Connecticut western news., 1893-02-23
CANAAN, CONN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY

that all the boys he remembered of his own age were either dead or had be- come grandfathers, yet he had not thought of growing old. Pretty soon Uncle Billy rose and said:
 ''I reckon me an my wife'n go ter bed. Nancy'll keep yer company" and he retired to the room beyond.
 Chris sat looking into the fire. Nancy drew 8 chair near him. He was scarcely aware of her presence, his thoughts be- ing far away. At last she spoke:
 "I have waited long fur yer, Chris"
 He started.
 "Did you believe would comeY he asked.
 "Yes."
 Vividly he recalled the moment when, boy, he had bidden goodby to rosy checked girl. Twill you wait for me, NancyP' he had said. "Pn come back and marry you some day" Idle words, containing more of feeling than resolve. He had long forgotten, till the freight reflected upon her face fashed into dark corner of his brain, and it had all come back to him. He could say noth- ing, and she began to tell him of the long, weary years she had waited. She had no misgivings; among her own peo- pie she was accounted simple creature. She knew nothing of the gulf separating her from her old sweetheart. He had not married, and he had come back as he said hetwould; that was enough for her.
 He listened, pained but fascinated. Her speech, uncouth as it was, still had something of dignity in it's old English form. He had not the heart to wound her with the truth. Most men would have thought such cruelty the truest kindness; finer sense restrained him. Perhaps experience had taught him that a forlorn hope may be dearer than at tainment. He realized that an illusion which has been growing up in woman's heart for twenty years cannot be shat tered at blow without crushing the woman.
 "Poor child," he said tenderly; she had been telling him of her loneliness.
 ''But you're here now, Chris" She drew nearer him and laid her cheek against his arm with simple, childlike confidence. He started slightly. It seemed wrong to touch her, and yet if he put her away from him he would have to tell her why.
 'This is an evening out of the old time, Nancy. You and are girl and boy again, do you understand" he said putting his arm about her waist.
 "Yes," she said, with @ happy little laugh.
 Soon he disengaged himself and arose, saying that he was tired and would like to go to bed. She went with him to his room, and before leaving him lifted he-' lips for kiss. Again he hesitated, and stopping kissed her forehead. He went to bed, but not to sleep. The sense of the irreparable wrong he had done this girl burned into his heart, tender with its own pain. Wild thoughts of self inn notation occurred to him, only to be checked by the conviction of its hope. lessness. She would not be less lonely with him. They were utter strangers, for how little of the boy she had loved was left in the man, and how lost she would be in the world where he hvedi
 He rose early, and, going into the kitchen, found Mrs. Grimes dressing chicken for breakfast. The old woman gave him knowing look and remarked with chuckle:
 ''Nancy's ben a-waitin fur yer mighty while, an here yer air shur nuf."
 'Did she tell you so?'
 ''No; knowed hit 'thout her tellin me. She aint like other folks, Nancy ain't; she's sort O fool body"
 II do not think so."
 "Yer don'tf'
 "She doesn't seem strong. I'm afraid she works too hard"
 .'Us mounting folks all hef ter work. Nancy ain't stout. She's got the con- sumption, an the doctor says she can't live the winter out"
 Chris was going to speak, but the woman's cold, hard face checked him.
 "Who is your doctor?" he said at last.
 Nobody yer know; young feller- he ain't like Dr. Grain, he ain't; he's got larnin an knows what's the matter wi yer right off,"
 "What is his name?'
 stJim Banks. He lives in Vaudeville"
 Chris wrote down the name, and plan began to form in his mind.
 After breakfast he took his departure. As he was starting Nancy came up from the springhouse.
 "Where air yer goinf" she asked in some alarm.
 "To Cranberry"
 "Yer'll come backY'
 "Yes, some time."
 She looked at him with patient, trusting smile.
 "Goodbyl God bless youi" he said and rode away, wondering why it is that strong and constant affection is so sell dom mutual.
 AS he got on the cars at Cranberry gay voice greeted him:
 ''Hullo, Warren! I'm right glad to see your" It was a young drummer with whom Chris was pretty well acquainted. He, too, had been up In the mountains and was full of amusing stories, from which it soon appeared that he had been flirting outrageously with the mountain lassies
 "Look here, my boy" said Chris after time, ''let me tell you something. You can outlive all your early habits, you may outlive most of your friends, but you'll never outlive the promise you make woman, and if you don't want to discover some day that you are an un- mitigated scamp, you'd better make none that you don't mean to keep."- Lorraine Stanley in Washington Post.
 THE CRESCENT MILLS FAILURE. An Offer by Which Shareholders Can Get