Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-13

marry Nelly at all hazards and trust to their united efforts either to keep the old shepherd steady or to give him the cold shoulder. But Farmer Wilson was a man of the world, and he knew the fallacy of these hopes. Old Martin Dag fish was past reformation in his eyes, and even Ralph acknowledged that he was not himself sanguine about it. And Nelly would stick to her father through thick or thin; that was the worst of itl Ralph Wilson was weak, though well intentioned, and he proved as wax in his fathers hands.
 Before the conclusion of the scene he had promised to see Nelly and to induce her to give him back his plghted troth- The interview now proceeding was the result of that promise.
 ''Don't you imagine that you have the worst of it, Nelly" said Ralph as he felt again the charm of her presence. "These things come more hard to a man than woman, because they are not so patient"
 Nelly sighed.
 But men can go away and forget all about their disappointments. They ha' lots to think about. But we women folk we just hn' to bide it and say nothin, though our hearts be ever so sore! Oh, Ralph, lad, I wish we'd never seen one l anotherr'
 Ralph. moved by a sudden impulse, drew the girl to him and with passion ate vehemence kissed her lips over and over again.
 T cannot Lelp it--they are the last" he muttered apologetically as he reluc- tantly released her, but it is cruel ! downright cruel-that we ha' to part! And all for the sake of drunken good for nothing that might have broken his neck half d dozen times this winter if that mistaken providence that watches over such like wastrels hadn't prevented it. Hang him! wish he was dead!" Don't, Ralph. I cannot bide to hear your'
 What good is his life? Itdoesn't ben | eft one living creature-not even him self! You ought to wish it, too, Nelly, instead of chiding me. Aye, and you would if you cared half as much about me as do about you.' | Nellie drew herself slowly away and looked him straight in the face. | You don't mean word of what you're sayin. or 1 would give you a bit of my mind for bein heartless! Poor | old dad. He's never said a cross word to me ill my lifc-not even when he was the worst for drink, He's nobody's en- emy but his own. there's that to be said l for him, anyway. If you won't marry me because I mean to stick to my auld feyther, wey aall ha' to bide it as best aa may. But as for me wantin him deid ma poor, good hearted dad-that'l nev- CT, never be, and so I tell ye plainly, Ralph"'
 At this conclusion the young fellow hung his head. feeling rather ashamed of his ill nature, and the pair walked in a leisurely and dejected manner toward the farm. Where the two roads joined they parted, sullen, miserable, without their customary kiss or even a friendly handshake.
 Again the little dene appeared desert ed and resumed its normal aspect of ex- pectation, the spell having been broken momentarilv by the young and eager | presences.
 But the 1itude and silence did not have long to reign. Up one bank of the stream struggled q thicket of ragged shrubs, alders and hawthorns. and from thence there emerged q few minutes afterward the figure of man. He crawled up to the level ground upon his hands and knees, like some prowling beast that had been in hiding.
 When he reached the road. he rose to his feet and stood upright, or at least made as near an approach to that posi- ton as his own condition would allow, for he was evidently greatly under the influence of alcohol.
 He rubbed his hand across his eyes and gazed in a bewildered fashion in the direction taken by the pair of lovers.
 Ma canny Nelly! Ma bonny lassr he muttered in a tremulous, husky voice, the voice of a whisky drinker, just te think she Ina stuck by me like yonr'
 He stood silent for q moment after this, as though endeavoring to master the situation; then he gave himself a shake like as dog does on emerginA from the water.
 "You boozy, dram drinkin old soak. CT, dinna ye feel ashamed O yersel'T he burst out at last. What's wrong wi ye7 Lemme think"
 But it was of no use for him to try and consider. The earth reeled around and met tho sky, and the road rose uT and hit him in the face. His brain was on fire, and he could not think.
 He stumbled down to the edge of the stream again, and at the imminent risI of meeting death by drowning managed to lave his face and head in the icy cold water and to gulp down great drafts Oi the same, making, it must be confessed wry face at ths latter part of the pro gramme.
 ThaTS I,o eat DN .ka and resting his faue h his hands uaadt another effort.
 He was the miserable wreck of a fine stalwart man. Although little past tht prime of life, drink had done its work and he looked a broken down old topel on the brink of the grave. He had th' bleared. unsteady eyes of a drunkard, { drunkard's loose, slobbery mouth, bu his features were of an originally goot and pleasing type. and it was not difh cult to trace in his face a likeness tt pretty Nelly.
 "He was reet-the confoonded young fool was reet-and my canny bairn wa! wrong. There is no use in a life ik, mine-none whatever! An if I was deit he marry her and she be happy-she'C be happy"
 It was not pleasant retrospect tha life of his, look at it how he might Los opportunities, hopes that had died un natural deaths, ambitions that had beeI drowned under that thirsty sea that haG engulfed his manhood and made of hin the sot he was.
 God forgive him! The face of the wifi whose heart he had broken rose befor him now in his maudlin repentance t, add to his misery. He remembered tn look in her eyes as she feebly took hi hand in her own dying ones and laid i upon the head of her baby girl.
 ''Be good-to Neliy-and-and dim, make her hfe-like mine has been through that-cursed drink"