Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-11-30

gre me, anu mere II Is, ne 2G0eu, geuL1y
touching her bright hair. s'Now go and get
ready. God bless you, darling, and he bent
down and kissed her lips.
The next day the story had been told, and
had met with the reception Dir. Reeve ex-
pected. That he, gentleman bern and bred
though he was, should have yentured TO make
love to Mildred Grant, the half sister Of the
boy to whom he was tutor, was a crime of
such magnitude as never to have been mag
ined or provided against by her mother, Mrs
Carlton No words could express her indig
nation and dismay, and few were wasted IN
tGe attempt. Mildred had pleaded head
ache and gone to bed Immediately after din
ner, and on the news Of Mr. Reeves pre-
sumption being communicated TO Mrs. Carl
ton, that lady felt herself totally incapable
of doing justice to her feelings, that she
spared her daughter for that night an inter-
view which Mildred had exceedingly dread
ed But Mr. Carlton, Mildreds step father
and guardian was a sensible man, and
withal gentleman, and although he disliked
the idea Of the marriage as much as his wire
could do, yet he did not refuse 10 meet Dir.
Reeve upon equal terms, and was willing to
waive the breach Of confidence on which his
wife insisted 80 strongly, in consideration Of
their own imprudence in having allowed
Mildred to be so much with her broth er' S
tutor. But he represented frankly 10 Nr
Reeve that if he remained in the house long
enough to gee Mrs. Carlton again he would
not be safe from insult, and appealed to him
as man Of horor-insisting at the same
time on the fact of Mildred's being a great
heiress to give his promise not to attempt
20 communicate in any way with her until
she should be Of age. Appealed to in this
way. Mr. Reeve felt that he could not do
otherwise than assent. Perhaps he had
some faint hope Of an opposition violent and
unreasonable enough to justify him in refus
ing all terms; as it was, however, he gave the
required promise with heavy heart, sub
joining the words ''after tomorrow" though
he scarcely hoped to be allowed to take leave
of Mildred.
The dog-cart was at the door at six O'clock
next morning to convey him to the station,
and he was passing through the hall, when q
soft whisper reached him through the green
baized door Of the schoolroom, "Mr. Reeye!'
He turned back, and Mildred slipped into
his hand bit of that gold. He took her in
his arms for moment and kissed her, as he
did so she whispered, ''In four years!" SIN
four years, my darling, on your birthday,
you shall hear from me. God bless and keep
you'' and he was gone before she had time
to answer. How Mildred loved that man!
In spite Of what he had said, when Edward
Reeve reached London it was to prepare for
sharp struggle with poverty. During the
few years that had elapsed since he left the
University, he had been charged with the
maintenance Of his mother and in part with
that Of his sister, and although he had been
recently relieved Of that burden by the death
of the one and the marriage of the other, yet
he had very little cash wherewith to fill Mil
dred's purse. He arrived at Kings Cross
station at noon, thoroughly tired, for he had
been up nearly all night. The first thing he
did after securing very small lodging (0h,
Mildred, if you could have seen it y was to
go to bed, and to sleep, and when he awoke,
to his great establishment it was six o'clock
in the afternoon His landlady, having
satisfied herself by various peeps, that he
had not disgraced her lodgings by hiring
them for suicidal purposes, had prepared
some mutton chops, tc which he sat down
with a good appetite. Afterwards he open
ed his desk and looked over manuscript
volume hidden there; no, he would not take
another situation as tutor, he would give les
sons if he could find pupils, and, if neces-
sary, he would dine upon bread and cheese,
but he would devote himself to his literary
work, and strive to earn for himself name
that even Mildred's friends should not be
ashamed to have her bear. He lighted his
pipe upon this determination, and actually
awoke faithful to it the next morning, great
thing to say for human resolution.
Four years had nearly passed. 1t twas De-
tober, and the following Christmas eve would
be Mildreds twenty -frst birthday. Mr..
Reeve sat by the fire in the identical lodging
he had taken on first arriving in London.
AS he expected, he had seen nothing Of the
Carlton family. They did not come to town,
and he was debarred by his promise from
seeking intercourse with Mildred. Now and
then he read Miss Grants name as having
been present at such and such county bali
or archery meeting, and his trust in her was
so implicit that these announcements simply
interested him without costing him pang.
| Considering MildreIs youth, such confidence
may seem strange, bat Edward Reeve was So
little used to the ways of the world and the
ways of women, as to be still, in such mat
tiers, as unsophisticated as boy He had
grown sparer and graver in these years.
How hard had been his struggle with pow
ly and his luck seemed just on the turn. In
the first place the book was actually pub
lished, and, although as yet it met with nc
special welcome from the public, it had been
very favorably reviewed by several leading
periodicals. One of these critiques he was
now about, pipe i'll mouth, TO read. He felt
very proud aud glad, and as he took the pa
per in his hand he fancied how Mildred might
1 ha sncr with Of YAla in h.,
bright eyes, perhaps at that very time. He
toyed for a minute or two with his impa.
thence, glancing up and down the paper
suddenly he changed color, q marriage an,
nouncement caught his eye:
''0n the 18th instnnt at the Parish Church Chaiey
Bridge, Yorkshire, Sir Edward Lford Baronet Mil
dred only daugher Of the late Richard Grant Esq o
Ch4ley HALL"
Amist passed across Edward Reeve sight
his face was very white, and he sat quite
motionless. Presently he quietly laid aside
the paper, and shielded his eyes with his
hand; low g God help ne ~ escaped from
his lips; had it been shrek it would no
have told more plainly of acute pain H,
sat SO, in thought or prayer, or perhaps only
in suffering, for about half an hour; then ht
rose and fetched his desk He took out frs
little paper packet, openedit, and let Mil
dred's- bright hair curl round his finger.
he had pat his thoughts into words he woulc
have said that she who had been the star o
his life was indeed TOO bright for him, tina
was perhaps well for her that she had beer
untrue He raised the hair for an iastan
TO his lips, and then dropped it gently int,
the fire, where the flames sprung up crack
ling to meet ii, next he burnt the few scrap
he had of her writing, and lastly opened Iii
blotting-6ook and wrote as follows:
DEAR sIE-T have reoonsidered my decision, and