The Columbus journal., 1893-01-18

Sy0 Oou MY AAlo OwE
feeling responded to the look in he,
face What to a real stranger might
have been an. Jared upon him.
After supper they sat round ths
fire talking Of old tines. Chris
learned with . strange feeling OF be,
ing Under q spell that all the boys b,
remembered of his own age yer.
either dead or had Become grand,
fathers yet he had not thought O
grc.ing old. Pretty soon incl,
Billy rose and said:
i reckon me an my wife II 60 te,
bed. Napcy'u keep yer company.
and he retired to the room beyond.
Chris sat looking into the fire.
Nancy drew a chair near him. Ha
was scarcely aware OF her presence.
his thoughts being far away. At last
she spoke:
Il have waited long iir yer. Chris. >
He started.
Ibid you believe l would como"
he asked.
Yes"
Vividly he recalled the nome nj
when a boy he had hidden good by te
a rosy-cheeked girl. .'Will you wal,
for me. NancyT he had se:d. ri
come back and marry S6d some day
Idle words, containing more of feel.
ing than resolve. He had long for.
gotten till the freight reflected upon
her face flashed into a dark corner oil
his brain. and it had all ON back
to him. He could say nothing and
she began to tell him Of the long.
weary years she had waited. She
had no misgivinss; among her own
people she RAJ accounted a simple
creature. She knew nothing Of the
gulf separating her and her old sweet.
heart He had not married. and he
had come back as he said he would;
that was enough for her.
But you're here. now. Chris +"
She drew nearer him and laid her
cheek against his arm with simple.
child-like confidence. 1t 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 1 are a girl
and boy again. do You understand"
be said. putting his arm about her
waist.
Yes" she said with a little hap
Ply laugh.
Soon he disengaged himself and
arose. saying that ne was tired aud
would like to go to bed. She went
with b m to his room. and before
leaving him lifted her lips for a kiss.
Again he hesitated. and STOPPING
kissed her forehead. He went to bed.
but not to sleep. The sense of tho
irreparable wrong he had done this
girl burned into his heart tender
with its own pain Wild thoughts OF
self immolation occurred to him. only
to be checked by the conviction of its
hopelessness. 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 lived.
He rose eariv. and. going into the
kitchen. found Mrs Grimes dressing
a chicken for breakfast The old
woman gave him a knowing look and
remarked with IA chuckle:
..Nancy's been Il waitin' fur yer a
mighty while. and here yer afro shur
nuL."
Did she tell You sop
No; l knowed hit thout her tel
lin me. She amt like other folks.
Nancy amt; she's a sort O. fool
body"
al do not think So"
Yer don't?:"
She doesn't seem strong. l m
AFRAID she works too hard"
Us mounting folks all hef to work.
Nancy amt stout. she's got the
consumption. 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 a,
last.
Nobody. yer know; a young Teller
he amt like DR.. Grain. he Amt;
he's got larnen' an knows what's the
matter wi yer right off"
What is his name"
Jim Banks; he lives in Wade
Vile"
Chris wrote down the nams. and a
plan began to form in his mind.
After breakfast he took his depart
ure. AS he was starting Nancy came
up from the spring house.
Where aire yer goin':?" she asked
i'll ONE alarm.
TO Cranberry"
'Ierll come back'"
Yes some time"
She looked at him with Il patient
trustful smile.
.GoOd-bv. God bless you he said
and rode away. wondering why it is
that a strong and constant affection
is so seldom mutual.
AS he got on the cars at Cranberry
a gay voice greeted MIN:
Hello. Warren! I'm right glad to
see you" 1t was 4 young drummer
with whom Chris was pretty well &C
quainted. He too had been up in
the mountains and was full of anus
ing stories from which it soon APP
peared that he had been flirting out
rageously with the mountain lasses.
Look here. my boy" said Chris
after a time. let me te | you some.
thing. You can outlive all your early
habits you may out-live most of your
friends. but you'll never out live a
promise you make a woman. and if
you don't want to discover some day
that you are an Inmitigated scamp
better make none that you
don't mean to ~keep."-Washington
Post.