Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-01-17
WATERTOWN WIS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY IT,

he kept his searching gaze upon her,
and was so absorbed that when I
touched him on the shoulder he
started
Come" / said, "yeu will take
some bread and cheese and ale In re-
turn for SO much trouble"
No, [ think not, " he said, with an
abstracted air, and in the same still
tones that sounded almost ghostly in
their breathless depth. But if you'd
let the young lady accept another bird
from me. What did you say her
name was 2"
"Alice. y
Your daughter ~
''Well-yes; as much as possible
my daughter and my ward"
Why was he so curious, and still with
that strange, hungry look in his eyes.
" will willingly buy another bird
for her, said, cor she shall buy one
for herself"
"No; she may buy the cage, but not
the bird would much rather give
her both, thought
"Come, come" I said, s'we'H give
you half a-crown for the cage, then, and
then call the bird a present, for which
Alice Will thank you, I'm sure.
Our strange visitor made as though
he would refuse the money for it, but,
on our pressing him, slowly unfolded
the paper in which it was enclosedi and
was ab5ut TO drop the silver into his
pocket, when the writing on that frag-
ment of the envelope caught his eve.
A sudden spasm fitted across his face,
which was white even to his lips.
"'Alice R-!n he whispered. Is
that your name, child 2"
He seemed to control some strong
emotion by violent effort 81 should
know this writing" he said presently.
. You told me you did not know
man named Allan, and yet I've letters
of his that would stand by this before
any court of law. Who sent you this
letter, dear ~
:" i was Mr. Allan,'' cried Alice III a
frightened tone. cit only came an
hour ago, DEAR she added, with her
head upon my shoulder. "Mr Allan
writes that he will cali
{" must see him." said the bird fan.
cler, looking at us both with a troub-
led face as he thrust the scrap of paper
into his breast. 'EHe will not refuse
me; don't think it for [ saved his life !
tw1ee-once when we were ehums to- !
gethef III the gold fields; and 1 shot The !
fellow who was crawling under his tent
to murder him for the sake of his lucky |
find, and once again when L fshed |
him out of the bush" "
Without another word, but with the
@ III f,.o1, l,la1 1nn1y no
so swiftly that before [ could stay him
he had changed the door.
There was no harsh words between
my darling and me; No uphraidiRg;
She was IS Innocent OF any wrong or of
any want of candor as the baby ON it's
mothers knee. There was dim cloud !
hanging over us, which to me seemed
threatening, to her only uncertain,
"You will never leave me all lonely 2"
"Neyer, never, dear dadda," she
Cfied, with a great sob III her voice.
"Not even if [ should-if [ should new
er see him again.
So that was theft [ saw how it was.
Poor child poor child The next day
was Sunday In the morning we went
to church together as usual
"There was person passed here last
night, as ] was sweeping out the porch;
that asked me some questions about
you, SIR said my old friend, the sex
ton, as I walked up to our pew. ''He
asked me wether | knew how Miss
Alice came to be your ward, and I
pointed him to the gravestone yonder.
That is the best answer can give you
my man, thinks J. Least said the soon
est mended
"What sort of a person, Sim
monds p [ asked.
"Wildish look about him, and
wanted shaving in particular; had a
couple of bird cages ID his hand"
[ fear [ heard little of the sermon. |
was uneasy all the morning. What
was coming upon me2 Were these
two men, strangers both of them, con-
spring to rob me of my treasurer
In the afternoon we sung some hymns
together. Alice and ] felt happier; but
still restless. The dear girl made me
my tea, and as the shadows in the old
courtyard heightened [ said [ would
go across to the church to speak to Sim
monds. There had been afternoon
service, but we had none in the even
ing, SO the door was closed already,
but not fastened, and it yielded to my
touch. The dusk had already begun
to settle on the dark side Of the build
ing, which lay all in shadow; but
through the windows next the grave
chegtiered the pavement before the
altar and made a path of light
from the vestry door to the pew IN
which I always sat-a pew near
one of the windows, through which /
could see the grave that held the one
secret of my life. l stood up to look
| at it now, as the waning light cast
f1ickeriag patches on some strange OBJ
ject lying on the grave-the figure of
man who, with his face hidden in his
hands, prayed or wept there. Before
could cry out, and while [ held to
the oaken sill to keep myself steady,
there was sound of footsteps in the
weed-grown path, and two other people
came upon the recumbent figure on
their way toward the church. Was it
! possible one of them was Alchemy
own girl--vith only hood thrown
loosely over her head. as though she
had come out hurriedly, as, indeed,
she must have done; and by her side,
man, tall, stalwart, sunburnt, who
bent and whispered as he held her by
the hand.
! Almost before they saw him the man
at the grave had leAped up with great
cry, and in another moment had seized
the younger by both hands. I knew
him, though he was trimmed and
shaved, and had exchanged his sordid
dress for decent suit of black cloth
1t was the bird fancier of the day be-
fore, and with the hungry look gone
from his eyes, as though he had at last
found what he had sought. Right in
the centre OF that golden glory fainter
now--they stood, the three together
and in a moment [ knew them-knew
both men, that is. I saw, in the elder
of the two, the husband of the woman
[ had loved; in the other, my own boy,
my own long-lost Alick His arm was
round her-ronnd my girl-and his
Ik+la lar, Il H.. IL L.