Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-03-09

How often reddie Blake had pictured
his homecoming through the green
glades that stretched between the cas-
tie and the rectory. Those sylvan
aisles were the rallylng place Of all
MS favOrite dreams, for did not Nellie
cross them day by day. ana would il
not be here that he would bring her
to tell her the secret which he thought
sac must have guessed long ago. Rec
tor O'Malley would let him speak at
asst for the long waiting had borne
lbs fruit in recoupling the Blake COT
ters while Teddie knew that the Bur
700 Pass affair, OF which he himself
thought and spoke 50 modestly. was
not likely 20 be forgotten wnen his
name came up at the Horse Guards. A
ldousand times he had gone over all
lhis Ia Imagination, lingering. mean
#nile, the little flat loCket that hung
at his watcn chain and now-and
now, he was creeping back to Moylis-
caildn like a thief having given no
word OF warning either to the rector
III to bis agent at the castle creeping
home just to see Nellie's face again
once more and then to go away any
where and die He was Still weak
and van from the fever Mrs. Dia-
mond had tried hard to persuade him
TO remain "A little time in London for
aconsultation with a frst-class doe
tor, but the determination to see Mel
lie at Moyliscallan once more was the
only desire that remained to him in
life. and till it was accomplished his
aaic@fi fiftia friend saw tnai there
was no good talking of anything else.
So he had hurried over to Ireland. and
had reached Thomastown the evening
before. To-day he had taken car
over the village lin the old days it
was the shortest and pleasantest four
miles ever known, and leaving the
driver asleep in the sun at the cross
roads had TUNED into the wood that
is a short cut to the two principal
houses in the parish He had no very
definite idea Of the plan to pursue.
Now that he had reached his jour
neys end, It seemed as if all power
had left him Perhaps somewhere
among the trees, crossing from the
castle grounds to the rectory side, he
would slip down upon his knees among
the fern and look at her-George
StrangeWays' wfe-and- oh, this
faintuess, Merciful God is that Mel
lie?
"Teddie, is 1t really you?"
Teddy was on the moss, stretched
Tat. save that Nellie's arm was under
his head, Nelie's little bare, sun
burned hand unfastened his collar
ne could only look ana smile. The
green Moyllscallan leaves were over
head, dancing against he blue, Mel
Hes face was very close, and he
thought he was in heaven
How could you come like this and
take us by surprise, and you so IN,
feddie.' the girl went on reproach-
fully IF / hadn't been going across
to the castle this morning early, and
come on YOU lying here in a heap
Going across to the castle, Teddie
found tongue to utter his eyes on
NeIies left hand Don't you live at
the castle altogether
And what should | 80 and live at
the castle for. when I've good home
of my own, intruding on newly mar
ried people, as If didn't know bet
ter? Besides, Aunt Ellen isn't back
frcm her honeymoon yet and Uncle
George what are YOU able to sit up?
Take care or you'll
she could not finish the sentence.
for Capt Blake was sitting up with a
vengeance, and TO steady himself he
mad got his arm around her waist
SO You never thought Of Aunt
t,llen2' said Nellie by and by; well
YOU wouldn't have been an freshman
If You hadn't made a mistake some
where, only if you'd ever seen Uncle
George | dou't think you'd have
doubted me, Teddie dear Oh, they
have been so funny counting one an
other these five years, and if I
hadn't been so amused think | must
have died for you kept me long time
waiting without a word' II Boston
England Guardian.