Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-07-06

Judges conspicuous pew, and no word or
look passed between them. She went
home still to wait; tortured with the
wasting anguish known only to those who
love and doubt. Day after day of leaden
loneliness, night after night of watching
and despair, succeeded, and still no Cephas.
Tip, also. had discontinued bis visits. =
Mrs. Blynn saw slow, certain change
come over her child; her joyous laugh
rang no more; neither were her tears
often seen or her sighs heard; but she
seemed disciplining herself to bear with
patience and serenity the desolatencss of
her lot.
One evening it was stormy, and Nancy
and her mother were together in the plain,
tidy kitchen, both sewing and both silent !;
gusts aud rain lashing the windows and
the cat purriag in chair. Nancy's heart
was more quiet than usual for, albeit
expectation was not quite extinct, no Wis
itor, surely, could be looked for on such a
night. But is it not true that the spirit
loves surprise; and that. when least ex-
pected, grace arriyes?. This truth applies
alike to the seeming trlfes of life, and to
matters of the greatest moment, and it was
made manifest to Nancy that night; first,
when amidst the sounds of the storm, she
heard footsteps and knock at the door
She need not have started and changed
color 50 tumultuously, however, for the
visitor was only Tip.
"Good evenin,' said young Master
Tansley, stamping, pulling off his dripping
hat, and shaking it. "rd no idee it
rlincd SO! I was goin' by, and thought
I'd stop in. Ye mad, Nancy?" and he
pcered at the young girl from beneath his
wet hair, with bashful grin.
Nancy's heart was too much softcncd to
cherish any resentment, and with sufuscd
eyes she begged Tip to forgive the blow.
"Wal, do no. what I'd done to be
knocked down fur, began Tip, with a
pouting and aggrieved air; " though l
suppose I deu tew. But guess what
told you turned out about SO, after all;
didn't it, hey?" --.,
At Nancy's look of distress, Mrs. Blynn
made signs for Tip to forbear. But he had
come too far through the darkness and rain
with an exciting piece of news, to be thus
easily silenccd. @
'I hain't brought you no corn this time,
for didn't know as you'd roast it if did.
Say, Nancy, Cephe and the old man had it
agin to-day, and the Judge forked over the
three thousand dollars seen him He
was only waitin to raise it. It's real
mean in Cephe, I s'pose you think-mebby
It's; but by gracious three thousand dol
lars is a 'tarnal sleu of money!
Hugely satisfied with the effect this
announcement produced, Tip sprawled upon
chair and chewed a stick, like one re-
solved to make himself comfortable for the
evening. s
Saxafrax-ye want some?'' he said,
breaking off with his teeth liberal piece
of the stick. C Say, Nancy ye needn't
look SO mad, Cephe has sold out, / tell
ye, and when | offer ye saxafrax. yo may
as well take some.
Not without effort Nancy held her peace;
Tip, extended the fragment of the sassa-
fras-rooU which his teeth had split off, was
complacently urging her to accept it =
"'Twas real good when the sound of
hoofs was heard; halt at the gate;
horseman dismounting leading his animal
to the shed; a voice saying, "he still,
Pericles, " and footsteps approaching the
door. e.- r..
"Nancy! Nancyn' articulated Mrs.
Blynn, scarcely less agitated than her
daughter, she has comet p
"It's Cephe!" whispered Tip hoarsely.
s' If he should ketch me here II guess
I'll go! Confound that Cephe anyhow"
Rap, Rap! two light, decisive strokes
of riding whip on the kitchen door.
Mrs. Blynn glanced around to see if
everything was tidy, and Tip, dropping
his sassafras, whirled about and wheeled
about like Jim Grow, in the excitement of
the moment e..... ...--..
/" Mothcr-go ~ uttered Nancy, pale
with emotion, hurricdly pointing to the
door; /" / can't"
She made her escape by the stairway;
observing which, the bewildercd Tip, who
had indulgcd a frantic thought of leaping
from the window, to avoid meeting his
dread rival, changed his mind and rushed
after her. Unadvised of his intention,
and thinking only of shutting herself from
the sight of Cephas, Nancy closed the
kitchen door rather severely upon Tips
fingers, but his fear rendered him insensible
to pain, and he followed her, scra,nbling
up on to the dark staircase just as Mrs.
Blynn admitted Cephas.
Nancy did not Immediately perceive
what had occurred, but presently amid the
sounds of the rain On the roof, and of the
wind about the gables, she heard the
unmistakable perturbed breathing of her
luckless lover. -
Nancy" whispered Tip, "where be
yo? I've most broke my head agin this
blasted beam!"
"What are you here for?' demanded
Nancy. aa
"Cause | didn't want him 10 see me.
He won't stop but minute then I'll 90
down. | dad give my head the all-fredest
tunk," said Tip.
Mrs, Blynn opened the door to inform
Nancy of the arrival of visitor, and the
light from below, partially Illuminating the
fugitives retreat, showed Tip in sitting
posture on one of the upper stairs, dill
gently rubbing that portion of his Uranium
which had come in collision with the beam.
"Say, Nancy, don't CO." whispered
Tip; don't leave me here in the dark
For the widow had closed the door, and
~ 80, -,crio;o,,c of b,olaox.