Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-09
Capt BIake's Home Coming.


Blake!"
Cruel, Nellie dear-Nellie, you lit
tie demon! Why, | wouldn't touch
hair of your head, barring the bit
want to cut off to carry with me t.
India, and you're teasing the life ou
of me with your contrariness, anC
making it much harder for me to &C
than ever you dream Of"
"And what do you want to go for:
Leaving your home and your regi-
ment that you were SO proud of, and
the people that know you, and the
girl'-here Miss Nellie breaks down
with a little sob, and it is all Teddie
can do to remember his promise tc
her father, and keep his two arms
from going around her.
"And the girl-what?" he SAYS
huskily; for the life of him he can't
resist that much
THAT was brought up with you and
has been sister to you all your life, .
chokes Nellie O'Mally.
I'll tell you what it is, Nellie" the
poor young soldier says, pulling him
self together, and speaking much
more severely than he really feels,
you must try to understand my po-
sit1on, and then We'll say no more
about it, if you please, once and for
all. My uncle's dead (heaven rest his
soulD and he's left the old place to
me, but it's up to the chimney pots in
debt, and unless | let it to this English
fellow I'll never be able to clear it all
my life. Then, if | don't exchange for
India, | can't keep my place in the
service at all; and besides, Nellie, with
the old regiment quartered at Thomas
town, it would be mighty hard for me
to see another man fishing my salmon
and shooting my birds and sitting in
my chimney corner every day of the
week, with his great ugly face looking
over the pew at you on Sundays! l
couldn't do it, Nellie, not even to re-
main near-near the friends I've
known ever since | was a baby. So
that's all about it, and you mustn't
make it harder for me than I can bear
do you see?"
1t was a good thing that Aunt Ellen
called them in to supper at this mo-
ment. Nellie had one of her teasing
fits on her, trying by this means to
hide her heart-break at Teddie's de-
parture, and her perversity tried poor
young l,lake sOrely. He had promised
her father, the rector, that he would
not by word or act reveal his feelings
toward her. They had been children
together, almost brother and sister
for nearly twenty years, since Teddy
first came to Noyiiacallan, and this
state of things must be maintained,
Mr.. O'Mailey decided, till Teddie's
fortunes should bear closer and more
satisfactory inspection. Perhaps a
few years of Indian soldering, while
the old castle was let to a rich English
tenant, might put the said fortunes
on their feet; meanwhile lingering
in the old rectory garden was a dan
gerous occupation, and Aunt Ellen did
wisely to ring the supper bell out of
the window.
Presently the parting came. 1t was
Sunday evening, and the rectory kept
early hours. Shopper was over, and the
O'Malleys we're making their farewell
to Teddie. the almost son OF the house,
for he had to get back to ThOmastOwn
that night and start for England next
morning.
There's something l want to take
with me-" he announced stoutly be-
fore them all, "a lock of your hair,
Aunt Ellen, and another of Nellies.
You know you two are the only wo-
mankind l nave or ever have had
Give me each a bit of curl and I'll
have them put in locket together
and wear it on my chain, and you
won't be sorry to think I've got il
when I'm away from you
He looked at the rector as he spoke
1t was all open and above board, anG
the old gentleman nodded and reached
down a pair of scissors from the man
tel shelf which he handed to his sis
ter Aunt Ellen cut her little loci
carefully, as BELTS a lady Of fiye-and
forty, whose hair is still abundant anC
ornamental if not so bright as it ha
been Nellie whisked her bunch 0
curls over her shoulder and shipped OF
thick brown ringlet. Teddie twisted
them together in his pOcketbOok an
said, with a feeble attempt at joke
They'll so with me everywhere am
bring 0;e back TO Moyliscallan. Don
let me find you've been, either of you
H.rttCg With Strangways while Tr
away, or putting him in my place"
Then he kissed the two ladies as h
had always done on great occasions
=. New Year or on birthdays, eve
since he was three years old, shoe
hands with the rector twice over, an
tnrried away off to Thomastown, an
thence TO India. And, oh dear!
was dull at Moylscallan without him
Five years later Capt. Edwar
Blake was coming home on sick leav
1t had been a near squeak" as h
said himself That wound on the hea
at the Burroo Pass affair, had set a
Eurone talking about him. but ha
near.y done for him all the sam
Then came weeks of fever and tt
weary journey to Bombay; the r
lapse on he road, which, but for Mr.
Diamonds nursing, must have fnisht
him; the almost miraculously accon
plished move on to shipboard, whi(
the doctor allowed was an experimel
of kill or cure.
And now he was steaming home
fast as the P. & o. line could do