Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-03-16

ing, having fallen overheard from the
steamboat while out on a target excur-
sion with his company, and sunk like
stone, owing doubtless to the ponderous
nature of his responsibilities.
The suddenness Of this exit, as Peter
argued, must certainly act with force on
the widow, and thought he would not
give her again time to recover and be
admired, still etiquette demanded little
time to intervene Accordingly, when
on the tenth day Of the melancholy be-
reavement, Peter knocked at the widows
door, bent upon his errand of love, he
rather chuckled to himself that he was
taking time by the forelock. The bust
ness on ich he came was quietly told,
and once more the widow was in tor
rent of tears.
"Oh, Mr.. Robinson" she exclaimed,
hiding her blushing face in her cambric,
"why are you so unfortunate, and why
am :? You know my esteem for you,
but it is too late. I am already engaged.
You know Counsellor Ketchum :? my
poor, dear, dead and gone Hawkins
most intimate friend. He was with
him you know, when he was called away
and was the first to communicate to me
the awful intelligence. He was such a
comforter, and have promised him this
! day two months"
This time Peter was crushed. He
had no words to express his brokenheart-
edness, but to rush from the house and
90 on as before, admiring at distance.
It was months before Peter even Off
cred to encourage hope and even then it
fickered One day he was walking in
a Respondent mood through one of the
upper avenues, and he heard a shout and
started. From half finished building
in front of him, he saw as he raised his
eyes a stout Milesian making gyrations
in the air, from a height Of three stories,
in company with,a copingstone, weighing
something less than half a ton-the two
having slipped together from scafold
at that hei ght. He saw both Milesian
and stone strike full upon the heads of
two gentlemen passing and the whole
four were in an instant mixed in an in
extricable heap. Like all other specta-
tors, Peter rushed to the rescue, only to
behold between horror andjoy; Ketchum
and the gentleman who was walking with
him in their last gasps, and in the per-
feet safety of the Milesian and stone.
This time Peter would trust to no
passing of time. Without an instant Of
delay, more than to satisfy himself that
life was extinct, he hailed passing hack
and then sped to the widowed Mrs
Counsellor Ketchum. In words Of the
most delicate and endearing nature Peter
communicated his intelligence to the
widow, and waited the result, and then,
between her sobs and tears, claimed her
hand for the next set.
ooh, Mr.. Robinson sobbed the
widow, chow could you ask me such a
thing? How could I know that you
would be the first to bring me the news
of my dear Ketchum's decease? You
know how esteem and respect you, but
IL am already engaged
Engaged, !" shrieked Peter, ste
whom -
II promised" responded the widow
between her sobs, II promised month
ago = that if anything happened
would marry Col Snapper.
! "You did 2" shouted Peter, and his
entire appearance changed in an instant
from that of hend to look of unbridlet
joy, "and who are you engaged to after
that -
"No one, )" sighed she.
"Will you swear this ?" said Peter.
II swear it, " responded the widow
| solcmnly.
"And will you marry me after Snap
per is gomez"
/ Il will, said the widow.
"Do you swear it?" asked Petel
fercely.
81 swear it, said the widow earnestly
"Then you are mine, charming Lucy
for the stone that ushered the Counsellor
into the next world also took the Colonel
saw it with my own eyes,
The next moment the widow was il
Peters arms, and they were married il
a month