The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-08-05

: and she had returned his affection, and
they had become engaged to each other
with the consent Of the mother, and all
went merry as marriage bell, until, in
some manner, he offended the object Of
his alteration.
! judge lie made her jea.ous, having
been in bis day beau Of the first water
and much admired by the ladies, but he
was too modest to say so outright But
1t oil events she would not forgive him.
She refused him the miniature which
had been painted for him, she took back
her lock OF hair and sent him back his
letters, and in oil sorts Of ways wrecked
vengeance upon him for his evil doing.
| fSt believe she intended to relent and
forgive. and he also thought so, I am
sure. He made every possible apology
and overture, but she yielded not one
| inch.
At last her mother died. That great
| sorrow, II seemed to him, must bow her
| pride, and she must more than ever need
u comforter, n consoler, a protector.
Allowing time for the first burst Of
! grief, lie wrote to her, asking her to reply,
| whatever her fiat might BE-, begging her
| 10 forgive him and once more promise TO
| be his wife.
She never answered me-" he said.
"Shs never gave ME one word in reply.
1t WAS on my tongue to say she had
been very vindictive, but saw that that
would not do Miss Nancy was sainted
in his memory and could be suspected Of
| NO wrong ~hstever.
Il erred beyond forgiveness. sweet
angel" he ssil-"I erred beyond for
giveness and Bachelor Barton could not
have be-u moved from this opinion by
the hisnor Of an angel
~Aun,is," cried my little nephew,
there's something in the crows nest"
was sitting i'll the garden and the
voice sounded above my head. I looked
up with q start. In the road outside
arose u tall pole, and from tinis imine-
mortal great Gro IS nest had crowned 1t.
How little Billy had managed to reach
its apex l canuot say, but there lie was,
and sp-echiess with horror could only
implore him, in dumb show, to descend. |
lie answered me with laugh, flung
something to the ground and came slid
ing down after it.
You naughty boy!" cried. ss
caught him in my arms.
ITS not q bit like nest, auntie," he |
said Its all ugly and muddy. There |
were some feathers IN it, black, and |
there was dead bird, and there was that !
cap-a queer cap. / never saw such
funny thing"
He picked from the grass the object he
had cast down. 1t looked like crushed |
leather box, and had been melted BY the !
sun and soaked by the rain until it was
shapeless; but it certainly proved to be
a queer, oldfashoned cap with peak
and lined with oiled silk, and as Billy
tossed it abou. and turned it inside out,
square white package dropped from
come secret spot beneath this lining,
which had kept it from destruction
adown the years.
Long years they must have been, for
the letter had been written before the
days whom envelopes were used, was
curiously folded and sealed with large
seal on which was the letter @F." 1t
was addressed in a delicate, running
hand, to ~Alwyn Barton, ESQ.,, Tho
Oaks" etc. In fact, it had evidently
been intended for the old gentleman we
called Bachelor Barton, and to him at
once despatched it with note OF ex-
planation.
His answer was request that / and
my husband would do him the honor of
calling, as Mr.. Barton was sick and
there was much to explain. And Of
course we went.
Bachelor Barton, bolstered up with
pillows, lay upon a lounge. pale as yellow
wax, his eyes shining under his gray
brows.
Dear friends, you have told me that
the letter you sent me was in the lining
OF an old leather cap in the crows nest."
he said. II remember seeing the cap
thrown away. Miss Frees little negro
servant Cato wore it, A carpenter, who
was mending the barn, had snatched it
and flung it in the air. Apparently it
never came down again. Itwas searched
for, and watched the search from the
window, but never dreamed that it was
in the nest The cap was cid. Cato had
Il new one, and that was the end Of it.
But now I remember that in that oiled
silk lining tile boy put any letters with
which he was sent to the postoffice, in
order to keep them clean. think it was
made with sort Of pocket on purpose,
and il this lining this letter had started
Oh its way to me when rude jest ended
my hopes Of happiness for life. Cato
forgot or never told the fact OF its being
undelivered.
The letter, dear friends. was an An.
swer to nay prayer for Miss Nancy Frees
paricn--a beautiful, forgiving, angelic
reply. Had received it should have
down to her. She should have been my
bride. These lonely years would have
been gladsonle. might not have been
The last leaf on a withered branch.
;" II was fatel not 10 bs. trust she
did not suffer also. II fear that is pos
5lhIe. How discourteous she must have
,l,.a N.,I I nI 81 L.