Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-09-05
dhe gepnbliean.
RECOMPENSE.


/ dresses. belted at the waist, a pairofieaihe
boots, and a white apron. In herhand sh
carried a sun-bonnet, and her hair, croppet
close ike boys, curled in black ringlet
around her head. The face was baby
In sweetness Snd innocence, the little brown
hands were hands Of toll No young lad,
this. vet there WAS nothing coarse and vul
gar about her. unless it were those hands
That is O,dtOwn church, my dear,
said. Are YOU going there!'
! Yes sir. to see the wedding. Are you:
was. more fool |, though did not SAY
so TO this child. The bride for whom thu
bells were ringing was TO have been Rlint
once, would have been but for the acct
/ dent which had crippled me and changed
| her heart. She had done nothing openly
/ treacherous. but | saw the truth and sci
her free She took her freedom gladly
and we were two. She had quite forgot
ten me no doubt. | believed then could
never forget her
knew exactly how she would look in
snowy silk and lace and cOlOnet OF pearls
had dreamed of her in bridal robes SO
often.
nodded to the little thing beside me
trudging over the meadow path with the
tall grass almost to her waist, and looking
at me wishtully.
'Noz"
come. He di,ln't care himself, lisa long
walk, too, from the tavern, and he's very
old"
~Doesyour Grandfatherlieep thetavern?
| asked.
s.No sir. I v-ish he did" said the child.
ale has only his fiddle, and people halt
the time don't care fora tune What else
can he do thougli? Tonight there's a
dance, and he's to play for them. That
why we have stopped. -,
\ poor fiddler's untaught Srandchild-
as poor "a decent poverty could he-yet
her presence somehow cheered me. Hall
child. half woman, and a child at heart
Innocent and beautiful. | kindly encour-
aged her to liDger by MY side, and said to
her.
Il will show you place where you can
see The bride well; it is in the gallery
VIII you like that
Il don't know she said. Il haven't Of
ten been in church. We pray together in
lonely places. grandfather and |. VIII
you he there, sir:'
Yes
II know should ike H."
"Comc with me then" | said, and she
followed me.
Ihad meant to hide myself in the gallery
and see my lost love married quite unseen.
This companionship had not been in my
role at ali; but liked it. no friend. no
relation. not my own sister, would have
stood beside me: but this elfish thing was
too innocent TO fear. / led the way up the
dark old stairs. and toward 'Pst quite
sheltered from view. Then sat down and
She stood leaning over the halustr&dc:
The church was full of b0nnets. Here
and there only masculine head. The
minister was in his seat reading. in posi-
ton taken for effect. lie wss handsome
man. and he knew it perfectly well.
Girls whispered and gigsled, matrons
famed themselves. and The men yawned.
Soon the soft roll of carriages upon the
gravel path was heard, and the bridal par
tv entered. / saw her at last. Alietta-
as that the bride." half sobbed the
girls voice at my side, Is ii real lady:
She looks ike wax. Oh how pretty, how
beautiful Look. look.
She touched me with her Title brown
hand. and looked at me %ith sI1arkiing
eyes.
"Did YOU ever see her bcf0rei' she ask
ed. is she like that in every day clothes:
Oh. how pretty. how pretty.
Men have no right To weep | put my
head down upon the cushion of the pew
and hid my eyes. | felt the child creep
close beside me.
Poor thing. he's tired I heard her
whisper, and put her little hand out AR!
patted me softly by stealth.
Soon | looked down into the church
again, and saw Grant Stanton kiss the
bride.
is it OVER asked the girl
''Yes. child" cried; all over.
Then must 20" size said. Thank you
for being so kind TO me. sir. Goodby.
'Good-by,' | said. and her little lcaiicrn
shoes battered over the isle and down the
stairs. and had seen, US thought the last
of her.
When she had gone | missed her strange
went homo when the church was quite
empty. 1t had not been as hard TO bear
as had feared, and oddly enough | found
myself thinking of that child's. little gypsy
head. and those beautiful longfringed eyes.
I wonder at myself but il was so.
81 should like to see the child again.
| said. and as ! spoke spied crowd
about a tavern door upon this road.
1t was poor place and poor rough PEG
pie made up the group. But il was plain
iv no common quarrel or drinking which
had brought them there. for their fces
were all grave and their voices suppressed
crossed the road.
.'What has happened, friend" asked o
a tink,r near by.
"Onlv blind fiddler dropped dead" b,
said. i'But there's q gal there wild abou
it."
And then I passed him and went in
An old man lay upon the floor. and across
his body girl had flung herself | knew
the yipsy hair and brown neck, the scan
cotton dress and the un-bonnet. fun:
with handful of wild flowers upon III,
floor, and bent over her, touching her lit
lie despairing head.
MY child" / said, she is happier thar
We are" And she looked up.
"He was all had" she said; "all, all.
So had thought when Alletta gave mt
back our rothal ring. My heart acheC
for her ii no other word, but | lsC
her TO a.. .ner room, while two men bore
the dead rlan up stairs. She wept wildly
but my presence seemed to comfort her.
After while she drew cluser to me, anC
sitting on low stool, leaned her forehead
on nv knee. Soon my hand rested on il
and in an hour she had sobbed herself tC
sleep.
/ said few words to the iandlady wher
arose to leave; and she promised 10 at
tend to my orders, enforced by the con
tents of my mock et-boOk
''Thc girl shall not go until hear from
you, sir" she said. Indeed l do no
know where she would 90. She seem!
friendless, and such child of her age
Thank you, sir"
And went on my way again, thinking
not of Alletta, but Of the dead fiddler.
grandchild: the sun-browned waif, so sim
pie and so ignorant, 30 friendless and alone
I was young yet-n0t five-and-twenty
"a bachelor, and likely to be one my life
long. had no proper home to take hel
to, and no friend to aid me. At last in
nv extremity. I thought of Betty-old