The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1893-01-21

tiAut "AA tiC IVY hO VI ITO
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:
Il reckon me an my wifell go ter
bed. Nancy'1l keep yer company" and
he retired to the room beyond.
Chris sat looking into the fire. Nancy
drew q chair near him. He was scarcely
aware Of her presence, his thoughts be.
ing far away. At last she spoke:
81 have waited long fur yer, Chris"
He started.
Ibid you believe l would Gomez he
asked.
eyes"
Vividly he recalled the moment when,
a boy, he had hidden goodby to a rosy
checked girl. will you wait for me,
Nancy?' he had said. "Tll 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 flashed into a
dark corner of his brain, and it had all
come back to him. He could say moth
ing, and she began to tell him of tlie
long, weary years she had waited. She
had n misgivings; among her own peo-
pie she was accounted a 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 he would; that vas enough for her.
He listened, panied but fascinated.
Her speech, uncouth as it was, still had
something of dignity in its old English
form. He had not the heart to wound
her with the truth. Most men would
have thought such cruelty the truest
kindness; a 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 a woman's
heart for twenty years cannot be shat
tered at a 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. 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 l are a girl and
boy again, do you understands he said
putting his arm about her waist.
Yes" she said, with a happy little
laugh.
Soon he disengaged himself and arose,
Sn,yipr tl.t la ,yoo %;rol ,,,1 ,,,,lJ I'll
to go to bed. She went with him to his
room, and before leaving him lifted he
lips for a kiss. Again he hcsitated. and
STOPPING kissed her forehead. He went
to bed, but not to sleep. The sense OF
the irreparable wrong he had lone this
girl burned into his heart, tender Will
its w pain. Wild thoughts of self i'm.
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 love
was left in the man, and how lost sn.
would be i'll the world where he lived!
! He rose early, and, going into the
kitchen, found Mrs. Grimes dressing {
chicken for breakfast. The old woma,
o. gave him a knowing look and remarked
with a chuckle:
! "Nancy's ben a-waitin fur yer
mighty while, an here yer air shur nuf.
e Ibid she tell you so!'
mo; l knowed hit 'thout her tellil
me. She amt like other folks, Name,
amt; she's a sort o fool body"
Il do not think So
y Yer don't!"
- "She doesn't seem strong. I'm afrait
she works too hard"
us mounting folks all hef ter work
=, Nancy amt stout. She's got the con
sumption, an the doctor says she cam
live the winter out"
Chris was going to speak, but thu
woman's cold, hard face checked him.
"Who is your doctor!' he said at last
Nobody yer know; a young Teller
, he amt like DR.. Grain, he amt; he's go
larnin an knows what's the matter wi
yer right off"
+ "What is his name!"
Jim 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 goin!" she asked il
some alarm.
ITO Cranberry"
! "Yer'n come back!'
/, "Yes, some time"
She looked at him with a patient
p trusting smile.
l. "Goodby! God bless you!" he said ant
rode away, wondering why it is that
strong and constant affection is so sci
dom mutual.
AS he got Oh the cars at Cranberry
gay voice greeted him:
''Hullo, Warren! I'm right glad to Sc
your 1t was a young drummer witt
y whom Chris was pretty well acquainted
He, too, had been up in the mountain
and was full of amusing stories, iron
which it soon appeared that he had beel
u flirting outrageously with the mountain
= ~lassies.
l. Look here, my boy" said Chris afte
q a time, ''let me tell you something
You can outlive all your early habits
y you may outlive most of your friends
y but you'll never outlive the promise yo1
u make a woman, and if you don't wan
to discover some day that you are an III
mitigated scamp, you'd better max
none that Won don't mean IN keen ~