The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1894-06-14

self pouting into a chair and lookee
bored and discouraged.
'sWho was there?" asked her moth
er-who, mother-like, was sitting W
for her.
Nobody answered Neely, in {
pathetic voice.
1t was only week later wher
Nicely attended another party, this
time under the escort of her lover. i.
That night when she went home
her face was radiant. Mrs. Holling
wood asked her usual question while
Nicely was waltzing about the room
"Who was thcrc?"
Everybody" answered the happy
girl, giving her mother a goodnight
kiss.
So on this birth night celebration
a black cloud settled on Neely's hori-
zon which foretold storm.
At eleven, just as the company
was departing, Bruce Howell ar,
rived and in time to see his former
rival, Archie Dean, sitting it out
with Neely. Then Neely's black
cloud turned q dark and dizzy green.
Archie saw the aspect of things,
and it did him good. He fingered
after the others had gone until
Neely had frozen him out, and then
he rose to go. AS he did so he
dropped a small folded paper on the
table; it looked like a note, and the
superscription was in Neely's hand.
While the girl was formally see
ing Dean off, Bruce possessed him
self of the note. He was green with
jealousy and the color did not change
when he read in Neely's handwrit-
ing these words:
'Hit-or-elope."
"Per6dious girl!' he muttered
after the fashion of the stage lover,
and then Nicely returned, and he
crushed the fatal note in his hand
and looked as if he had swallowed
the poker and several ramrods.
Poor Nicely. She could not for
the life of her make things comforta-
BILE. for when she tried to explain
that Archie Dean had not been in
vited, but had happened in, it only
made matters worse, and her lover
became pyramid of frozen green
ness, like a mammoth pistach ice
cream with all the sweetness left
out. She did not know that Bruce
had possessed himself of that mys-
terious and ambiguous note.
But she knew it next day after he
had called upon her father and
mother, shown them the troublesome
document and asked them to inter-
cede and prevent the elopement
which had been surreptitiously
planned.
At first Nicely laughed a merry,
wicked, musical laugh. Then as
she looked at the green face of her
lover she became indignant, and
finally refused to say a word either
in defense or explanation while he
was present. So the engagement
was ended, and the love that was
to spread out over whole lifetime
proved futile at the first trial.
Neely went about with her head
in the air and a wretched depression
at her heart. Bruce contemplated
all the different forms of suicide,
and had about decided on paris
green as being the best for his pur-
pose when new source of interest
was discovered. Archie Dean was
dancing attendance on Myrtle Blair,
Neely's dearest friend. Bruce re-
ceived several mysterious hints that
there was mistake somewhere,
and from being green he turned to
blue of the deepest dye, and finally
sought counsel of Mrs. Hollingwood,
Neely's mother, who had been his
warm friend through it all, but was
prevented from speaking by SOL
emn promise extracted from her by
her daughter.
:'Go and ask Nicely herself about
the note-I'm sure it never meant
anything" urged Mrs. Hollingwood.
But Bruce was not ready for such
o sacrifice of his pride yet. He
waited another while, and then he
did just what he ought to have done
in the first place if he hadn't been
as green as Christmas goose. He
went to Neely and said:
Take me back on probation, and
I will prove myself worthy of your
confidence. l know that jealousy is
cruel as the grave"
Nicely met him half way, after the
fashion of her sex.
"And ] will explain all about that
note" she said, after they had kissed
and made up. "You see, we were
playing :"
Hush, said Bruce, in peremp-
tory manner that somehow Neely
liked, mot word about that mis-
cradle note nor our quarrel over it,
until the anniversary of our wedding
day. Then, if ! have not once been
jealous, you may tell me the whole
story, whatever it is"
To this his sweetheart willingly
agreed, and in the happiness of
reconciliation the green cloud almost
entirely disappeared from their hor-
izon.
Archie Dean was the best man at
the wedding and at the same time
the announcement was made of his
engagem ment to Myrtle Blair
The year passed, as years do,
without regard to individuals, and
the first anniversary of the wedding
day came around. Nicely suggested
that the same company of friends be
invited that had participated in her
birthday celebration when Bruce
had discovered such a flaw in his
happiness. At the same time they
could make it reception for the
lately-wedded pair, Archie and Myr-
tie. AS all these had heard of the
quarrel without knowing of the ex-