Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-05

vondsrful. clear doves syes Il am 60
ing to be married to Mr.. Beresford very
soon, and be has been very severely
wounded. Hs must have the most dire
need Of me-"
but people will think it altogether so
odd" the little man persisted
The Exrles have never troubled them
selves much about what people might
think" said Nancy. rather proudly. As to
nv going out there, know he would ap-
prove of that and besides. YOU know.
am not going out 10 strangers Mrs. So
ton is in Calcutta. and am going straight
to her"
But supposing sine has left it when you
get therei'
Il shall telegraph to her at once. II
she has to leave before | get there she
will have made the way smooth for me.
never fear
Then Sir George gave up the conflict,
seeing that Nancy was proving herself TO
be q real chip of the old Earle block, and
that he was but wasting his breath in
arguing with her.
Il might be walking down the street.
she cried, land a chimney pot nigh, fall
on my head and crack it, or | might miss
my footing at the top Of the stairs and
tumble down and break my neck, or |
might" with a sudden change of tone,
Il might stop here and eat my heart out.
and he might die without seeing me-and
OH Mr.. Moore, don't try to keep me;
should go right out of my mind if any
thing like that were to happen.
So she won the day and carried her
point, and the preparations for the jour
ney went briskly on. She decided to take
her maid, who had been with her three
years and was very steady, reliable kind
Of woman. well accustomed TO travelling.
and also to keep Darby, who had been her
fathers valet for something like four
times that period With her own woman
and with Darby. she would, she knew, be
more safe and also travel in greater COM
fort than with half dozen fine society
ladies to do chaperon- And, moreover.
she gave thought to the journey back
and to the comfort and help that Darby
would be to her Beautiful Jim on the voy-
age home And with such indomitable
energy did she work that by the time the
very next P. and o. steamer went out to
the shining East, she was on board. feel
ing, it is true. q little more lonely than sho
would for all the world have admitted to
the group Of friends who had gone to SEQ
her of-waving q rather fearful farewell
to them and her native shores.
But that was feeling which very soon
passed oil. The novelty of her surround
ings was good for such sad thoughts as
hers necessarily were, and though in a
general way an unusually good sailor. she
began. after few hours. to feel certain
very uncomfortable sort Of qualms. which
sent her Off 10 her berth without any DO
sire to spend more time gazing at the fast
receding shores of her own country. And
after that she lived the ordinary life on
ship board, coming in for large share of
admiration and attention in spite of tho
fact. which soon became known among
the passengers. that she was engaged TO
be married to man in the Blankshire
regiment, who had been badly wounded in
an affair with the Dacoits in Burmah and
that she was going to Calcutta, and pos
sibly even further. to nurse him.
They knew, too, that her brother had
been killed in the same affair. and that
her father had died about the same time
that she was q great heiress and the
last of her name. And they ell said. men
and women alike, that the fellow in the
the Blankshire regiment was just the very
luckiest man who had ever been born, if,
indeed. he had not been SO unfort unate
as to die of his wound
on board when at Suez telegram from
Calcutta was brought on for Miss Earle,
who, poor girl, had hardly courage enough
to open it, 1t was short. but inexpressibly
sweet:
Jim much better-on his way here.
SETON"
Nancy tried hard to laugh over the good
news. and very nearly succeeded in break
ing down into storm of tears, the relief
was so great Then some ono called out
Three cheers for Jim-long life to HIM"
and straightway three rousing shouts
went up for the hero they had never seen;
and his lovely sweetheart, in spite of q
certain dewiness about her doves eyes,
managed to turn the threatened outburst
into smiles after all
Strangely enough. the journey did not
seem particularly long to her, nor the
time half SO wearisome as sitting at
home waiting for Jims return would have
been. There was a sense of doing some