Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-06
WON AT THE ALTAR.

guilty as she saw the despair creep
over him.
He had always been n dear friend to
her-nothing more. He had fought
her battles at school in childhood; he
had found the plumpest, ripest berries
and brownest nuts for her especial
eating, but now-now he had actually
made her proposition OF marriage
A very matter fact affair he had
made of it, too-not at all as she had
imagined that an offer OF marriage
would come 10 her.
1t may be that that was the chief
reason of her prompt refusal.
"Why not. Nettie, darlingP 1 have
always loved you," he pleaded.
That's just it!' she exclaimed pet
tishly. 81 have always known you
always since l remember. We have
fought over mud pies"
"No, never! We never quarreled-
we always defended each other" he
interrupted.
There it is again!" she cried, i'm
patiently. If we never did it is no
sign that we never would. No, Charlie.
/ like you--as friend-of course; but
when l do marry-well, my husband
won't be one who has hauled me 10
school upon his hand-sled."
''Who will it beP" he asked bitterly.
''Oh, don't know yet. My prince
softly. ''He must be handsome; you
look quite well. Charlie, but you are
not dark enough. He must be taller
than / am at least four inches; you are
two, Charlie-exactly two. He must
have a lovely mustache, black and
heavy; yours inclines toward red,
Charlie, you can't deny that"
That's enoughm CALCULATED the
tortured young man. "You need not
sing your unknown hero's praises
further. / see plainly that can
never hope to rival him. Good-by."
And without another word or glance
he bounded over Il stone wall and
walked rapidly down the road, leaving
the girl by the maple trees strangely
perpleXed and uneasy.
~ declare | didn't think Charlie
would get mad so easily" she unused,
STOPPING absently to gather the Grim
son and gold leaves which fluttered to
her feet ut was real mean of him,
sure. Why can't we go on as we al
ways have beenP I'm sure it is incest
so. | don't know what | will do with
out Charlie but / can't marry him, and
won't. So! How absurd! He must
see it so, too. or course he will when
he comes to think it over"
But he didn't, and the days passed
swiftly.
m - or;coso,, ood c,oId fodo5 ;o4o 81, 4,
dreary brown of late autumn, but still
Charlie did not come back TO her.
II don't know what ails the child.
She is strangely unlike herself" said
her fond father, anxiously, one even
ing when Nettie listlessly left the
room, after gazing silently into the
fire for full two hours.
.'She is losing flesh. too, and grow
ing pale. She eats scarcely anything
not enough to keep a Canary alive, !"
sighed her mother.
"She used to sing songs and play
chess with me all the evening. You
never could learn chess, my DEAR"
grumbled the father.
IL think will send her to her aunt
Mary in Boston at once"
perhaps that would be best If ii
is change that she needs, that will be
change enough. I'll get her ready
as soon as possible"
Mrs. Travers instantly left the room
to look over Nettie's wardrobe, and
tell that young lady OF the good fortune
in store for her.
''If you wish it / will go, mamma. e"
That was all the thanks she got for
the offer.
elf we wish it! Something does all
the girl-something serious. and the
sooner she goes to Boston the better"
cried Mrs. Travers when she had re-
peated Nettie's words to her husband.
So Nettie went to Boston. and aunt
Mary, we'll advised in the matter,
plunged her into dizzy whiri OF
sightseeing; yet she grew paler and
thinner daily.
She made many acquaintances, and
suitors came to WOO her; among them
Clinton Ames, young man whose
personal appearance Tailed with that
of her ideal admirer.
HE is fine young man, my dear"
said her aunt briskly, after he had
called one day. "a girl might do far
worse than to marry Clinton Ames."
"What business does he follow"
asked Nettie, absently.
"Hear the childr' laughed her aunt.
81 did not think that you were so
worldly. Nettie; and really, can not
tell you. What said was merely the
popular opinion of popular young
man. He is very much welcomed in
our sets, you know, but your uncle
will inquire IL 1t is anything
serious"
at isn't-no. indeed" cried the
girl, with flaming cheeks. IL only
asked because-well, because did not
know what else TO say. He has no
serious intentions, I'm sure, Aunt
Mary, and 1t would not matter to me
II he had"
But she was greatly mistaken both
in Ciinton's Ames intentions and in
the answer that she would give him.
The carrier brought her letter
from home that morning. one sentence
OF which burned into her brain:
"Charlie Alton is paying great at