Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-06-30

Walter and Miss Delamater were at a
little distance. He was showing her a
spot where the May-dowers were the
largest and sweetest in the spring.
called to them.
"Walter Miriam !" | said. alt is
getting late, and believe it is going to
rain. We must hurry home"
They came back to me hastily. But
before we had taken dozen steps the
wind swayed I'll tops of the pine trees,
a sullen, angry roar came from the
deeper woods into which we had not
penetrated, and it became evident that
one of the sudden, violent tempests of
autumn was upon us.
We hurried on, while it grew darker
and darker every moment, and the
soughing and shrieking of the wind
and the creaking of the tossing boughs
raised bewildering tumult about us.
Taking a hand of each, Walter tried to
urge us forward. But our feet became
entangled in the brakes and dunderbrush,
and we made slow progress.
Hark is that thunder ?" said Miri-
am, under her breath.
at is too cold for thunderstorm"
Walter answered. at is only the
wind"
Even as he spoke fearful gust tore
our hands apart. Denser darkness,
darkness that could be felt, fell about
us we could not see an inch before our
faces-we could not see each other.
Suddenly the air was filled with flying
particles, and crash after crash resound-
ed from the forest. We were in the
very path Of the tornado. Great trees
fell prostrate to the right and to the left
of us, and huge branches were borne
like straws on the wings of the tempest.
Stricken to the ground, crouching there
in dire extremity, we waited for what
might come.
But high above the roar of the ele-
ments, the fierce beating of the storm,
| heard my husbands voice.
Barbara! Barbara Barbara /"
heard it through the darkness, and
could not answer him.
Barbara-not Miriam-even in that
supreme moment when soul spoke to
soul, and we stood upon the confines of
the other world.
X
When | returned to consciousness /
was in a darkened room, and there were
two or three strange women about me.
| tried to lift my left arm, but could
not. 1t was bandaged from the shoul-
der down. Walter knelt at the foot of
the bed.
The women went out.
| cannot tell you about it. Some
things are too sacred to be made sub
jects of common speech. But knew
that night by my husbands tears and
caresses, by the silent kisses that his
trembling lips pressed upon my cold
ones, by his few scarce articulate words
of thanksgiving, by his whispered pray
ers, how grievously | had wronged him
by my jealous doubts.
| learned more, by and by, after
Miriam had gone, and my bruised arm
got well. One day / told him all had
thought and felt and suffered. For a
long time he sat silently, with his hand
clasping mine. Then he said:
| want to show you something, Bar
bara," and left the room.
He came back presently with little
blue velvet case in his hand. There
was something in his face that | had
never seen there before; something that
showed that his whole being was stirred
to its inmost depths.
. | want to show you something" he
repeated. "You are wholly mistaken
about my feeling for Miriam. Rumor
coupled our names, as was but natural.
But | never loved her, even when we
were boy and girl together, with any
other than quiet, brotherly affection.
If had l should have told you before
| asked you TO be my wife. But want
to show you this picture of the young
girl who 0aS my first love. There must
never be any more concealments be-
tween us, Barbara You must read my
heart to the very last page"
My hand trembled so that it was with
difficulty unfastened the clasp.
1t was my own likeness little, mis-
erable, worn, faded vignette, taken in
my early girlhood and under the glass
were a withered flower or two-the first
| had ever given him. ] looked up.
There were tears in his eyes.
"That is relic of my callow days."
he said, half laughing. ~ stole that
picture long before you dreamed that l
loved you and have been ashamed to
show you the poor old thing, SO mag
njfcently cased in blue and gold. But it
tells the whole story, my Barbara. You
shall keep it henceforward, and study it
at your leisure when you are inclined
to be jealous of your husbands first
love-"
believe every word he said. But
yeti hope we shall never have anoth-
er visit from Miriam.