Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-12-07


was very beautiful. He could hardly
take his eyes of her. and yet, il she hap
pened TO look toward him. he started
and cast down his eyes. He could not
sleep that night. He knew there was
only one woman in the world for him,
and she-was the daughter Of the man
he had robbed! II was well, or i'll, for
him that he could not see her next day.
sitting by a couch on which sick man
lay, one hand in his, the other stroking
his hair. Patience, dear heart, pa
tience," she whispered, ''things will be
better soon. shall get introductions
and pupils through Mrs. Vincent, and
then, dear, twill be all right You must
be content to wait till then, for you know
shall be always true and loving"
But it is so hard for you, Nellie. ]
cannot tie you to cripple, to life OF
toll for one SO helpless as am. Oh, it is
hard that this should have happened to
me, when six months ago was strong
and vigorous"
Maybe it is better, dear; 1t should
bring us closer together, and in years
you may recover, perhaps. And now ]
will read to you, or we will talk to-
gether." And SO the brave, strong
woman helped the man she had loved so
long and still loved, even now that he
was condemned to lie on a couch for his
lifetime through an accident in Lon-
don street. He was poor, and so was
she. The working and waiting would
be very hard, but she would persevere
and conquer. Drascovy was often to be
found at Mrs. Vincent's house during
the next fortnight, aud one afternoon, to
his great delight, he found Mrs. Vincent
out and Miss Manifold alone in the
drawing room.
Ten minutes later he had told her he
loved her--had asked her to be his wife.
She hid her face in her hand and bade
him be silent.
"You do not understand; how should
your" she said. II cannot think of what
you ask, for if ever marry it will be to
some one very different to yourself-to
one who loves me, whom, too, love. and
who is now helpless invalid on his
couch. You are rich, and he and are
poor, but l am going to work hard, and
some day l shall be his wife if we are
ever rich enough, for you see it will be
an up hill task getting singing pupils.
You understand now, do you not, and
will never ask me any more"
She looked at him and saw his dark.
handsome face working convulsively.
II am sorry if have given you pain, /"
she said, for he did not speak, but you
will soon get over it. You are rich and
have the world at your feet; all that
fame and fortune can give you"
Except yourself, the only gift that
can bring me happiness. All, child, you
little know of the curse there is ON my
fortune, on my life itself But you shall
know, though cannot tell you now
Goodby; forgive me if you can"
He hurried from the room, and pres
emily she heard the hall door bang. She
sat still for long time, pondering his
strange words and distressed manner,
wondering what he could have to tell
her.
That night the mystery was solved
By the last post there came registered
letter, thick and bulky. She slipped it
into her pocket to read in her bedroom
for she knew it was from Drascovy.
For u long time she sat before the fire
that was burning brightly, and her beau
tiful eyes were full of tears as she
thought of her poor crippled lover an !
asked herself why she was so poor, WHY
some people had so much wealth and
she so little that she could not help and
live for the man she loved so well. The
tears fell one by one down her cheeks,
and as she put her hand in her pocket
for her handkerchief she encountered
Drascovy'S letter.
She broke the seal, and found to her
amazement that besides closely writ
ten letter there were 20 bank notes. each
for G100. She was too utterly aston
ished even to conjecture the meaning or
cause of this. She could only gaze at
the notes until she remembered the let
ter.
What need to go into details? 1t was
simply complete confession of what
Drascovy had done to obtain the Stradi.
varius, begging her forgiveness and fu-
ture friendship and inclosing notes for
$4,000 as payment for the instrument.
In four years time. if he were still sue
cessful, he said he must send her like
sum again: it was her right. her due,
for the violin had done half toward
making his fortune.
Nellie Manifold sat and wondered and
thought and wept tears of JOY over the
unexpected good fortune that had come
to her till the fire was nothing but few
dead Goals in the CRATE. and clock out
side struck B. Then she reused herself
with shiver, and having thought how
she would go to her lover and tell him
tomorrow, how she would soon get on
in the world with this to start upon
having told herself that she must in
deed forgive Drascovy, she was soon
asleep in happy, dreamless slumber.
There is hardly need for more. Dras-
covy is dead and has left half his fortune
to the woman whose father he had
wronged She has been Nellie Harvey
for years now, and her husband, al
though he will never be quite so strong
as other men, is something better than
a cripple, and, best of all, they are per-
fectly happy Exchange.
A Seaside Note.