Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-09-20

I told her so; but took her into my
little back parlor, and made her sit down
| there s
l talked as good as / could to her; but
what good does talking do?
"Oh, Aunty," says she, 81 know it
seems as if I was a fool; but walked up
hoping this morning. don't believe he
| is gone. I can't [ can't"
"When the baby died-the only one we
ever had-I thought never should be-
lieve it," said I. ''But / had Job; and you
have your mother and sister, Milly."
At that she burst into tears, and put her
head down on my knee.
81 must tell you" said she. "They
want me to marry Captain Kincaid.- He's
courting me. He fell in love with me the
night he brought the news to Mrs. Cap
tain Rawdon; was there sewing and
heard it all. Oh, how cruel to fall in
love with poor girl at such time And
he asked me to be his wife. And mother
and Fanny shall always have home, he
says. And you know how poor we are.
And they're angry at me for saying no.
heart is in the sea with Willie?"
"Captain Kincaidp' I said and
couldn't say any more; she took my
breath away. She was a nice, pretty
girl; but the Captain was rich, elegant
and stylish An old family he came of,
too. 1t was an honor for Milly More.
"Not just yet" said [, after a while.
''Perhaps you'll feel better. He's old, I
know, but he's splendid man."
''You tooI' said she. "You tool" No
body understands. 1t isn't as if I had
made up my mind, like all the rest. Will
will always be a living man to my mind. |
don't think any one ever loved but me.
Nobody derstands--nobody."
kissed her and coaXed her; aid [ said
no word about her changing her mind; ;
but for all that | kept thinking of it in a
kind of maze. ...... ....
Captain Kincaid! such a gentleman as
that! Old as he was, could she fail to
see the hunor?" =
But when / told Job, says he: ii
Jerusalem! young, pretty girl like
Milly! Why don't he go after some wild
der or an oldish gal? Milly is too young
for him. Poor Will! What a pity.
They jest suited each other"
couldn't help it though. Mrs. Cap
tain Kincaid would have things that Milly
More could never dream of silk dresses
and velvet cloaks, jewelry, and stuffed
chairs in her best rooms, silver ice
pitcher if she chose, like Mrs. Captain
Rawdon. She might have carriage, too,
and pair of ponies. And I liked Milly,
and wouldn't have envied her her luck
one bit; and | didn't wonder at Mrs.
More and Fanny.
Once having given me her confidence,
Milly didn't stop; and Mrs. More came
over to talk about it, too, until at last /
fairly up and sided with the old lady.
M;1lxr - T. Will ic anH
you aren't his widow, to wear weeds all
your life-not that many do, if they can
help it, seems to me-and Captain Kin
caid is as good as man can be, and you'll
be happy with him. You can't help low
ing him as much as there's any need to
love"
After that she stopped talking much to
me. She used to give me strange looks
though. | knew all about it, I knew
that her heart was in the sea but Will
was gone, and why should she refuse what
Providence offered
The Captain staid at the port three
months, and at last we worried her into
promising to be his wife-old Mrs. More,
Fanny and I. She just gave up at last.
at don't matter much, after ALL" she
said. I" must be going out of my mind,
for never can stop watching and hoping
I shall die soon, l suppose, whether L
marry or not"
After that she never spoke of Will, and
Mrs. More told me she was engaged; and
she wore diamond ring upon her finger.
And the day before the ship sailed she
was to marry Captain Kincaid, so that
she might go to Europe with him.
A year and three months since the
Golden Dove went down. Well, no one
toll yuhat nbannnc q Gtt1o while will
bring. I used to hope that hadn't had
much hand in it after all, when / thought
it over, and remembered poor Will, and
how he took her in his arms under the
sycamore.
But then, you see, Mrs. More's sight
had failed, so that see couldn't do fine
sewing, and Fanny wasn't of much ac-
count except to look at. 1t was hard
life that lay before Milly. 1t was good
for her to marry Capt Kincaid, and have
rest and comfort wasn't it?
"To-morrow is the wedding" said | to
Job. cts going to be in the church.
Miss Salisbury is finishing my silver-gray
poplin. 1t sets splendid. Well have Ben
Barns in to keep store, and go, won't we?
You'll like to see Milly off, won't you?"
CT wish it was Will Masset," says Job.
"Poor WILL" says l, and l went on
tidying, though it was Friday. I should
be so busy next day. got out my big
paper of sugar, and l got down my
japanned sugar box, never empty since
that day filled it up. And then Job,
sorting the letters, looks up at me.
"Never begrudged you anything so
much as I do that box" says he. Best
thing I ever put the mail into. This here
wooden thing with slide is a peskv
| bother"
Claw me !" says I, eff I'd knowed
you wanted it, you should have had it. I
didn't think you had any plan in it ; jest
stick 'em anywhere, l thought you would.
I'll empty the box; I've got one that'll do
And I'm glad you spoke before l filled it
up" @
So with that I spread big paper on
the counter and emptied out the su gar,
! It had packed little, and came out in
sort of cake There it laid, white and
| shiny, and on top of it, whittier and SINNER,
laid a letter-a letter with ship mark
upon it, and this superscription:
miss Milly More, Anchor Port, Maine, United
States of America"
Three months ago-poor stupid!-l had
emptied my best coffee crushed In upon
| it, and there it was.
Three months ago she had come down
to me and asked for a letter, and I'd
thought her half crazy; and Ed have
given more money than there was in the
till to have dared to tear that letter open
on the spot and read it, though | knew
the hand was Will Massett's.
"This can't wait" SAYS /.
"No," says Job, cit can't with that we'd
ding coming off Tomorrow
# Then stopped and thought. Let it lie