The Opelousas courier., 1893-12-09

AND nOW-Wnags SQ6 COuIA uoV
find relief in tears, as she asked her
self that w~renching question.
She felt frozen, benumbed. She
sat motion1ess, and stared up ct the
arst faint star in the gray skin.
"Nettie!" q voice called, impera'
lively and half impatiently.
It was Stanley Mayhew's, and he
followed it. He came hurrying up
the bank.
"Mrs. Loney told me she saw you
coming up her. What on earth
You must have known I'd be there.
Or, no; I told you the eight O'Clock
boat, didn't I? Well, ! got through
before I thought I should and here I
sm."
He threw himself down beside her,
g shadovy form in the dimness, and
patted her hand by way Of greeting;
nor did he notice that she drew it
away quickly and far.
He was laughing, and when he had
paused a moment to get his breath, he
began to explain why.
"Now, what do you think?" he de.
manded. "Now guess! I've just seeh
Eleanor Wells. What do you think
she told me?"
Nettie shivered.
swell, they're engaged said her
lover, with an air Of triumph,
What did he mean? she wondered.
But she did not care. Whist difference
did it make what he meant? What
difference could anything make now2
They're engaged" he repeated.
''Ihe trouble is over, the storm is
ended, and they've got into smooth
waters, with the matrimonial port in
plain sight. Of course she's told you
all about Leonard? Talked to you
about him for hours, I suppose?"
'No?" he went on, though Nettie
had not spoken. "Tcan't believe It'll
And you such chums!
sWell, I've told you about Leon.
ard, you know-my next older brother
who went to California in April to
manage a mining syndicate-the clev-
crest fellow you ever saw.
"Weu, he and Eleanor were en-.
gagged. Really, didn't she tell you?
Why, that's part OF our family record,
for it's an old affair. The Wells chill
dren and swe uns' used to play dolls
and tag together, you know, and it has
always been a settled thing, somehow,
that Eleanor would marry Leonard
when they got old enough, because
they were always sweet on each other.
"Wel1, they had been regularly en-.
gagged for a year or so, when 10, and
behold early this spring they had q
tiff.
sTt was all about a young Spsniard
that Eleanor didn't care any more
about than she does about me; but
the spat grew into q quarrel, and the
quarrel ended in Eleanor's sending
back poor Lens ring and all his pho.
tographs and tin types and presents.
81 believe there was a packing box
full Of them, and Fred and I arranged
them in his room, and put Grape over
the door. But we were really broken
up about it, ell of US. Mother was
actually sick for a week. And Len
Len was d m6nba4 WRECK.
"He looked like a ghost. He said
he'd got to get away, and first VIC
knew he'd packed up and gone off to
California to manage a syndicate.
'sI've been glum enough owe it. I
knew Leonard thought the world Of
her, and that she-well, TIL come to
the point" said Stanley, with another
breezy laugh. II met Eleanor down
at, the house just as I got there, and
she told me that it's just Axed up.
f'She said she knew all the while
that she was to blame, and the other
day she mustered up courage TO write
and tell Len so, and the very next day
she got a long letter from him.
she vowed he was il the wrong,
and wanted her to forgive him and
take him back, and so forth and so on.
Their letters had crossed each other;
the spirit had moved them both almost
at the same time. So now they're
both back in their seventh heaven.
"I don't see why Eleanor never
told you. She's just the girl to con-
fde, her troubles to q sympathizing
girl friend. But you say you didn't
know-Hellol" He had lighted q
match for his cigar, and playfully held
1t to her face. tNettie, what's any.
thing"
But Nettie grasped his coat-front
with two tremulous little hands.
Sand when she told you-youk kissed
her2' r. abe queried.
ibid you guess that?" he asked,
laughing. "Of course I kissed her.
I was 30 glad, I didn't know what I was
but ] sheaid have given her
that kiss Of brothsrly affection and
congratuletion il I had known. Why,
Nettie-why. dear"
She was aebbing softly. OF course
his cigar fell to the ground that his
arms might do their duty.
Give wronged you," she sobbed.
t'You and her. You wouldn' t speak to
me again if you knewl"
But he did know two minutes later,
and he only laughed and drew her
"Now I DO know you care for me-"
be declared, in high eontentment.
"And If I hadn't been 800 jealous
Of her." Nettie whispered, sit would
never, never have happened. Ishould
hera &oi5 1c, o