Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-11-07
ONE OF MY BY.GONEs.
By MRS. ". 4. THoMpsoN.

pravity of chairs and tables and bed
steads, which refused on any terms to
look homelike in now house, it was COM
fort untold to rush out into the avenue,
in the dusk, and take sweet counsel with
myself, or, as quaint old Herbert expresses
it,
to tumble up and down my chest
And gee what my soul doth wear.
It was the avenue which made me take
the house; nobody's avenue in particular,
vet it seemed to belong to each one of the
small group of cottages to which it led
from the high road. 1t had existed as
sort of lane before the cottages were
thought of, and great trees had had time
to grow up in a leisurely way and meet
overhead.
A long gate closed it in at night from
the snares of the outer world, and gave
greater sense of security to the lonely
spinsters and timid widows who lived in
the cottages.
On this night thick mist enfolded the
trees and me as with a sombre garment,
and the remark of one of our old neigh
bors when she heard our destination,
came back to me like a bird of ill-omen:
"Going to Dovecotes! Then you will live
and die an old maid. No one ever goes
there but the doctor, to make them sick,
and the lawyer, to write their wills.
It is too far from the village to walk,
and too near to make it worth while to
ride"
She evidently spake not without knowl-
edge, and I keenly felt the little, fine
point that was wrapped up in it. 1t had
fearful sound to be an old maid all my
days, for old maids do live immensely
long lives, having neither great joys nor
great sorrows to wear out their bodies.
1t almost seems that, with little more
effort, they might live forever. I was
twenty-five years old, and no love passage
had ever been mine. If one must be an
old maid, it would be some consolation
to have a few old letters and bunch of
dried flowers to turn over in winter
evenings. 1t was an old, familiar track
in my mind; my thoughts travelled it
often.
The hour was not very late, but the fog
made a darkness that might be felt
Suddenly heard voices near me, but
whether in front or following it was i'm
possible to tell, as distinguished no foot
steps.
Il fear we have made mistake" said
woman's voice, trembling in spite of
hard tone in it. eff you cannot bear with
me while we are lovers, what will be-
come of me by and by?"
1t is only when we are alone that |
should ever suspect that we were lovers"
rejoined masculine voice.
You were willing that our engage
ment should be a secret"
Yes, because you besought me so anx-
iously, but your manner to other men is
so utterly-utterly--
Don't hesitate for word. assure
you l can endure it. My manner is
So--?"
Unengaged, would say, to put it
very mildly"
"Perhaps it is better that my condition
should fit my manner"
perhaps you can change that
manner"
81 could no more do that than the
leopard could change his spots. I have
loved you well, but that is no reason why
we should marry, I suppose"
ssIs it not ?'
cob! none whatever. I hear some
one coming. Here is the ring that you
meant for i fetter. Good night and good
by"
A woman ran by me so closely that her
skirts brushed mine, and the fog lifting
a little at the same moment, saw the
outline of man take his elbows from the
long gate, on which he had been leaning,
and, STOPPING down, seem to look for
something on the ground. Then he hur-
ried away toward the village, and, as
Bunyan says of his pilgrims, 'I saw him
no more"
l felt like person blindfolded, who
has been tormented with other peoples
secrets against his will leaned my own
arms on the gate until the fog cleared
away, and a soft, wavering moonlight fell
on the trees, which seemed to whisper to-
gether about the very secrets that shared
with them.
In crack between post and bar some
thing cleaned in the moonlight. Ipick-
ed out ring, the ring which one had
thrown away in her angry haste, and
which the other had looked for on the
ground in vain. 1t was violet formed
of small sapphires, with diamond in the
centre.
/ carried it home and tucked it into the
furthest corner of my upper drawer, and
for month pondered it in my heart.
looked eagerly for all notices under the
head of sLost and Found" Vast hordes
of dogs seemed to have gone upon their
travels about that time; muffs and bonds
and other small matters were entreated to
return, and no questions asked; but no
one had lost ring. I composed with in
finite pains at least dozen advertise
ments, which should delicately convey to
that outline of a man that his ring might
be recovered if he desired it. l said no
word to my aunt with whom shared the
cottage and all other worldly goods) of my
little adventure in the avenue. If she
had ever had any nonsense about her, il
had entirely worn offbefore my time. She
would have sought for the owner of the
ring in the same straightforward and ex
haustive way as if it had been stray
hoe found in our garden. Those two Low
ers would have been forced to stand and
deliver their names and their secret with
in a week.
Aunt Esther had brought me up in the
same way that she did everything else
she never forgot to wind her clock on
every seventh day, and she never failed to
give me good measure of home comfort
but it was not pressed down nor running
over. gave her honest liking and re
spect without any love, and She never
missed it. Nevertheless, it gave me ter
rible shock when her vigorous life was
suddenly arrested by a stroke of paraly
sis Our only servant, in her fright, was
helpless as her mistress, but Miss Purdy
who lived next door, came in to stay will
my patient, while ran, through midnigh
darkness, down the avenue and the Ions
village street for a doctor. DR.. Gil
more was the name on the first door tina
had light behind it. At the frs
pull of the bell the handle came off in my
hand, but opened the door and foune
myself in the office. The doctor lay on
lounge, sleeping heavily, as if he had jus
thrown himself down after hard day
work. l called to him in vain, and finall,
laid violent hands on him. He must hav
been dreaming some fearful thing, for h
seized my wrists as in wise and roared
''Now have you!" before he opened hi
eyes.
''You are mistaken, doctor; it is 1 VIII,
have you," said, laughing. Herelease,
my wrists and sat up with eyes very wild
open.
"And what are you going to do witt
me?'
"Oh, you must come to my aunt a
Dovecotes this very moment" and I be
gan to cry more heartily than I ha
laughed