yet he did not distinctly look forward to ever
seeing her, much less to meeting her.

Indefinite as this feeling was, it saved him from the mistake of
marrying Nettie. Poor girl! She was in the grasp of her first great
passion, and was as helpless as a broken-winged bird in the current of
a river. She was feverishly happy and unaccountably sad by turns. The
commands of her father not to see Bradley only roused her antagonism,
and her mother's timid entreaties made no impression upon her. Not even
Bradley's unresponsiveness seemed to have a decided discouraging
effect.

Her classmates laughed at her, as they did at three or four other pairs
in the school who proclaimed their devouring love for each other by
walking to and from the chapel with locked arms, or who sat side by
side in their classes with clasped hands, indifferent to any rude jest,
reprimand from the teacher, or slyly-flung eraser. The principal gave
it up in despair, calling it a "sort of measles which they'll outgrow."

It was really pitiful to the comprehending observer. There was so much
that was pain mixed with this pleasure. There were so many keen and
benumbing disappointments, like that of waiting about the door of the
office for Bradley to come down, and then to see him appear in company
with some client of Judge Brown. Not that the client made so much
difference, but the cold glance of Bradley's eyes did. At such times
she turned away with quivering lip and choking throat.

She had lost much of her pertness and brightness. She talked very
little at home, and it was only when with Bradley that she seemed at
all like her old bird-like self. Then she chattered away in a wild
delight, if he happened to be in a responsive mood, or feverishly and
with a forced quality of gayety if he were cold and unresponsive.

Bradley knew he ought to decide one way or the other, and often he
promised himself that he would refuse to walk or ride with her, but the
next time she came he weakly relented at sight of her eager face. It
took so little to make her happy, that the temptation was very great to
yield, and so their lives went along. He took her to the parties and
sleigh-rides with the young people, but on his return he refused to
enter the house. He met her at the gate, and left her there upon his
return.

The colonel had met him shortly after the election, and had threatened
to whip him for his charges against him as an office-holder. He
concluded not to