TWO YEARS OF A LIFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2578, 19 January 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

TWO YEARS OF A LIFE.

[By Belladonna.]

CHAPTER Vl.—Tun Old, Old Story

A week later on Willie was installed at Mr Hamilton's. Ho bad been anxious to get there as soon as he could, thinking ho would *ee more of Hadiee, for now that he was better she only came iti and out, of his room occasionally, but except at diuner in tho evening he saw less of her than ho did at the Hospital, for she was always gone when ho got up in the morning, and lie had to retire early at night, as he was still weak, and his eyes eould not bear much light. One day Hadiee had a bad headache when she woke, and did not so to the Hospital as usual. It was lute when she rose, and feeling better she put on her hat and wont out into tho garden,

feathering a few roses as she went along. Then sho went into tho drawing-room and found Willie and her father there, the former looking rather tired, and the latter asleep in his arm-chair. Ho woke up as Hiidiec came in and spoke to him and Willie.

" You are back early," said her father. " 1 did i.-ot go to tho to-day, papa," she answered. "Yes, yes, I remember; your head. How •.* it r Bolter."

"\'u(jh bull' , ! , , thank you," sho answered." Are those not lovely," .-he continued, going over to Willie and handing him the roses to smell.

"Yes, indeed," lie replied, taking them from her, "are they for inc."

" If you like," she said, smiling, "I'll put them in water by you, and you can admire them to your heart's content." They had fallen into their old easy way of talking when they were together, ami of an evening before he retired, she would read to him or play and sing for his amusement, and sometimes ho would tell her of his life iu India, until he had been a month at the Hamilton's, yet during that time nothing had taken place to make Hadice suppose he looked on her more than an old friend, until one evening she came home much earlier than usual, and she found Willie trying to read a letter he had just got from his father, but his sight was still weak, .and he was straining liis eyes over the letter when Hadiee came into the room.

"Oh Hadiee, will you come and read this for me, for between my bad sight and father's had writing, I can't make it out. - '

"Give it to me and see if I can read it for you, then,' , she said, seating herself on the sofa near him.

Mr Morris wrote, thai; he was glad his S6ll waa better, and that lie proposed coming for him the following week, to fetch him home.

"Do you think yon are able to bear the journey," Hadiee said, anxiously looking up at him. "Yes, I think I c:in," ho replied, "only I shall be sorry to ,«o, and I shall be lost without my kind nurse." " Ami I,".she replied, " shall miss my patient." Then there was .1 silence for a few minutes, when Hadiee broke it by sayin;;— '• I ;im afraid of your eyes getting worse if you travel." " And I," he saH, quickly, " am afraid of my heart if I stay." "I—l did not know it was affected," she said, faltering a lit.'le, unci not quite knowing what he meant, but he soon made it plain. " Yes, Hadiee, it has been affected ever since one Chri.~tm.as Eve—nearly two years ago " —he answered, coming up to tho sofa, and sitting down beside her, " and, Hadiee," he continued, " there are times when I thiuk yon rare for mo ; that first night I was at tho Hospital, and you kissed my hand. Hadiee blushed scarlet. "I thought you were asleep," she was surprised into saying, and turned her face away. ''No, I was awake, and, Hadiee, my darling," he said, hiking her hands iu his, "don't you love me a little. You won't, spud me away n. second time, will yon," he pleaded, "or I don't know what will become of mo if you do." "Stay, Willie," she whispered, "I love you too much to part with you again," and her head dropped on his shoulder.

"Mv dearest," ho said, as he gathered her in his arms and kissed her, and whispered tho old, old story into her willing ears. Old, as old as the hills, yet always new to the actors.

After a little while ho asked her when " sho found out she eared for him.

Ever since that 'Xmasevu she answered "iviiig him a blushing j> Inn no and drooping her bead again on his shoulder. " All that long time, Oh Hadiee darling, why did you not tell me, or write."

" You know I could not do that Will," and besides, ■' 1 thought you must despise me for the way I treated you."

" Despised you, my darling, I never ceased to love you, though I was sorely disappointed in you, it would have spared ussome bitter moments if I had knoivn, but perhaps it was best for us both, dearest. '

"I believe it was, Will, I have learnt what it is to live for others, and not altogether for myself, as I fear I used to do."

" But you will have to give up your Hospital work, now," he said. "I cannot allow my nurse to wait on anyone but me, I must have the monopoly of her."

" I will give it up by and bye, Will, but not just yet," she returned, smiling up at him. "What if I insist," he said, pretending to look severe, but it was rather a lame attempt."

You can insist if you like, but, remember, I have not promised to love, cherish, and obey yet," she returned, with some of her old sauoiness, and die continued, " I think my patient must bo much better when he begius to order his nurse what to do." "Do you indeed. Well I believe lam better and certainly happier than I have felt for a long time, are you not too?" "Happier than I ever expected to be again," she replied looking up confidingly in his face ; aud Willie, what do you think ho did ? Well l.e did what ninetynine young men out of a hundred would do under similar circumstances, and what that is I leave to my readers to guess.

