The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-10-26
SWEET NELLY y
= HUNTINGDON.
CHAPTER vI-Continued.)

~ uUlllllluUVll.
CHAPTER VI.-Continucd.)
II love your daughter, SIR" uttered
the young man quite simply; Il WANT
her to be my wife,"
"And I utterly decline any and every
overture from, you or any member Of
your family, and request you to leave
my house this moment"
The words were as measured and pas
Sionless as if the speaker had declined
to accept some farmer for tenant.
Surely" said Lord Langholme,
warmly, you will not allow your
daughters happiness to be Influenced
by any old family feud that may have
existed between our houses! Il come
to you honestly and straightforwardly,
to ask your daughter fer my wife.
I love her dearly; if OH give her tome,
I swear that neither she nor you shall
ever have cause to repent trusting
me-"
He spoke with the warm light COM
ing full into his handsome face, looking,
as he stood there, the vely incarnation
of all honesty and chivalry.
II decline to entertain any PROPOSE
ton from you whatever" said Mr..
Huntindon, still in the same uninoved
tone. You have forced yourself into
my presence. If you are a gentleman,
you will hardly require me to repeat
my request that you should leave it."
Papa" murmured Nelly, in u stifed
voice.
Eleanor cried her father, leave
the room at once"
''Nelly!'' said Lord Langholme,
stretching out his arms to her as she
gave choked sob.
mo! by c. this is too much!' cried
Mr.. Huntingdon, passionately. "Nelly,
if you let that blackguard lay as much
as one finger upon you, you leave my
house tonight and forever, to your
eternal disgrace! Go to your room this
instant" and in parOxySm of terror
the poor child obeyed
Then there were harsh, passionate
words between the two men, and then
the door opened again, and Lord Lang
holme strobe away down the avenue,
and Mr. Huntingdon sat convulsed with
passion alone in the darkness. Bitter
were the reproaches he heaped on
Nelly the next day when he sent for
her, and she with trembling steps
sobeyed his summons. His cruel, icy
words cut like a knife. That she, Il
Huntingdon, should have had clandcs-
tine meetings with nan, above all
Langholme-shCuld have suffered her
self to be wooed like peasant girl
should have forgotten alike her own
dignity and That Of her house!
Il shall know better than to trust
you again." he said, with the bitterest
infection of his cruel voice. "You shall
never go out Of sight Of my window
alone. And if you ever attempt to see
%lo% ~ a.
to hear from him, take God to wit
ness that the heaviest curse with which
a father can brand child shall lie upon
you! Now, go. I have lost all conf
~tlence in you; henceforth: you are no
daughter Of miner
And poor Nelly, covering and shrink
ang, left the stern, angry presence,
and went to cry her poor little heart
out on Wilson's faithful breast.
Il shall never see him any more, y
she moaned to herself; never hear his
voice again; but I shall think of him
always. How could I forget him here
even if I would? But he will go back
ito the World-he will see many beauti-
ful women, and they will make him
forget me. How could he ever care
for a poor little ignorant rustic like
ne? He said / was pretty" and the
girl would go to the glass, and stand
there a long time looking at herself,
aud after all go away unconvinccd
She could not see any beauty in thu
white skin, clear as the velvet leaves
of white rose; in the brown eyes,
so sad and wistful now; in the full
curved lips, not rosy any longer as they
used to be. Then she was fain tc
think of her day-dream long ago by the
brook-that first day that she met him
of the forbidden passion and the
wasting pain, and the little dead maiden
with the lilies ON her breast and in
her hands. But that last part would
not come true. She could not die fol
love, like the women in romances; the
keen vitality in her young frame would
not succumb to sorrow and heartache
No, there was only great blank void
a dreary waste that nothing came tt
fill up. To think he should have beer
Lord Langholme after all, and sht
had talked against him, and vowed sh.
hated him! Could she find fault will
him now? No, he was everything tina
was dear and good and noble; Their,
was not one fault or flaw in his gener
GUS heart, in poor Nelly's eyes, NOR,
than in his frank handsome face. [
she could only hear Of him sometimes
thcught OF her; but beyond the infor
mation that he had gone away again
and that the Court was shut up n
tidings ever reached her.
Lord Langholme had written n YER
temperate, straightforward letter to MI
Huntingdon, begging him to reConside
his decision, and speaking with homes
eloquence Of his great love for Nelly
but the inveterate foe Of his house neyo
even vorchsafed him an answer; All
with a sore, Angry heart, the youn
man went away and tried to divert hi
thoughts from the pain Of his unsati.
fled longing.
The dreary days crept into autumn
and autumn into winter, with du
sstagnation that tried poor Nelly sorel,
then, at last, came a terrible ever
to break the monotory. One frost
morning Mr.. Huntingdon went O,
riding, as usual, and three hours late
was carried back to the Hall, dea
The horse had stumbled violently, al
To- tirr ], l..