The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-02-25
She rested her head on nv shoulde

golden hair for tears myself-the wa
ter had risen into my eyes Immediately
we had met each ether I sought to
calm her emotion. I babe her be firm,
and recommended vinegar and brown.
paper for her damaged brow. I sal d
that | should try them myself when l
got home. l told her that l would
rather die than reliuquish her; she
said the same thing in burst of I'M
controllahla emotion; We renewed our
vowe Of eternal fidelity, and tore our
selves from each others arms, crushed
in spirit, but strong yet to resist unjust
| oppression.
l told all my troubles to Jack Ed
wards, my bosom friend and adviser.
Jack and I had been school-fellows to-
gether; we were going into the medl-
cal profession together presently; my
| father had resolved that / should walk
the hospitals instead of the rosy path
OF love. Jack heard my story, and
said that he would not have stood half
of old Rowley's nonsense; but what he
would have done under the circum-
stances he did not lmpart to me at the
time, and | forgot to ask him after
ward.
Clara and I met clandestinely. We
were lovers; we had been lovers from
our youth the finty heart of a guar
dian who had outhved mortal passion
was not to stand between our fresh
young souls.
l met Clara in the village l scaled
the park fence and met her in the green
wood; and Jack, good fellow, kept
watch on the door of the hall, and old
Rowley's library windows, with tele-
scope, lest we should be surprised at
any moment. Clara and I passed much
Of our time talking of what we would
do when she came into her property at
twenty-one, and my grandmother favor
ed me by departing from this earthly
sphere but it was a sharp winter, and
our teeth chartered over our prospects.
Clara and | used to arrange our meet
ings In this wise: Clara had conf
dent in the gamekeeper, Peter Stokes,
an invaluable man, with a weakness
for tobacco, and with heart
all full of charity toward his fellow
creatures. Peterswa always getting up
subscriptions for his fellow creatures
III the village; and what with his sub
scriptions and his tobacco, i kept him
entirely In tobacco,-my probationary
knew but little rest. Still, he had q
good heart, and was kind to us. He
took charge of cur correspondence,
which was carried on by circumlocu-
tary but sure process. Clara gave it to
her maid Selma, another confdante, -
who, alas proved herself perfidious
snake,-and Selma entrusted it to
Peter, who took it to a knarled mon
nrnll of ,l- +,1
fact,-and concealed it from all human
gaze in small hollow cavity some ten
feet from the ground, where, at q late
hour, [ found it, and deposited my an
swer, to be conveyed by the same pro
cess, into my dearest Clara's hands.
Peter was a lank old man, and very
why; he could climb tree like SOUR
re-, and Twas agile myself. The whole
conception was romantic, if you will,
but grand Thought so-Clara thought
so-Peter thought SO. The idea was
from Mlllais' picture, which we both
carefully studied and if Peter had
not generally deposited his small notes
to myself, at the same time, asking my
"kind cOnsiderashun as a gentleman
born with warm hart, to an affecting
kase IN the parish the romance would
have been pure and unalloyed
Clara detied the obdurate guardian
Tor two months; it was a February
when Selma Mugglns hetroyod us. |
WAS advancing in an innocent and I'M
I suspectlng manner to the secret post
office IN the wood, half mile from Mr..
Rowley's house, when [ became con
sclous of the whole perfidy. [ was
close upon the tree,-that brave old
oak which had held SO many secrets
when voices In another direction filled
my soul with horror They were the
voices Of Samuel Rowley, Esq, J. P,
and Peter Stokes, my Mercury. | sank
down in the long grass,-there was a
rapid thaw that morning, and the damp
struck me at once, and trembled for
my love. [ was not an instant too soon !:
their footsteps were upon me- Mr.
Rowley's right foot was nearly upon me.
also; he shaved my features by hairs
breadth, and passed on. The harsh
tones of his voice. rang in my ears an
instant afterward
"You don't consider Yourself an
abominable scamp, [ suppose Mr.
Rowley said, can unprincipled old vag-
abond, to act as go-between to a silly
school girl and that idiot of bow?
You never thought of the harm of en-
couraging this, did you9n
I'm very sorry, sir, whimpered
Peter.
Teaching my ward to be deceitful.
for the sake of a few sixpences, l SUD-
pose"
Give never had a ha'penny, your
honor, much more slxpence."
Neither had he. They were gener
ally half crowns he was in the habit of
receiving from me-
You deserve to be kicked out of nv
| service, Stokes-drummed out of the
village for wicked old hypocrite !"
| They were very fond of each other.
sir, and Miss Clara used to ask me so
beseeching and when I told her there
was harm In writing to Master Huskis
son without her dear gardewans know
ing anything about it, she alters said it
was for the last time, sir-really.
i" 1t 1T was not for your age, Stokes,
I'd send you about your business this
very day"
I'm very sorry, sir,n Stokes said
again, shedding many tears.
Is this the tree 20
Eyes, sir, that's the tree
and Clara's last letter is up there
now, eh2 In that hole 4? Now, no more
lies 2"
Yes, sir, in that hole
How on earth do you get at it ~
Master Huskisson climbs up there,
/ sir, for his answer TIL uo III, and fatob