Year: 1878

NOW Nellie, what shall we do 7"


~ think it will be best for us to go,
too. for if father finds us here and Belle
gone, he will be provoked with her, and
send and get her back, but if we are all
gone, he will not try, for he will see it
is no use, and that we are determined
not to live with him anyway, and so we
shall shield Belle, for don't want father
to be hald on her, as know he will be
unless we both CO."


Well, of course we went, but the idea
of Nellie proposing such a thing was per-
fectly astounding.


knew she loved Belle very much,
but | did not think she would be will
ing to make such sacrifice for her, for
sacrifice it was, as she was fathers pet,
and she wanted to see him dreadfully
before we went.


| wrote a note to father, and told him
why we had gone, and called the SER
want, and told her to look out for the
boys when they came home from school,
for we should not he there.


She promised to do so, and also to
look out for the house, and we called
hack and went to the depot. l finally
concluded to go with Nellie to visit
Aunt Agnes. So we took the next train
south, knowing that father would arrive
| about ten minutes after we left, on the
express train from the north.


| cannot tell how felt on that jour
ney of fifty miles. We arrived at ten
o'clock that night, and Auntie was very
glad to see us. We told her why we
had come, and she said perhaps we had
done right, and perhaps not. At any
rate she thought we had better stay till
we heard from father.


| She inquired after Belle, and Nellie
told what the girl had said, and that we
did not know where she was.


"Never mind don't worry about
her," said Auntie. "She will take care
of herself; there is no fear of that. She
seems wild and giddy, know, but she
is Just like her mother before her, and
she will do just as well as she did. l
remember when she married your father
she was teaching school out of spite to
an aunt of hers, who was so big feeling
that she thought it disgrace for any
one to work. She told your mother so
once, and two days afterward she an
swered AN advertisement for a school
and got it, much to the disgust of heI
aunt, who vowed she would never go
near her. But she did after few weeks,
but no coaxing or threatening would
make her give up her school till she got
ready. Belle is just like her, and she
will get along, and perhaps it will be
better for her to feel little independ-
ent. As soon as your father and his new


wife get settled, | will 60 down and see
them, and see what kind of a woman
she is, and then | can advise you what
to do. Meantime you just make your
selves at home, and enjoy yourselves
as best you can"


When began to write did not mean


to tell you so much of myself, for Belle
is the heroine of my story, and it is OF


her that | am to write, but | had to dis
pose of myself and Nell in some way,
and this seemed to be the quickest.


When Belle left us she took the train


to Southport, where she had seen an ad-


vertisement for lady teacher, but she


was too late for the place, as it had been
secured by another young lady. The
superintendent of schools was very Kind


to heI, and told her of several places


where teachers were needed, and she


took the directions and started again on


her travels.


The first place she visited after leav-


ing southport WIS Dolloii, Wucic SHe


succeeded in getting place as teach


er in music, in young ladies' semi


nary.


About Il week after she left, we got i


letter from her, telling us of her sue
cess, and stating that if Nellie would


come on, she would go to keeping house


and she should live with her.


To this, however, Aunt Agnes object
ed. She was willing to let Belle do as
wished, alone, but she did not think il


best for Nellie to go, for she was afraid
Belle would make her sick by too much
running, as she was not Il bit strong, anC
!, Belle was never tired of taking lOns


tramps, and never seemed to require
more than five or six hours sleep, while
Nellie must have full nights rest ol
she would be sick for week.
She need not have been afraid of this
, however, for Belle was always careful
of Nellie, aud would never do anything
to tire or disturb her.


Aunt Agnes was not aware of Belle1
/ devotion to Nellie, and as she never sale
word in opposition to Auntie, W.
! wrote to Belle that we we've comfOrta
bly, situated and would stay there fo


the present, though we might come tt
see her in a week or so, if everythin:
, prospered.


BY the next mail Aunt received let
, ter from Belle, in which she gave he
) full directions how to take care of Mel
0 lie, and ended by saying that she didn'
, believe anyone in the world but heIsel
e knew how to keep Nell in full health
: and if any thing was the matter with he
e to write and let her know Immediately
# This changed Auntie's mind abou
e keeping Nellie with her, and she tol,
o us if Belle was satisfied to remain a
= Bolton, Nellie might go down and sta.


a few weeks, and see how she liked it..
- About month after we left home
# Aunt Agnes started to go and see th


new wife, as she called her.


1 We waited very impatiently for he
It return, for we felt great curiosity t
II know what kind of a woman father ha
4 married. Nellie and | talked it over fo
e the hundredth time, and ended by com
d lug to only one conclusion, that she wa
j some old maid that had married fathe


for home, and that we were boun
II never to have anything to do with her.
: Aunt Agnes stayed all night, and tn
S next day we were so impatient to hea
: what she had to say, that we walke
y down to the depot to meet her.
e She refused to talk, however, till W
u got back to the house, and although W
o asked her great many questions, W
e could not find out anything till she ha
e removed her wraps and was seated b.
L the fire. Then she began:


: ''Now, girls, l will tell you just wha
= | have found out. In the first place, tn
e woman your father has married is nc
!" an old maid, but is very pleasant lit