Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-02-08
THE DOCTORS NEPHEW.
ny EMMA A. OPPER.

buggy, ana sat down on a log with n
sigh of relief, while Philo hitchcd his
horse to tree.
1t was not an enticing thing Mt best to
go to picnic with Philo Wilson: but
the picnic itself was preferable to the
drive thithcr. There were distractions
at least, and, with good luck, u chance
for n brief escape. But driving six
miles with him, making spasmodic at
tompts at conversation while he sat in
his usual open mouthcd but tongue tied
silence, tall and lank, uninspircd and
uninspiring-driving with philo had no
alleviatinS points.
Fairly at the grounds, then. Corn
shook out her white dress and STRAIGHT.
ened her chip bonnet and even smiled a
little with the buoyancy of youth. The
picnic was large, she noted, gaily.
There were the older people gathered
scdately together among n group of
oirchcs. Cora's father and mother were
among Them in black broadclcth and
alpaca, and they looked over Mt their
pretty daughter and Philo with placid
smiles.
They approved of Philo; he was
STEADY" and their practical concern
went no further. Cora smiled back Mt
them; And grouped about the long
board platform, where there would be
dancing later, were all 'thc girls"
Cora deserted the log.
''Pll go over where the rest are. " she
said. "N' 'A'
And though philo, who was n bit of n
dcspot under his phlegmatism, did not
look pleased, she hurried away.
t'I'hp yirlcr ,roro
sec her, after the manner of urls
you look lovely" said Kate Miller.
. what did you bringI" said Marcy
+ uilcr: i've got an angel cake, but it's
perfectly horrid! 1t isn't white n bit.
and the frosting-"
You know it's splendid, Marcy" said
Cora, laughing; yours always are. Isn't
That DIR. Sanoorn's ncphewt"
1.-The girls" did not look around-it
wasn't necessary. They had him already
well liked on their mental rctinas. by
reason OF sundry iurtive glances the
handsome Young fellow, bluc-eycd and
ack-halred, in loose lacket and sand
shoes and II soft cap, who sat talking to
Sadie Sanborn and Sadic's beau ut the
oiher end of the platform. They burst
INTO subdued inquisitorial chorus.
:, ON, do you know him." We
thought, of course he's q relative. be-
cause he's with Sadie" "Isn't he lovely
anyhow" ~
''lie is very nice looking" said Cora.
lalntly tinted as to her round checks
cs, he's the doctors nephew. lie
was here Inst summer, but cnly for II
week or so; and the doctor WIS., in TO see
iather one evening, and brought Mr..
Hill with him, and we got pretty well
acquainted. He'd run over and plny
croquet real often, and one day we
went"
But n little excited murmer inter.
rupted her
Hes looking at your Giles bow.
ing !" lies coming straight over here,
Coral"
SO he was, with the eager smile with
which young men have greeted pretty
maids since the world began, and with
an impatient, outstretchcd hand.
Cora's fingers simartcd, IN truth, under
the pressure it gave them.
Miss Gilman" he said. findinr sent
beside her land ''the girls" edged away,
awed by the nearer presence of th91
doctors nephew. 81 have been looking
for you, do you know. | came onlv
Yesterday, or you'd have seen me before.
HOW arc you, Miss Gilman2 You look
well! And the croquct grounds il
therei"
",ies, it's there" she said. smiling III
at him. Philo had been buttonholed
by hank Lee. ut a safe distance.) 'sPvt
improved, Mr.. Hill. Will you believe
"You" he cried, in humorous alarm
why, you used to 'whitewash' m,
every time as it was. We'll play some
thing else this year, Miss Gilman-tag,
or lackstones. or something Pm proficien
They laughed dclightcdly.
HOW nice he was! she thoughts
bright and jolly!
She was little frightened to fine
how well she remembered all about him
AND he-she couldn't tell what he wa
thinking, of course-but he was LOOKING
at her with very eager eyes and name
almost excited. She dropped her own
her cheeks pinkcr.
II remember it all, you see. What
good time we had, Miss Gilman. nov
didn't we-the day we went off black
Derryingl You haven't forgotten it
Ion had on an old blue dress and
shaker. and some gloves of your fathers.
MIR. Hill threw back his head IN boyisl
glee. "And we got ten quarts. too.
He grew suddenly sober. II did enio
that week, Miss Gilman. I've lived i
over in my imagination often enough
since. If it hadn't been for YOU, Mis-
Gilman, I shouldn't have come here thi
summer" he ended, courageously. "Bu
Pm in for month here now.n
She looked at him breathlessly, he
heart beating hard.
Did he mean it7 But she knew Ii
did. And he hadn't an idea of philo'
existence. She wished that she had not
The doctors nephew rose impulsivcly
Come, Miss Gilman" said he: don
lets sit here pokily. We never wcr
poky. you know. Let's have ramble
Isn't there an ostensible purposc-an oh
jcct of interest, or something"
She smiled, with an inward connic
of eladncss and miseiying.
/ "Iherc's the willow arhor do,.,,