The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-18

BY MARGARET LESTER.

tempt to try out the love-in-a-cottage
plan. Neither would he give Up his tiny
ancestral home, sole legacy Of loving
parents.
Nellie had been happy there only "a few
months before. when she had boarded
with his widowed mother. but when the
latter had died, Nellie had taken up her
quarters with a number OF other girls
from the shoe factory. at q second-cIass
hotel Somehow, Tom felt she had
changed from the day she stepped over
the hotels threshold, and he glared back
at its brightly-ighted barroom and dimIy
lighted parlor, as he stood out In the
middle Of the street.
Tom was telegraph operator at the
depot. and his cottage was not far from
the tracks. The main street Of the town
led past both. 50 Tom seldom missed
seeing Nellie each night and morning as
she went 10 and from work once as
she passed the cottage he was washing
his few dis. -s and he saw her toss her
head and quicken her steps More often.
however he was n his post In the depot
He hoped against hope that she would
drop him "A forgiving line or fling him
nod Of friendship as she passed the
depot. Instead, each week he heard more
Of Nellie's social popularity. The boys
at the new susBender factory organized
a club and gave a dance. Nellie was the
belle Of the evening Miss Mccarthy. who
had come over 10 the cottage 10 do some
scrubbng, tOlc him all about it. cOnclud-
ing with a graphic description OF the
wonderful rev frock which Nellie had
ordered from the city.
That afternoon the weather changed
suddenly The snow came down first In
a soft, swiTling cloud. then with crisp.
needIe-like insistence. Tom threw more
coal into the depot stove and made
quick run home 10 take the geraniums out
Of the window. When he came back TO
the station he knew that a blizzard was
closing down on Ridgeneld. lie wondered
how Nellie would get homeland then
Syracuse called and he had 20 put his
thoughts on his work.
II took all his strength 10 reach the
cottage across the track His first in
stinct was TO close all shutters and draw
the curtains. but he remembered his
mothers custom of setting a lamp in the
window for those who might be abroad
on stormy nights. Such a coy little
kitchen as il lighted. with a fire snap
Miss Mccarthy polished to brillancy at
each visit.
He hummed contentedly as he sat over
the teakettle and brought the bread and
butter from the pantry. Then he stopped
short and listened intently What was
that scratching noise on the dOOr-yes-
and now the sound OF a muffled fall?
He flung open the door and the wind
blew out his lamp. but against the blur
of the snow. he saw a dark figure hud-
died on his doorstep.
He carried the woman indoors, laid her
on the old-fashiOned settle and relighted
his lamp. Then with something like a
groan he sprang back TO the inert form.
II was Nellie,
Fifteen minutes later a white and very
quiet Nellie sat before the swapping fire.
with blankets wrapped around her stil
trembling figure and a cavalier in short
sleeves serving her tea and toast.
And now tell me how it happened"
Tom said with authority.
7 didn't realize IL was stOrmiug so
dreadfully. and my machine broke down
just before closing time. The foreman
the new man. you know from Boston
said that if I wanted to make up the
time I'd lost-I'm doing piece-worl< now
he had some extra work to do. toe.
and he'd see I got home all right I
was sort Of glad 70 stay because it's
fierce 10 go home to a cold room in the
hotel a night like this, and when you
have a headache. you just hate TO sit
evenings in the parlOr with a lot Of folks
and the piano jangling. So ] stayed
but-but--" her voice was low and tear
heavy, ION the way down the stairs-he-
he tried to kiss me and then I ran through
the snow. sort of blind. I guess. and the
first thing 1 didn't know where I was I
just saw the light didn't know it was
your cottage"
Pride struggled with relief in her tired
voice.
Have some more tea. said Tom. alb
rupty. and then for some minutes he
busted himself around the room, stand
ing before her at last in his heaviest out
door raiment
Where are you gong? Please don't
leave me alone"
This storm is no joke. Nellie, he said
quietly. First. I've got to get in fuel to
last us all highland perhaps longer
Then-before we're showed in for fair
I'm going to bring over the Rev Mr.
Gary. Nellie rose uncertainty to her
feet Now, don't get flurried You've
had your lesson and I've had mine-and
we're going to be married tonight. You
can't get to the hotel in this storm.
thank God and you can't stay here ex-
cept as my wife" his voice turned sud
denly tender-"and ] want you to be my
wife.
Nellie rubbed her face against his
shabby. fuzzy overeoat. 'AlI right, dear"
she said dOcilely, and then, even as mis-
arms closed around her, she murmured:
tom, dear, this shiny FIRE look so good
and homelike. Those registers up at the
hotel sort of give you a chill"
And then Tom knew that the cottage
looked shabby no longer.
fCOuyrieht. 1907 hy Homer Suselel