The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-19

] knew so well, in Aunt Nellie's house;
for fortunately the scene of the accident
was not far from the end of our journey.
For days I must have lain there. know
ing nothing of what went on around me;
now / began to wonder where Aunt Helen
was, how l came to be lying there, and a
whole host of things. [ looked round,
ana saw pleasant-looking woman, seat
ed at the bedside, watching me-
What day is it?" l asked
Tuesday, Miss"
But what day of the month";"
The ninth of July, Miss"
Inc ninth of July!' I cried, half-start-
ING up. why, that is my wedding day!
What has happened?"
And then she told me all about the rail-
way accident and how badly l had been
hurt and crushed. She would let me ask
no questions, and indeed l was too weary
TO wish to do so.
After a few days I knew all about II.
MY aunt and had both been seriously
hurt she even worse than and was still
IN her own room unable to be moved 1t
seemed strange that my mother had not
come to me, but at first there had been
no one VINO knew where to send, and af-
forwards, as I had all that care could do.
ana quiet was the great thing, the doctor
mad not urged her coming
was first to leave my room though
Aunt Helen was recovering rapidly. and
one day was lying on a sofa by the open
window, looking over the pile of letters
which had accumulated for me.
| had been able to write home. and had
made as light as possible of my illness.
though the doctor had written telling them
1t would be some time before I was fit
10 travel; so, of course, my wedding was
indefinitely postponed, and now I was ex-
pectlng one of my sisters to come and be
with me.
a step on the path outside made me
raise my eyes.
only the telegraph boy, the usual
orange-colored envelope, which was soon
brought to me-
1t was message from my sister. saw
ing she was sorry not to be able to come
mat gay as they were all going to
grand picnic the next day. She would
write and explain.
know 1t was foolish of me to feel hurt.
TOT mad made light of my injuries. Stil.
they knew l had been very i'll. There
were three of them at home. surely one
might have come. I lay back on NV nil
low, with some hot tears making their
way to my eyes.
Suddenly a shadow fell across the win
dow, and l looked up hastily. A shadow
dld sayE No, surely it was the very
brightness of heaven itself that met nv
gaze. ny
"osmond?' cried, holding out both
hands to him.
He stepped over the low window sill
and taking them in his own. fell on his
knees beside me, and buried his face in NV
pillows. ny
was too happy to break the silence
that fell upon us, but at last a crowd Of
thoughts came rushing back upon me.
What had I said?
What right had he to be kneeling there
with my hands in his strong warm clasnq
/
maps my fingers had grown thinner. at
any rate Osmond didn't observe inv
ring fell to the ground!
lie raised his head and looked at me
THANK God!" he said. and 1 could have
echoed his words aloud, in my foolisbness
ana confusion; l thought he meant about
the ring.
Thank God. Gwen, that once again
you are restored to me-"
don't think I need tell all that fol-
lowed-some people may probably guess.
and some people might think me a wicked
deceluul girl not to send him away at
once. But l was i'll and weak, and
had Just got what l had longed for more
than anything in the wide world; and
wicked, or not, / couldn't part with him
all at onoel
SO we sat there together in the cool twi
light, and told our little story.
He had loved me from the first, but his
heart had been torn with anxiety about
his sister, who was now completely re-
stored to health, and, man-like. he had
gone away without it ever having enter
ed his head that anything might happen
to turn my life out of the peaceful chan
mel in which he had left it,
Then he had met Aunt Helen in Flor
ence, and she had casually mentioned the
marriage.
He had shown only too plainly what he
felt, and dear auntie, judging from my
letters that / was not too happy. had
guessed the sequel. So she had persuad-
ed Osmond to travel home with her (and
he had actually been in the same train.
with her mind made up to find out the
truth of things before it was too late.
why didn't you tell Viscount Erner
that you loved somebody else?" he said,
and he looked mischievously into my
eyes.
Because" l answered, trying to look
dignified, "you don't suppose, do Won
that a well-brought-up young woman
would acknowledge, even to herself. that
she had given away her love where it
wasn't asSed?"
He was looking so hard at me- that 7
couldn't keep up that tone, so l added in
answer to the look in his eyes, How did
l know 1t was asked for. You might
have mistaken me for Aunt Helen that
night at the gate.'
well, he said, warmly, land there
isn't sweeter woman in the world than
Aunt Nellie-eXcept her Nicer
The last three words were added before
/ had time for the intended "pout" and
SO the happy moments flew, until he had
to go, and then we mutually exclaimed:
what about the viscount?"
"Ah!' / cried leave that till the morn
ing; We are so happy tonight, do not let
us spoil it," So he said goodnight
and left me.
l didn't dream that night. / silent
sweetly and soundly. and only woke when
l heard a tap at my door, and the maid
entered, with a lovely bunch of flowers
in one hand and my morning letters in
the other
] knew where the flowers came from
even before I caught sight of the little
scrap of twisted paper. stuck amongst
them; and after time l turned to my
letters.
One from mamma, one from my sister
Amelia, and one from my devoted Err
ner."
I'm keep that sweet thing till the
last" l said. His last letter had made
me very angry as he took upon himself
to lecture me for having gone away with