The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-25

y e. =
and. as far as ] Ecan see, 4 il says the
truth. Nell; st. Maur was d ;w,ilful,
Woman. and she had her way, In snIitei
,of:all my efforts to persuade her to the
contrary. Whether, she regretted { Ii Or
not Afterwards I don't know.and / don't,
suppose ever shall know now, for
jmsny years have gone by since then,
aud i! Is safer to let sleeping dogs lie.
4 Nell was tho daughter of one Of my
Oldest friends, and i had known her all
herrlifc. Dick Trevor was the son Of
another old friend, and 4 had known
him all his, life. too, Sir John ST. Maud
and Major Trevorwere near neIghbors,
their estates marched and their chill.
idren played together In, the nursery.
f; cant remember how / got to know
that Nell loved Dick: perhaps by In
'stfnct. But. anyway. I was sorry to
know It, for I did not think him good
enough for her. Not that 7 did not like
SDtek-7nobody could halp liking him
buel somehow Nell seemed made for
better things than he had to offer. I
was staying down at st. AIaur Court
when I made the discovery, so II had
plenty of OPPORTUNITIES OF watching the
pFogress Of events. and awaited myself
OF them to.thesS utmost. Dick did no,
know that Nell loved him; or II he knew
he made no sign. He followed his row.
ing boyish fancy whithersoeyers it
CHANGED to-lead him, without thought
Or heed for the morrow. And Nell
stood aside and waited. and ic some
timesaa iheetiRg shadow dimmed the
fadianceso of her eyes nobody knew 1t or,
understood II save oniy, /. 81
It seems such a short, time since the
day that Phyllis Hamilton came to the
Court. though really 1T Is more years
than I care 10 count. L remember 1t as
if5ir were only yesterday. and remem-
Der. too, the look that flashed into
Dicks eyes as they fell on her spark
ling childish face. I had never seen
that; look before and 1t hurtime like n
knife-thrust for Neil's sake. I know
thatFNell saw,it, too, for her face cloud
ed q little, and presently She came over
to my corner and sat down bytine. {, 4,
Phyllis isverS. pretty, Colonel Malt
lland,a she said. q
.if.Yes," I replied, She's awfully pretty.
: Nrll.,,'3.
!; I wished I could have said she was
not pretty. and would have stretched
q polnt'to say it, If it had been possible;
I but really 1t was not possible. AS; she
sat there in hesJune sunshine. with the
brightness and glow of summer all
about her and the magic light Of youth
/. in her. shining eyes and on her. laughing
: lips she mads such q perfect picture OF
warm. living lovely colorins that 1
could only look and admire. =. -
~ a week later Dick came to me, his
face salight with excitement and eager
boyish happiness. IS, II s
Gcongratulate me. colonel he cried.
holding out his hand, Phyllis has
promised to marry me. and I'm the
luckiest chap In the worldH,4s. Z
II took his hand and wruns It hard.
and, as did 50, the visloniot Nelrs
sweet face aud tandcr eyes. came TO my
nfnt-the vision OF all that he had
missed. ss IN
4 "Biind!. murmured to mysslf, how
blind!'
IN the days that followed I, who
knew. fancied that Nell looked little
paler, q little sadder. but to the world
she was always just her own bright
self. and nobody guessed her Secret
least OF all Dick and Phyllis. And they
we're such ashappy pair. such a>hap2y.
laughing, needless pail. <moss': llkeStwo
children playing at lovers than man
and woman about to be married. I
could not help smiling as I watched
them, and Nell smiled. too; and time
went on.
:, The news came to me Ikea thunder
]. belt. TWAS SO utterly unexpected. so
utterly inexplicabie. that did not know
how to believe 1t, though 1t was Dick
himself who tod me-.
.t;PhyIlIs and have said goodbye for
ever" he.told me, looking very white
and determined. Everything Is over
and done with, .and--and- 7piease-dor,
MERTON her name-to me dgniu, colonel"
was SO surprised that at first only
stared at him helplessly.
why" asked at last, what has
happened. Dick?"
But Dick shook his head looking
whittier and more, determined than ever.
I'm not: going to say any more to
you or anybody" he said. Everything
Is overland done with. That's enough
thought and thought, but could not
solve the mystery. and Nell came to me
with wonder In her eyes. 9
what can 1t be?r she asked. Can
you think what !, can be- Colonel Matt
land?;.
N NO" answered. II wish I could
Dick changed after that. ind his face
didlnot quite lose the white determined
: look that st had worn when he came TO
3 me that day. He grew graver. and old
er. and when he laughed his laughter
had bitter: ring that wasfnew to 1t.
Sometimes he talked With a reckless
cyniclSm that. was bad TO hear, ami
then Nell uspd to look at him with
wistful tenderness. 1S
'i'tf I could only help him. she would
cay, to me afterwards; ~ I could do
something for him II
But, what was there that she could