The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-11-11
SOMERSET PA. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER IL. 1896.


was in frantic state. He had the let
ters brought up and read them aloud
grimly. All the six treated his letter
as an offer of marriage, subject to his
recovery, and all accepted him. He
burst into hysterical laughter at the
idea of being engaged six deep, declar-
ed he would take the lot To Utah and
marry them, and he suggested sarcasti-
cally that the nurse should join the
party, rs one more or less would make
no difference. He made the poor girl
cry 10y his reproaches- He determined
TO die and said that it was his duty To
his six fiancees to get himself buried, so
as not to give undue preference to any
one. The upshot was that he became
delirious, and for weeks there was hard
ly more than an interval between him
and death.
Nature, aided by the wonderful nur-
sing of Hetty Greenhalgh, pulled him
through. When lac came to his senses
"a mere wreck of a mamie found
Hetty by the bed. She had grown
hollow checked, and her eyes, by
reason of the dark lines below, seemed
larger and more brilliant than before.
For n week he said nothing of his
troubles, the delirium seeming to have
wiped them from his memory. He
lay still, gaining strength rapidly, and
apparently did nothing but gaze Ian
guidly at the pretty nurse, to whom,
however, he rarely spoke.
At the end of the time he suddenly
made the remark:
"Where are the fiowers?"
"What flowers? Oh" she said red
dening, they've left Off sending them
or fruit"
He looked round the room. "Oh,
but there are some pretty roses, and
Pve just had splendid grapes. Were
they from Mrs. Bower?''
"No, not from any of them"
Noticing her blush, he said sharply,
''Did you get them?"
"Yes," she answered nervously.
'Have you hired van TO hold the
letters"
'It's hardly Necessary"
Surely" he said, "my half dozen
betrotheds have called and written
each day?"
"They haven't called and have only
written once since-since that day.
To tell you the truth, you're free"
Free" he said eagerly. He nOtic-
ed that she blushed again. and strange,
vague thoughts passed through his
mind.
"Yes, free"
"But how?'
al mustn't tell you yet"
'But | will know"
"Oh, no. Wait till you are stronger"
John entered the room.
"John, why do you walk like fun
eral mute? What's the matter?n
''Do not tell him him." interposed
Hetty.
''I order you, John"
"Well, sir, think it's your ruin has
drove of the baggages-begging your
pardon, sir"
my ruin?"
Miss Greenhalgh opened her purse
took out a newspaper cutting and read:
Re III. Ovey.-A receiving order
was made to-day against III. Ovey.
The debtor is of independent means
and possessed of a large amount of
house property. His insolvency is at
tributed to Stock Exchange specula-
tions. The assets are estimated at
eaOO, 900, the secured creditors are for
el50, 900 and the unsecured el37 ,Gj6,-
Oh, / can't go on, I'm so sorry"
The sick man grayely said, bring
me the letters"
He opened them and read one after
the other. Miss Hemming expressed
regret that reasons which she explain
ed unintelligibly and at great length
caused her to withdraw. Miss Smythe
had mistaken mere sympathy for the
tolerable and felt that it would wrong
him, her and another if she carried out
an engagement entered into through
vexation with another" who had
since been pardoned. Miss Johnson
had changed her views after reading
"A certain novel, which she found ex-
cellent in principle if execrable in
writing, and must decline the offer of
Mr.. Ovey. Miss Goring was sure she
could not give up hunting and would
be useless burden Is a poor mans
bride. Miss Campbell's parents OBJ
jected on the ground that his father
had been in trade. Mrs. Bower alone
came out well with a bold letter, say
ing that she merely accepted him to
give him pleasure and comfort when
in danger, and of course withdrew Is
soon as he was out of it.
"Oh, dearr' said Mr.. Ovey. $50
think that women are so'-
"Not women-some wOmen," inter-
rupted the nurse timidly.
"Humphr' he replied. "a little
while ago they were all after me, and
now
al don't think We are all so bad"
she answered with some stress on the
"we.u
"You don't? Do you fancy you could
name girl who would be true to
ruined man?'
"No one" she responded, "unless
he told her first that he loved her.
You needn't feel my pulse. | am not
your patient"
He carefully adjusted his first finger
on her wrist and answered: "Fm cu-
rious to see. how it is working. | I'M
derstand pulses Now, if l told the
girl that l loved her?''
"Well, but you haven't"
"If say that have lain awake dur
ing week gazing at a beautiful girl
who has nursed me from death to life,
who is sweetness, goodness and pur-
ity''-
''But you have not"