Nell of Shorne Mills

Nell laughed as the boat ran beside the jetty slip, and she rose.

"Do you think you will? Perhaps you will be too much amused, engrossed

with whatever you are doing. I know I should be, if--if I were to leave

Shorne Mills, and go into the big world."

"You do yourself an injustice," he said, rather curtly; and she laughed,

and flushed a little.

"I deserve that," she said. "Of course, I should not forget Shorne

Mills; but you----Ah, it is different!"

She sprang out before he could get on shore and offer his hand.

"I shall want her to-morrow morning at eleven, Brownie," she said to the

old fisherman who was preparing to take the _Annie Laurie_ to her

moorings.

He touched his forehead.

"Aye, aye, Miss Nell! And you'll not be wanting me?" he asked, as a

matter of form, and with a glance at Drake, who stood waiting with his

hands in his pockets.

"Oh, yes, please," she said. "I forgot; Mr. Vernon is going away

to-morrow," she added cheerfully; and she began to sing under her breath

again as they climbed upward. But Drake did not sing, and his face was

gloomy.

Throughout that evening, Mrs. Lorton contributed to the entertainment of

her guest by admiring her bracelet and deploring his departure.

"Of course I am aware that you must be anxious to go," she said, with a

deep sigh. "It has been dull, I've no doubt, very dull; and I am so

sorry that the state of my health has prevented me going out and about

with you. There are so many places of interest in the neighborhood which

we could have visited; but I am sure you will make allowances for an

invalid. And we will hope that this is not your last visit to Shorne

Mills. I need not say that we shall be glad, delighted, indeed, at any

time----"

Every now and then Drake murmured his acknowledgments; but he made the

due responses absently. He was left entirely at Mrs. Lorton's mercy that

evening--for Nell had suddenly remembered that she ought really to go

and see old Brownie's mother, a lady whose age was set down at anything

between a hundred and a hundred and ten, and Dick was in his "workshop"

cleaning the new and spotless gun.

Nell did not come in till late, was full of Grandmother Brownie's

sayings and wonderfully maintained faculties, and ran off to bed very

soon, with a cheerful "Good night, Mr. Vernon. Dick has ordered the trap

for nine o'clock."