Nelly had often spent weeks at a time
with her grandmamma, and was delighted to find all her old haunts as
pleasant as ever. Her dolls, toys, books, etc., had been carefully
kept. Better than all, she discovered a fine Newfoundland puppy and a
litter of pretty white kittens to console her for the loss of Ponto.
One day, when they had been at grandmamma's only a fortnight, Nelly
saw a neighboring farmer drive up to the front gate, and ran gladly to
meet him, for farmer Dale was a cheery old man, who had always seemed
very fond of the child. Now, however, he looked very grave, merely
shaking hands, then bidding Nelly tell her grandmamma that he must see
her at once, "and, Nelly, you need not come back," said he, "I have
business with your grandma." Soon after the farmer drove away, while
grandmamma returned to the house, wearing a very serious face, and
after sitting in the darkened parlor awhile, apparently thinking
deeply, passed slowly into her daughter's room. Then Nelly heard a
faint cry from her mamma, and hurrying into the house, found her
excitedly walking up and down, wringing her hands, and crying, "I must
go to him! I must, I must!" A letter received by farmer Dale from his
son, who was a Confederate soldier, had contained the news that Mr.
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