The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1893-11-17
SWEET NELLY 81
y HUNTINGDON.
CHAPTER III.


c,n the girls thoughts; "hOw | wish
something would happen! II only Lotu
Langholme was handsome anu not ~
tie, we might fall i'll love with eacn
other; ut least. don't suppose he Wouiu
fall in love with simple little country
girl like me after he's been useu W
elegant, well-bred London Women-not
that there's an older or better falnliy
than the Huntingdons anywhere. con-
tradicted the little maidens 1amlly
pride. Il shouldn't mind being very
miserable Id rather die Of broken
heart than 20 on living III tins utter
stagnaton. But il he were only hlnu-
some and fell In love with me II may
as well imagine 1t all perfect, Us II
will never happen). how delicious II
would be! We should meet aud meet,
and at last papa would find It out, ana
be furious, and we should be f0rDiuuen
to see each other any more. Then he
would take me In his arms, and kiss
me once like Launcelot kissed the queen
the last time, and when he was gone l
would grow paler and paler, and at last
should die, and have white lilies LAID
upon my breast and in my band, like
TennySon's Elaine. Then papa would
relent, and send for Lord Lansholme,
and he would come and hang over me
broken-hearted; and then. when 1t was
too late. the old family quarrel would
be made up, and they would plant
flowers together on my grave"
And the foolish little maiden, touched
by her own pitiful story, let the big
tears gather in her sweet brown eyes,
and brim over in great diamond drops
from their long lashes. Presently. be-
eyes, and they lighted kindling up
great mass Of helven-blue forget-me-
nots on The opposite bank.
'.Oh, II | could only get Them" she
cried. stopping short in suitable cpl
taph she had been composing on her
untimely end; but the attainment OF her
desire seemed hardly compassable.
since the stream ran between her and
the coveted treasure. True, it was
very shallow, for there had been no
rain for weeks; but ii was quite be-
yond 4 jump even FOR such agile feet
aS Miss Neiiy's. II must have them"
she said to herself. Il never saw such
beauties. Oh, Ii they were only this
Side.'
The difficult Is not the impossible;
and so the young lady WHOSE thoughts
had just been centerel ON earthly death
and white lilies began to reflect Oh the
ways and means OF obtaining the tempt
Ing cluster Of orget-me-nots on the
sloping bank.
There's no one about" she said, look
Ing round mysteriously. "Why should
not L.
Of course she could not see that lust
behind clump OF alders on the oppo-
site SIDE very handsome young man
was stretched ut full length, watching
her with keen admiration through the
branches. Slowly she drew off one
OF the Clndrella-like slippers and the
dainty sllken stocking, thereby exposing
10 the Watchers enchanted view the
IoveiieSt little rOse-pink arched foot. !.
ana the conquest was complete. or
course he ought to have rushed away
ike Damon, leaving a little note on
the bank to say he was gone to keen
all other intruders from the sacred
spot; but perhaps he had not read
Ihomson's lines, and the idea did not
occur to him, or perhaps he feared
TO scare the pretty apparition away
forever, or perhaps he thought il was
no harm: and I'm sure very few men
would have acted differently under tho
circumstances. So he held his breath
while two little slippers came OF. and
the dainty little feet were plunged
half shlinkirgly on the pebbly ground
OF the little stream Three steDs and
then eager hands stretched toward the
coveted flowers and uprooted them from
their nesting security. But. alas, inst
as Nelly turned there vas a treochar'
Gus hole In the sandy bottom, and one
little foot slipped into 1t, and rot a
wrench that made her cry cut sharplv
ana tall back against the bank. IN :
second the young man had started From
MS hiding place and was beside har
POor Nelly would fain have the holo
Dig and deep enough to swallow h.r
up altogether; the pain Of her foot
was as nothing compared to the anguish
OF having been seen trespassinr. with
naked Ieet too, upon Lord Langnolma,s
property. '1Ae .
Are you hurtf" he cried earar,v
without more ado putting one protect'
ing arm round the terrified little form,
ana standing heedlessly ankle-deep in
the water. -
You won't tell Lord Langholme p,
sne uttered, beseechingly. looking IN
Win such terror In her eyes that ba
almost laughed. Visions of this tros
pass being made the occasion of anott,
er lawsuit through the rancorous ha,raa
OF the two families fitted agoniznpu =
across her innocent mind. y
! won't, indeed" he answered rc,s
suringiy; but don't think of him. te,,
ME If you are hurt 'eii
NY foot! ! can't move It." she said
,i,a Ml'i = LOOK or beseeching in her eyes
IKE wounded deer might give -
The stranger took her up IN bia -.
ana lifted her quite gently on the h;rh