It was decided that 'Willie was not to return to India on account of the climate, but when he was fit for work was to try and obtain some employment iu England. Old Mr Morris was against his son seekin" anything for a year, but Willie could not endure being idle, and now that he was well and strong again, he soon got what lie was wishing for in a mercantile house in Yorkshire ; hub it was a lonely life for him. His mother had died when he was a boy, and like Hailiee he was an only child and his father was always buried in his books, so Willie had not a lively time when lie came home of an evening. He began to think he must prevail on Hadiee to marry him. So he spoke to his father one day about it, and taking a house of his own he was not quite sure how the old gentleman would feel about the matter, as he seemed too absorbed in his books to think of anything else, and hated trouble or bother of any kind and he would fidget aud fuss for days if distracted in his mind, and smother thing when Willie told his father he was engaged, he only said :—

"Oh, really, to that nice girl I saw at the hospital. Well go anl do your courting, boy, only I don't want a lot of women here."

However, to his surprise when lie mentioned to his father, as he had been some months engaged, ho was thinking of bsiug married at Christinas if Hadiec was agreeable, the old man answered— "Very well, my sou, as soon as you like." "And do you think Hadiee would like to live at Hoeboru Art Harbour, father," cried the young man. '• How could she when I'm employed here."

" You could be moved, could'nt you; you are not a fixture, are you, that goes with tho house."

Willie was quite unable to fathom what his usually-retieeut father meant, so seeing bis son's perplexity, the father

explained— "I saw a house advertised for sale at Hoeborn that I admired when I went to see you when you were at the hospital, and I am thinking of buying it, as the lease of this soon expires. 1 only wnut a coiner in the house, ami you and your wife can have the rest of it. Will that suit you ':" " Oh father, how good of you, and how thoughtful," exclaimed WMin amazed beyond measure at his father's plan.

" Well, well, you had bettor go and see tlisit nurse of yours abour. it first. In my young dnya wo always bad to consult th'ti lndy in tli.'.s.! ami I suppose its the samo with thorn now. If she is willing, I'll buy the house right away, tho (sooner the bettor. I om't sottb myself to my books till its over."

The next afternoon Willie took tho train fwr Holborn, he was in lm;h spirits at his father's unexpected offer. When ho got to his destination he found Mr and Mrs Hamilton were out, but. a short time alter Hadiee came in from the Hospital.

" When are you poiiiff to frive your work up HiiJiec," he asked afU-r the first, greeting was over. " I don't know," nho said, "I'm in no hurry, you know, I love tho work, and I love my patients and I thmk they like me."

"I daresay they do," ho returned, "they have mighfy had ti.sto if they don't, but my dirliug it's a dreary life for a young girl."

"Oh, no," sho Raid earnestly, it's not. " I feel a bettor woman for it. I usod to think of nothing else but my own pleasure and now I have learnt that the greatest pleasure in life i't that of giving pleasure to others, in living- for them more than vourself."

Here. Willie gave her a practical acknowledgement that sho was a living pleasure to him.

"And Willie, though we both may have had something in the past to regret, I think it has turned out for the best, and I can truly say now it has been a happy two years for me."

" if you are satisfied dearest, I ought to be. but I'm not, I just want one tiring more to complete it."

" What's that," she asked, smiling up at him.

" My wife," he answered biieliy, looking ardently at her.

Hadiee blushed rosely, and s;.iid laughing.

" She'll come by-and-bye, I expect.'

" I'm not goitm to wait much longer for bar," he said, fondly ; and now HV.diee he continued. " How would you like to live at Holborn instead of Yorkshire,' and then he told her his little bit of news."

" Here, near papa and mamma," she explained, breathlessly." "Oh, yes, my greatest grief in the midst of my happiness was leaving them."

•'Then can I tell my father you are ready to fall in with his plans." " Yes," she whispered. And when. " Whenever yon like, Will." "My dear one, how can I thank you enough," he said, taking her in his arms and kissing her. " And now, when will yon resign," he asked. " This is the Ist of November. I will resign at the end of tho month," she answered ; and here she stopped. "Then said Willie," continuing for her, " I may have a chance of getting my little wife." Just then Mr and Mrs Hamilton came in and were taken into the young people's confidences. They weredelighted at the prospect of Hartiee being settled near them, so it was arranged that the wedding should take place on Christinas Day.

It was a merry little, party that had assembled at the Hamilton's the day before Christmas to be present at [[adieu's wedding, and numerous were her presents but what pleased her most among them was a beautifully framed picture of Holborn hospital, witli the inmates who were well enough sitting outside, and underneath was this inscription : —

Presented to Miss Hamilton on her wedding day from the patients at Holborn hospital.

Amongst the guests were ourol.'l frioinb. Mary Turner and her sister, now Edith Barker, Mr and Mrs Jiauf.leigh, Mr Morris, Dr. Harper, and several others.

The young people were bent on having a dance the last night of Hadiee's unmarried lifn and .Mrs Hamilton consented, on coLulitiou they did not stay up late, for she said we must not have Marti en looking tired to-morrow. " Good night, my dearest," said Willie, as H'ldice iind ho were par! ing-. What a happy night this Iris been tome, different from what it was two years ago. They say the course of true love never run-* smooth. " Willie," she answered brightly, "let us hope the rough places are passed, and that our path iu future will bo smooth, and with that wish I will bid iny readers good bye." [Concluded.]