Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-05-29

Captain Elton His friend made no re-
mark. Perhaps he did not hear what
i Elton said.
i A few days after, as the soldier, in fiji
of depression even deeper than usual, was
strolling by the margin of lovely brook
in the most sequestered part of the park
he became aware that young lady
dressed in grey merino, was angling on the
other side of the stream, and that, startled
probably by the appearance of stranger
she had thrown her line away, and got ii
entangled in the dropping branches of a
weeping willow. A glance sufficed to
show that it was Miss Tabitha Maddrelfs
poor little companion.
"Will you permit me to assist your
said Captain Elton, with low bow, as he
raised his cap.
| 81 should be much obliged to you" she
(! replied, with frank, unconcerned manner
"but don't see how you can do it on that
side of the brook"
| "That is easily managed" he replied
and taking short run, he cleared the i'm
| pediment at bound.
"Oh, how 1 wish could jump like
that!" she exclaimed, looking at him with
undisguised admiration
"No doubt you might acquire the accom-,
plishment by practice" he replied; Though
| pardon mel fear, from her appearance
that Miss Maddrell would not be the kind
of person to appreciate or approve your
! performance"
She cast upon him keen glance of hall
comic, half earnest inquiry. He saw but
misinterpreted its meaning, and hastened
| to satisfy her curiosity respecting himself,
and his knowledge of her identity.
| az am an old friend of Tom Maddrells, y
he said. "You know Tom, of course?
am staying at the little fishing-box down
| yonder, and he told me who you were one
day, when you were in the garden with
the old lady"
| "Why did you not come in and be in
troduced, like a Christian" she said,
instead of peeping at people over the
hedge?"
| II regret that T did not, now," he re-
piled. When declined Toms offer of an
| Introduction to his aunt, | supposed that
the old lady was alone, and had no wish
to intrude upon her, especially as l am
here on sick leave" = .6o = eeiF- F-s .la
| "You jump remarkably well for an in
Valid" she said, laughing heartily. II am
afraid the exertion of disentangling my
fishing line will be too much for you in
| your present weak state"
| "I don't think it WILL" he replied, as he
| climbed into the tree and disengaged the
| line.
An hour or two passed away in CONVEX
setion that must have been very pleasant
to both, for when they parted it was with
tacit understanding that they would
probably find each other fishing at the
same spot at an early hour on the follow
ing morning.
fho fryN o.Io
met but the fish had holiday.
The next day Tom Maddrell received a
letter and visit. The letter was very
| brief
"DEAR ToM-Tell me, upon your honor,
| all that your friend Elton knows concern
ing Miss Maddrell's poor companion.
! "Yours ever,
"TABBY."
The visitor was Major Winter, George
| Elton's maternal uncle.
"Where is my boy?" he demanded, in
accents that trembled with emotion "and
| where are those confounded bills ? Let
| us get those paid off at once. 1t was
nothing but hearing that he had been
| betting on race that caused my illness,
| Tom And then the grief at his protracted
silence about it made me worse. There's
| always SOluC hIllSl lllClQ lCdOy w tCL uS Ol
| unpleasant things, you know; and | was
| duly informed Of this on the day after the
| Derby He thinks me foolishly prejudiced,
and so do you, no doubt; but neither OF
you knows the cause have to hate the
turf and every other form Of gambling"
| "We both give you credit for having
| some reason for the dislike" interposed
the lawyer.
| "Reason enough, as you will acknowl-
edge" said the old soldier His father
ruined himself by gambling, chiefly on
| the turf In fit of despair he blew his
brains out His wife, my dear sister, was
left, with her infant son, penniless. But
| that was not the worst. The shock unset
| tied her reason, and she died few years
later, in lunatic asylum. Have no rea-
son to hate the turf, and to dread that my
nephew may inherit his fathers fatal love
of gambling? But when the dear lad
wrote so frankly, and told me all explain
| ing also why he had concealed it SO long
-gad, sir! / jumped off my bed like a
young fellow, packed up my bag and bag
gage, and have come back quite strong
again And now, where is he?"
Tom entered into full explanation,
and then showed him the note.
| "How is this?" asked the Major, turning
| the brief epistle round and round, as
| though to come at the sense of it. "Who
in the world is Tabby?"
| "My Aunt Tabitha, in whose fishing
box l have established our friend till his
affairs can be arranged" replied Tom.
| "Oh, l see |" said the major. "And the
old lady is anxious about her companion
Is she such fascinating girl? If so, by
| George / think it is time for me to make
inquiries, too My nephew is too bonora-
BILE lad to make fool of any girl, but
that's no reason why he should not make
fool of HIMSELF
Tom Maddrell stood for few moments
| in silent cogitation
| Major Winter" he said, at length, "I
will take you into my confidence. l am
very anxious that your nephew should
marry my aunt, and there really seems
some prospect of it as read this note"
| "Biess my life, sir! Marry an old wo-
man and for her money! George Elton
would never do it, sirr' he exclaimed.
"Allow me to explain, sir" said Tom
Maddrell. my grandfather, when a
widower of sixty, married young but
penniless girl by whom he had one
| daughter, whom, for some freak or other,
he christened Tabitha Kate. l well re-
member the birth of my ridiculous little
aunt, when was about six years old. The
old gentleman died shortly after, and his
Young widow married again. Her second
| husband was very wealthy man of the
name of L'Estrange He had no children,
but became so devotedly attached to little
Tabby, that he left her all his property,
on condition that she took his name"