The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-22
THE WARNING VOICE.

W The tall loafiess trees in the little dell
Ior dene. locally epeaking) creaked and
X croaned In the sad winter wind. and tho
\ waters Of the burn foamed and fretted
bbout tho great gray bowiders contin-
hously. A dull, red sun scarce man
eged 10 pierce through tho prevailing
B krayncss, and masses OF blue black cloud
( lay low upon the horizon.
Amy one familiar with the district
1hat wild. bleak, barren country contig-
uous to the Chevoit range-would havo
known instinctively that bad weather
was in store, that the long expected snow
would mako It's appearance ere long.
Between the fltful gusts aof wind there
I was something solemn and impressive in
the aspect Of nature and in the heavy,
hfeless atmosphere, something that sug-
gested breathloss waiting for the COM
{ng storm.
|M Meanwhile the scattered focks of
sheep moved in leisurely fashion along
the steep sides of the fehs, and pair of
lovers fingered in the deno, too absorbed
In their own Insignificant portion of the
worlds business TO pay much attention
10 the impending trouble.
The girl was young, and on her cheeks
bloomed the roses of vigorous health,
but she was poorly dressed while the
young man. who was enacting-after
somewhat mean fashion-the part or
lover, looked prosperous and well TO do.
sits hard upon me, Ralph. You must
confess thatg' she exclaimed, with a touch
of bitterness, as her blue eyes looked
wistfully up through q mist of tears. 1T
lsn't ma fault that Aw Gamma keep him
straight, and yet AVN to be punished
Tor it, as if it wasT
Ralph turned his head away. He could
not bear to meet the pathetic appeal of
her eyes. He had imagined himself
stronger until that moment. 1t had re-
uuired some courage to face the ordeal,
which proved worse than he had antici-
pated.
He was fine, athletic looking young
fellow, but there was feebleness about
bis mouth and jaw that did not promise
much moral stamina.
s1t's to DO all over betwixt us, then,
because yer feyther wishes it?" the girl
went on in a tremulous voice.
Ralph shufied about from one foot to
khe other for a minute or two, then he
burst out:
"How can Aw say it-what would yer
hev me do, Nelly? If the auid man turns
me off, Awe nowt o. my own tie live
pn. Aw, man. stick to the farm and to
him--d--- himl Ye wadn't like To see
Ime hire oot for hind or shepherd
me that's been browt up decentlyT
Nelly knew nothing of the world. In
fhis remote north country nook had her
whole life been passed, ana from the
larger life that books might have opened
but her lack of education had debarred
her. Nevertheless she was a woman
Ind had intuitions. 1t crossed her mind
now that man who loved woman
truly and unselfshly might without
I much self denial do more heroic things
xor her sake. But she said nothing
She loved him, and she wished TO be-
Neve the best of him.
AS Ralph Wilson looked at her he rec
Dgnixed that for himself as well as for
\ Tho girl this separation which circum-
htances had rendered imperative was
real hardship.
Where in all the countryside could
her equal be found in looks, manners,
Hweetness Of disposition, loyalty of heart?
Though she was only the child of a
drunken, disreputable old shepherd, she
could hold her own against any of the
Farmers daughters in the neighborhood.
It was this fact of her unfortunate par
entage that had proved the stumbling
block to their happiness. They had
been thrown together from childhood,
Tor Martin Daglish, the shepherd, had
crown old in Farmer Wilson's employ
ment, and an attachment had sprung up
between them when Nelly bloomed into
Womanhood. But, alas, for the course of
true love! 1t had from the first been
\ khadowed by the shame and degradation
4 pf the girls father.
I During the course Of the year that was
Drawing to a close the drunkard had
\ made tremendous effort for the sake
! |pf his child, whom he fondly loved, to
4 reform, and Farmer Wilson had rather
( reluctantly given his consent to the mar
1 riage. He thought that Ralph might
4 have done better, in worldly sense,
than marry Nelly Daglish. There were
4 Farmers daughters about who had both
money and good connections, and the lad
[ WAS fool to throw himself away, bat
she was good, useful, industrious girl
Ill the same, and if only the old man full
filled his promise and kept steady there
wasn't much to be said against the
match.
That eft" A month before this the
bhepherd had broken out again worse
than ever for his enforced abstinence
Ind had become the object of public
corn and contumely.
Then it was that Farmer Wilson inter-
4ered with n high hand and withdrew
his consent peremptorily. Ii was all
very well TO marry poor girl. though
bven that was foolish concern when
capital was required to develop the re-
sources of the land, but TO marry poor
girl whose father was shame and dis
grace TO thenoighborhood was too idiotic