Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-02-15

1 Y o. no..Estta falssrs.
e--.....-..-z
n s'-fz S-s.--~sA-~I ~ -E@'
ltt7rH fonlttroliabia emotions we, renewed our
VOWS OF eternal fidelity, and tore sorr-
selves from each others arms, crushed
In spirit, but strong yet to resist unjust
oppression fT vyrgU 10r~aT
/ 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 medi-
cal. profession together presently; my
father had resolved that I 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 cireum-
: stances he did not impart to me at the
time, and / forgot to. ask him after
ward q r
& I4o Clara and [ met clandestinely. We
were lovers; we had been lovers from
our youth the finty heart of a guar
I dian whesfad soutived mortal passion
was not to stand between our fresh
young soisls
l. [ met CLARA In the village; / scaled
the park fcndc 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 l 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. chattered over our prospects,:
Clara and I used to arrange our meet
! ings in this wise Clara had a conf
dent in the gamekeeper,9 Peter Stokes,
an invaluable man, with a weakness
for tobacco, Il and with siari heart
all full of charity toward his fellow
creatures Peter was always getting up
subscriptions for his fellow creatures
in the village; and what with his sub
scriptions and his tobacco III kept him
entirely in tobacco, my spocket-money.
knew but little rest. Still, he had~a
good heart, and was kind toLus.- He
took charge of : our correspondence,
(which was carried on by a circumlocu-
taryi but sure process. Clara gave tito
her maid Selma, another confdante;-
who, alas proved herself q perfdious
snake,-and Selma entrusted it Cto
Peter, who took it to a knarled mon
arch OF the folest,-an oak tree, i'll
4 fact,-and concealed it from all human
gaze in a small hollow cavity some ten
feet from the ground, where, at a late
hour, found it, and deposited my an
/ swer, to be conveyed by the same pro-
cess, into my dearest C1ara's hands. .,
Peter was lank old man. and very
| wiry; he could climb a tree like selllir-,
rel, and Twas agile myself. The whole
conception. was romantic, If you will,
but grand ! [ Thought so-CIara 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
skind consider;iskuh7 as O gentleman
born with a warm hart. to an affecting
kase in the parish, !" the romance would
have been pure and unalloyed.l 9gf is If
Clara defed the obdurate guardian
for two months it was q February
when Selma Muggins betrayed us. [
was advancing in an innocent and I'M
suspecting manner to the secret post
Office in the wood, half milo from Mr..
Rowley's house, when I became con
scious of the whole perfidy. I was
close upon the tree,-that brave old
oak which had held SO many secrets,-
when voices in another direction filed
my soul with horror. They were the
voices of Samuel Rowley, ESQ.,, J. P,
ana Peter Stokes, my Mercury. I 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 boy?
You never thought of the harm of en-
couraging this, did you2n 1'
s'Tm very sorry, sir" whimpered
Peter. - -
"Teaching my ward to be deceitful,
for the sake of few sixpenees, [ sup
pose"
s"I've never had a ha'penny, your
honor, much more a sixpence. y --.s
Neither had he. They were gener
| ally half crowns he was in the habit of
receiving from me. = --a'- Is -
| "You deserve to be kicked out of my
service, Stokes -drummed out of the
Village for wicked old hypocrite Pr
! "They were very fond of each other,
sir, and Miss Clara used to ask me so
beseeching; and when told her there
was harm in writing to Master Huskis-
| son without her dear gardewan's know
| ing anything about it, she alters said it
was for the last time, sir-really.
! i" Ii it was not for your age, Stokes,
I'd send you about your business this
very day." -
I'm very sorry, SIR" Stokes said
again, shedding many tears. 81 ,lgssa
GO Is this the tree ~ n,.-..--
| eyes, sir, that's the tree.
" And Clara's last letter is up there
now, eh In that hole2 Now, no more
] lies 90 49,
g Yes, sir, in that hole.'' .s, 1ss
!" How on earth do you get at it ?" s
l. Master Husk1sson climbs up there,
sir, FOR his answer. I'll go up and fetch
down Miss Clara's letter in a mint. % o.
There was small epistle of his own
he wished to obtain as well, perhaps, or
it was possible that his noble mind had
suggested some scheme to save dear
Clara's missiye from sacreligious hands.
Bnt Mr.. Rowley suspected this old ser
vitor. -. ........ ....-. -
"Stop where you are, Stokes - he
roared forth ''I1l have no more of
your monkey tricks. Give me back. y
4 "Give you a wot, sir2n s.ar -.a4-gg .
Bend your back, you rascal, and
! III Jump on it and get the letter my
SELF" -. .a
4 q Jump on it 2" repeated Stokes, with
a look OF dismay at Mr.. Rowley's portly
Z figure; 1T don't strike me that [ can