Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-07-26
A NOTION OF NANCYS.

"Heigh no! L am afraid there mus.
be something wrong with me-" said
Nancy, as she sat down in the bloom
ing grass under the old elm tree. II
am tired of the country. know it is
wicked to feel SO, and yet I hate the
very sound of a bee and the grasshop-
pers drive me frantic. Oh, dear it is
all SO drowsy and dull and dreary-
and-and all the other DIS" She con-
cluded savagely: Il want to 90 back
to the city. IL just hate this place"
There never was more unreason-
able girl than Nancy Stevens, and her
present mental attitude betrayed her
at once. Ferndale was one of the low
liest spots in the country, and to its
broad, blooming acres she had lately
fallen heiress by her grandfather's
will; but the life there bored her.
She settled down comfortably under
the tree and shut her eyes Nancy fell
fast asleep.
An hour slipped by and Nancy woke
with not very aesthetic yawn which
spoiled her pose entirely.
Dear me!' she exclaimed. What
an absurd dream had! l was going
over grandpa's papers in the old ma
hogany desk and l came across u pho
tograph. l don't remember what it
looked like, only it was a very hand
some man, and ON the back of it was
written TO Nancy from her devoted
lover. Ipicked it up and it was aw-
fully heavy, and kept getting heavier
and heavier till l dropped it on the
floor, and then it began to grow and
grow till it suddenly turned into
real man, who caught my hands and
held them SO tight that it hurt me-
Nancy lifted her hands half rueful-
ly. Il think a bee stung me just
then" she said There's an ugly red
spot that smarts a good deal"
II wonder what there is in grand
pas old desk, anyhowa No photo
graphs of handsome men, venture to
say; but I've great mind to ransack
the pigeon holes, just for fun. It's a
regular Noah's ark, I'm sure"
The idea seemed to please her and,
as her drowsiness gradually left her,
she got up and sauntered into the house
where her grandfather's desk stood in
one corner of the quaint old drawing
room. She had a great time finding
the key, and, when she had unlocked
it she felt inclined to shut it up again.
Mercy" she cried, with an innate
horror OF the dust that pervaded every
thing. why don't people burn all
their old letters and trash before they
diea mean to anyhow Just fancy
going over these melancholy old
thingsl It's like spending day in a
family mausoleum.
Nevertheless, Nancy drew up tall
rush bottomed chair and sat down be-
fore the desk, not without some curl
osity. With little japanese feather
duster she flicked away the gray coat
ing of dust that enveloped every
thing, and began to run over the
pigeon holes one by one.
There are no photographs, evil
IDENTIFY" she said, thinking of her
dream, and with a languid interest
she picked up first one letter, then an
other, scraps of paper, memoranda
newspaper clippings, yellow letter
heads, also bills and receipts and all
the odds and ends that accumulate in
an old desk.
WHY" she said presently, here's
a letter already stamped and address
ed, and it has never been sent. Poor
grandpa must have mislaid it. He al
ways was forgetful. Let me see! It's
addressed to John White Draper, AZ
Fairthorne street, City. What city, |
wonders" Nancy took a paper knife
and cut the envelope open. A letter
written by her grandfather almost a
year before his death was inclosed.
"My dear Mr.. Draper" the letter
began in old Mr.. Stevens quaint, pre-
else hand, Il neglected to tell you
that / have transferred my account
with Craig and Hamilton, and have
placed balance of forty thousand
dollars subject to your order with the
First National bank Of T. Upon
inquiry have found Craig and Ham
ilton rather shaky, and consider this
q wise move. have not said anything
about this To any one, as do not care
to start run of the firm for nothing,