Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-08-21

with whom he had just become acquaint-
ed, in his own village in the coming sum-
mer. He thought how happy he should
be if she would favor him, and let him de-
vote his life to her. He thought how
! pleasant if she were riding with him now
! in one of those sleighs, to watch the ever
changing forms of the clouds, as the moon
/ lighted them up. He almost thought be
saw her image beckoning to him from a
radiant cloud then he thought of the
warm climes that the moon was even
then shining on, and of the bliss of wan
deripg with her in some isle of changeless
summer. 1t came over him how much
time he had wasted idly that he might
have improved, if he had had such an OBJ
ject before him and mighty resolutions
arose within him.
These reflecCions brought him to the
house and, laughing to himself to think
that he would some time tell her about
this absurd prank, he turned In at the
gate. @t7 az
The house was dark; but after few
! vigorous charges of the bell, the servant
| finally unlocked the door and answered
his inquiry with the news that tho profess
sor was not at home. szlr.
Jack politely rendered his first card and
/ walked away. He walked till he reached
a favorable corner. when he took off his
beaver and changedit fora cap, and saun-
tered slowly toward the house again.
1 Again the servant reported, g Not at
homo, J" and another card was left He
walked back to his base of supplies, left off
his cap and changed his hat again.
Another card was successfully depos-
| tied. 80. g..
Flushed with success, he made ready to
/ leave the fourth and last card. He put
on his cap and beaver, gathered up the
hats, and rang again. -.
a All was silent. e ar.f.# a5 .-..
l. Another ringing peal. .at -
A step was heard far inside the house.
| 1t came nearer and nearer, and finally the
| door was unbolted. Jack was about to
ask the same question as before, when he
saw that the professor himself was before
! him. He had Just presence of mind enough
to say "Good evening".
"Good evening, MIR. -" said the
professor, not recognizing one of his own
immediate pupils. sl-eE-r.
Maynard,' said Jack gaspingly, re-
membering his collarless condition,
"Ah! Mr.. Maynard, am glad to zee
you; my niece and | have Just returned
from the concert, and you will pardon our
rumpled appearance" a# -
Jack stepped into the entry. The pro-
fessor looked little astonished at the fur
gloves on such an occasion, but said moth
ing, aid led the way to tie parlor A
young lady was standing with her back
towards them as they entered.
"My niece, Miss Hastings, Mr. May
nard," )" said the professor.
She looked at him wonderingly, as he
stood there, top-boots, cape, fur gloves, and
all, with very pale face and very rum pied
hair.
/ The conversation which followed must
have been striking one. Jacks ideas
could only be kept together ty the most
intense effort, and he constantly contradict
ed himself, and confused them, mixing all
/ the topics Of conversation in the unfathon-
able muddle. He tried to give reason
/ for coming on that special occasion, and
made a weak failure. The embarrassment
/ grew more and more intense on both
sides, till the professor, plying him for
what he supposed was his bashfulness, and
seeing how uncomfortable be looked.
/ said
Mr. Maynard, that cape must be very
warm. Do take it off"
In his embarrassment, he touched the
upper button, and it gave way, revealing o
the coIlarless void below. At the same
instant the hats, which were only held up
by the pressure of the caps, fell on the
floor.
How he got out of that parlor he could
never clearly tell But somehow or other.
be did, and walked slowly towards home.
The moonlight looked very differently to
him now. The shifting clouds became
troops of laughing goblns. He thought
of the cold moonlight falling on the ice in
/ the far north, AID wishing that bc was
buried mile deepin those lifeless regions.
He thought it wasn't so strange, after all
that Victor Hugo should have made his
hero wait the rising tide, and wondered if
he could fnd a suitable place in the
+ Charles. whereon to sit and wait like a
happy oblivion.
/ Reaching his room, the fellows were all
eager to hear his story.
"Did you leave the cards ?o
GAIL but one and here it is"
/ He felt in his pocket, and looked blank.
1t was not there; it had fallen with the
cape on that parlor floor, and he had left
it there.
Word by word they got the whole
story out of him. They laughed till they
could laugh no more; they rolled abou.
the floor in ecstasies of mirth; but he sat
silent and motionless. At last they saw
how deeply it had cut him, and left him.
10 no very happy reflections. To be
sure, he had broken no law; but the pref
| ty cement of the business kept annoying
| him more and more. How could he ever
| hold up his head In Cambridge after this2
Vie sat late into the night Bob left him
sitting there, silent and motionlesS, look
ing as if he had seen the Gorgon's head
The next morning Bob called OUT
"Jack!n sEss .ss
"Yes.D
e [ hope it doesn't trouble you. It's all
imagination, you know"
"My child, never sit ON your parent
/ when he's DOWN.
lie didn't dare to walk about Cambridge
for Il fortnight. AT the end of that time
! he ventured out. 1t was dull, cherries
afternoon, The trees kept up a slow drip
ping, and the sidewalks were damp and
slippery. The leaden sky cast Il gloom
over all the lanscape, that accorded we'll
with his mood He was thinking that he
was useless member of society, that his
/ life would always be dull and ordinary
and that he might just as well stop tryic
to make anything of himself, when he
urned a corner and came full Cn Miss
Hastings.
lie didn't expect her to recognize him
and was resolved to pass her without
noticing the cut; but she stopped and
spoke to him.
" Is this yours ?' said she, handing him
the card he had dropped.
{" 1t is" and flushed at the cruelty, he
was hurrying ON, but she stopped him
again.
"He didn't see it. [ picked it up anc
kept 1t. I saw through the whole thing.