Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-02-03

what possible sood could iewelry
be To one in bed? Ne. something To
cat, warranted Woll grown and fresh. |
must be the proper thing. And sure
ly Nell would understand if she
grew better.
Nell grew better, but she did not
seem to understand The great
saWk might have known as couldn't
eat his old garden stuff she would
laugh While her laugh was still feeble.
If he thinks he's given NE anything
i shall undeceive him pretty sharp
Cabbages mdoed-and me at deaths
door The usefulness of cabbageS
to a family too fond of gossip and
the society of the village inn toe
waste time on gardening She passed
over. She thought of the wonderful
hot house flowers the lordling in
the r0mances she loved would have
sllowered on his lady-Iove in pre-
dicament like hers. Imprisoned notes
she might have claSped unread in
her fevered hand would have been
hidden amongst them and their per
fume would first have greeted her
returning senses. But-cabbages.
Illness, it appeared. had only en-
phasized in her fastdiousness Joe
had often, in his simple, downright
fashion, managed to offend.
Then, at last. came a Saturday af
ternoon when Nell, frail and white,
tut looking prettier than ever before
With the refining touch Of illness to
soften her rather too pronounced
good looks, took a walk in the direc
ton, as it CHANGED. of Joe's cottage
This was the longest walk she had
| taken, and, forced to move very
slowly, she had plenty of opportunity
for looking about for Joe; was able
| 70 see Joe coming along for once,
before he saw her; Joe tidied up and
carrying his daily offering-a huge
bunch of golden rod instead of the
customary cabbage; Joe with a long
face and hesitating gait. for, as a
substitute for cabbages, he thought
but poorly of the flowers himself.
| For Joe's time had been so taken
up with Nell's brothers and sisters
| that his garden had missed him con
siderably, and today there was not
anything quite in readiness to be sac
1ificed. Circumstances had been
| against him: this woman had sold
her last egg. her daughter had not
a damson ito her name." Only a
| bunch of flowers, huge but valueless
| because wild. He was minded" as
| he put it, to fling it away and own
| himself at the end of his resources
And then he looked up, to see Nells
slowly advancing figure tottering un
| certainly along, and he must hurry
towards her; but it was too late to
rid himself of mis- burden.
The afternoon sunshine lit up the
Ioe's face behind it. His hair, where
his cap allowed it to be seen, was
the color ii tie flowers; his face
was radiant With the smiles the sigh
of Nell always L,ought to it. Unit
he reached her and turned to walk
at her sldG-then it fell.
You out so far and me with moth
inS better to mark the day for you
than these poor fowers.' he com
planned. Wild 'uns, too. 1t does
seem contrary like
But Joe could not bear a word saiG
against ,,cll, even by Nell herself
You're no wild 'un," he declared
3wee,'st girl ever stepped. Dear
heart. can't have you be-calline
yourself. Golden rod they names
this stuff, and if it was the real thing
--."nai gold with no rod to it--then
! would feel some right to ask you
what VIII out, whether or no. 'Tis
seeing you so we'll does it, Nell, fol
] know the rough fellow | am-wh at
a poor sort for pretty girl like you
And I've seen you laughing at me of.
ten. But for love, you couldn't
squeeze more love, Nell, out of any
Ole human heart than there is in
mire COR you"
They had reached Joe's cottage