Year: 1872




sleeker. and happier, and the small
cottage appeared neater


Time wore on. and the great chang,
was the more strangely remarkabl,
each day. Harry's creditors called
and told him they would not be hare
on him, and he might have his owl
time about paying his debts and clear
ing his farm of the mortgage


The fall came, and the farm yielded
an abundance of golden corn and fruit
such crop indeed, as it had never
produced before, and Harry found
himself beginning to drift along with
tide of prosperity.


And Nellie Ray had begun to live
her young girlhood over again, as i,
were. under her fathers roof: but
somehow, it was not like the happy.
joyous girlhood OF memory. 1t was
sober and quiet now. and Nellie fell
INTO trains of musing every now and
then there passed her MIND certain
'hought-she was neither maid nor
wife.


She avoided the vicinity of her late
nome, nor had she once seen Harry
since the separation. but she had heard
oil INN occasionally, knew that he was
changed man. Still this change
brought her but a melancholy satisfac-
ton. The reform had come too late
too late, There was a wide pplf H..
tween them now.


but, one evening in the golden
October, Nellie found herself rather
Obliged to pass Harry's farm. 1t Law
between her fathers house and tn.
village. but she had heretofore taken
round about road in going TO and
from the village. On the evening in
question, however, she had been de-
tanned in the village upconsciously
until 1t was nearly dark. and she de-
termined to hazard the nearest road
home. 1t would be fully dark when
she would pass his house, and the
chances were that he would no, see
her. She wouldn't have him see her
for the world


" hen she arrived opposite the house.
she perceived a light in the sit,;ug.
room. Her first impulse was TO hurry
by; hut some powerful influence
prompted her to stop. She did so aud
road gazing longinglv at the house
that had been home for-first OF hap
piness, then of misery. By and by.
she felt an irresistible yearning to look
at the interior Of the room once more.
lie was evidently within. and there
was no danger that he would see her.
SO she walked hurriedly across the
road opened the gate. and softly step
ped into the lawn. Another momen,
and she was at the window, looking in.
What singular behavior But she could
not help it.
lhe little room was as neat As when
she had herself watched over i. A
cheerful fire was burning in the CRATE.
although it was not very cold, and
lighted lamp stood on the table. Ii
was there that Harry was sitting. How
her heart bounded as she caught sight
Of him He held in his right hand a
book from his scanty library.


She recognized it at once; but he
was not reading now. He had allow
ed it to drop, with its open pages gaz-
ing mutely at the ceiling-and his face
was supported. half concealed in the
left hand, the elbow resting on the ta-
BILE.


Was he asleep, or was he buried in
a sad reverie: Nellie thought that the
latter was the case, and her heart was
touched.


Il wish had borne with him. she
said.


But a moment later her heart was
touched when she saw tear roll down
his cheek and drop upon the book.
The lonely man was not asleep-he
was crying.


She could not help it. All that was
wonanly in her heart was aroused.
No ceremony-she burst into the sit
ting room and was at his side.


oh Harry


Her voice quivered with emotion.


Why, Nellie" he exclaimed, irving
to hide his tears-men are ashamed of
them. Isis it you!'


Yes. Harry holding her face in her
hands. Il was passing-I looked in
l saw you sitting here SO lonely. and
could not help coming in. l thought
of the time when We were happy
here


Then her own wOmanfy tears could
be repressed no longer, There was no
use irving to hide them. Besides. her
voice broke down and she could say no
more just then.


.Nellier he arose and took both
hands from ner face and held them in
in his own Il thought you had blot
ted me out of your memory


No. no, Harry, she sobbed.-l
could not do that. could not help
leaving you; but left you loving you
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