Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-08-13

the whim, which only she, as her nearest
and best friend, knew she had, that she
would never wear aught but a wedding
ringg Why had she done it, and then
gone away and forgotten it? Belle doing
the same Miss Osmond's eyes rested upon
it. Ard then what did she do, poor little
soul, but blush to her very finger-tipsl
SO Miss Osmond was satisfied. She
made charming call, and went away
happy!
Then she made another call, On Miss
Jones' In the course of conversation
carelessly, she asked Miss Jones if she
knew young Lawyer Baker; and if she had
heard that he was quite attentive to Belle
Stetson?
Then she made another call, on Miss
Trip; and as she and Miss Tripp were
kindred spirits, she talked it over little
| more freely with her. She did not, in
deed, tell exactly what she had seen and
heard. Oh, no! That was too rich a
morsel to be parted with then. She must
for while enjoy the pleasure of knowing
! what nobody else did; and besides, per-
haps she was shrewd enough to see that
if she actually told what she knew, she
would reveal the fact that she did actu-
ally know nothing So, of course, as she
only surmised, she must only insinuate !;
that had the advantage of making it APP
pear as if there was no end to her knowl-
edge. Then, again-she was an old hand
at it, you see-she would affirm nothing.
She knew people had been brought into
courts for affirmations; but who could
| find fault with a woman for asking CUES
| tions? Thus it had come to be habit of
years that what Miss Osmond had to say
she said in the form of question. So she
asked Miss Trip: aa
"Have you heard about Belle Stetson
and Lawyer Baker,"
:" No, indeed! What is it?'
| Why, haven't you heard that he is
paying her very particular attentions, and
| how much pleased tile family are all
| about it 90
Miss Tripp was really mortified to think
| that Hiss Osmond had SO much the start
of her in such a rich bit Of news, but she
put a brave face upon it, and was as cheer
full and lively as possible.
Miss Osmonds bright eyes saw the cha
grin, however, and so she asked more
questions.
"Why, yes; didn't you know how they
went walking around the town moonlight
| nights, at snails pace, as silly pair of
| lovers as ever was seen ?"
Il
| to own that she had not heard it. She
made up for her momentary NORTH cation
next day, however, when she went her
round of calls, and triumphantly retailed
her version of the story Miss Trip was
a" clipper little body. She knew folks
doated upon news, and she liked to make
them happy by telling it. She did a
world of harm all the same; but honestly,
she never meant, it; and people forgave
| her, though they couldn't undo the half of
her little mischiefs.
So Miss Trip started out and told
everywhere (she did not ask questions)
| what "they said"
"They said" that Belle Stetson and
| Lawyer Baker were engaged. "They
said'' that the family were delighted with
the match. "They said he had given
| her beautiful ring, etc., etc., etc.
| And so the engagement was 'announc-
| ed" to the town; but of course for while
no one said anything about it to Belle or
Lawyer Baker. Belle, for all she was
such dear little thing, was a bit shy;
and it is not always easy to say certain
things to shy people. AS for Lawyer
| Baker, he had that about him which
warned people to keep their distance, un-
| less he babe them come nearer, which he
seldom did.
So these two remained in ignorance of
what s'they said" and walked and talked
| on as before. Lawyer Baker was in trou-
BILE (as even lawyers are when they are
young) about his heart affairs. He had
found IN Belle friend SO sympathetic and
so frank that he felt sure he could trust
| her utterly; while, with all her quiet
ways, she was so wise that, involuntarily,
| he sought her advice
! 1t is no part Of our story to recount
| Lawyer Bakers troubles They are as
safe in our keeping as with the dead. 1t
| is not for us to tell how it CHANGED that on
that Hateful night, while so entirely separ-
ated from her he had loved, he had told
| Belle the whole story of his griefs, and
and had even given her his betrothal ring
| to bear back to one who had proved SO
utterly faithless that he would never
| bring himself willingly into contact with
| her again.
| What wonder, then, that in his loneli-
ness, when other nights came, he often
sought Bellies company and sympathy.
What wonder that Belle, who never
thought of herself, and who was $50 sorry
| for him. gave him her society most will
| lingly What wonder that both, having
| naught of the lover in their thoughts Of
| each other, should have lacked caution"
and come and gone together just as friends
might do.
Belle, too had dear little secret, very
sweet to her, that made her sadly blind.
Charley Martyr, who had gone back to
college only a month ago, loved her, aDd
she knew it, and had given him back
love for love almost without asking; she
was such tender, loving little body. In
deed, he had never asked her to be his
wife. He was not bound to her in any
way. The only token that had ever pass
ed between them was single four-leaved
clover! This he had given her the very
last time that she saw him, and had said,
in the open doorway as they parted:
GA year hence, and my college life will
be over See if then you have this I'M
broken! Goodbye, Belle.'
What would happen, he did not say,
but Belle knew, and was happy.
Alas, poor child, she did not know! She
had made no account in her love-dreams
Of Miss Osmond, and Miss Jones, and
Miss Trip, and all the rest of the misses,
who, leading withered, idle lives them
selves, had naught to do but to peer into,
and speculate upon, the lives of other
people, and make them, if possible, as
m cora hla &C their own