAS waiting for him, Oh, mol she only
meant to watch and wait, screened
from observation by the trailing rose
WINS which covered the porch, and
when she would hear the ringing foot
step' coming down the street, and the
gale latch would click she would hasten
INTO the house and meet her lover with
as much sang froid as though she had
not been waiting with wildly beating
heart for his appearance. Where Is
the woman who has not some time
p acticed such innocent deceit?
The minutes slipped by; it seemed to
waiting Nellie that they were winged
tonight. One, two, thr, e, four, five,
six, seven, chimed the old clock in the
corner with its hands before its face
like bashful school girl, shrinking
from notice.
tom Will be here in a minute" :" said
Nellie, cheerfully, ''he Is always so
prompt; | can estimate TO a moment
| just when to expect him."
Alasl the moment came and went,
and another and another followed IL IN
swift pursuit..
Nellie stepped into the sittlng-room
and glanced at the clock little anx-
| iOusly. Surely the old tIme-piece had
gone wrong!
"Ah, well, excused the little wo-
man women are prolific of excuses,
where the man they love is concernedl, J,
something important has detained
him, and he will soon be here. He has
never disappointed me or kept me wait
ing. When Tom appoints an hour, he
never fails"
But there has to be a first time for
everything, you see. Nellie stood
waiting, waiting. Every instant she
( fancied that she could hear the familiar
sound of his footsteps coming down the
| long street upon which stood her sub
urban home. But the moments passed,
/ and she was doomed to disappointment
At last, overcome by the heartsche
| which had gradually asserted itself, she
| succumbed to "a good cry" But al
| ter a time she lifted her little head with
a naughty gesture, and dashed the
tears from her eyes, suddenly grown
hard, and bright, and scornful-
Let him 60" she painted, angrily,
s'if that i, all that he cares for me! l
will run over and see Aunt Mary, and
| Tom Lewis shall never know the full
extent of my disappointment tonight
1 don't care whether he comes or
noti''
Now, when a woman speaks in such
a manner of the lover who is dearer To
her than life itself, II is usually pretty
safe to decide that she cares a great
deal. Women are so inconsistent, you
know; but menl-ah, never! OF course
noti
Nellie went into the house, bathed
[ her ewes. smoothed her disordered hair,
anu 1S u4bNAACA "1'
| their II tie maid-of-all-work sat at her
side. Nellie threw a white wrap about
her own shoulders and started to call
upon her aunt. who lived very near.
/ But at her own gate she came 10 halt.
For there. passing down the street as
/ though IN great haste tperhaps he feared
/ that Nellie might catch a glimpse of
himl- was Tom Lewis, her betrothed
husband, and at his side pretty Jennie
Ford. For an instant Nellie's heart
stopped beat ing; then. without pausing
/ To reflect. she turned angrily and ran
| hack To the house. Once in her own
room. she seated herself at her desk
/ and wrote a cold line to her lover, CIV
/ ING him back his freedom And the
romance of her life WAS over-or she
/ thought it was, which amounts TO the
the same thing, / suppose.
! Nellie did not sleep much that night,
and morning found her pale and nag
gard. But she mailed the letter to
/ Tom Lewis, and went about her du-
ties cheerfully and as patiently as pos
/ sible.
/ Late in the day there was ring al
the door-bell. Nellie commander tlt
servant to say, if the visitor should
prove to be Mr.. Lewis, that she wa
engaged and could not see him, II
was, indeed, Mr.. Lewis, and, mucn te
Neliie's discontinue, he insisted upon
seeing her mother. .c.o,
,.Iicb Tom took his departure, and
MIS- Morris sent for Nellie TO come 'o
tine room where she WAS lying.
.Nelli-.n she began, reproachtuiiy'
.svou owe Tom an apology.
/ ;,5aadr,, sformed Nellie.