The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-06-07

feeling strange and lonesome after one i, gone
! is an indications why then fell in love: but
YOU see | was so busy putting 1t this way
that Il girl as beautiful rs Lotic Hill, ana
Young man as noble ana handsome rs Ben
even in his dusty mill-clothes, must OF neccs
sity be in love with each other, that, ii did
fall in love, it was after queer fashion. |
was from that time always putting myself IN
her place | believe | never thought of him
at first, but imagined was LOttic Hills |,
plain gray goose that was.
Would you belicve-that very evening faith
cr brought Ben to the house
Nov y0u are the one need he SAID,
smiling, and showing such splendid teen.
You had Il child with YOU, in sort OF cradle !:
"'It wasn't cradle spoke up poor little
Annie, eager to defend her fathers taste, ITS
a wagon, and daddy made it hisself; didn't
you, daddy
Papa smiled hi, tired smile, Ben folded
his arms, tilted back his chair, and made
himself quite at home, while hurried to
help mother with the supper. Papa never
seemed to think it was any matter that we
were poor, when he invited folks but mother
worried. | was always tender OF mother.
Someway, there was feeling came to me that
she wouldn't stay with Us very long, and she
had worked hard all her lite-poor mother!
So made her sit down and take the baby
though she didn't want to- for had been at
it all day, washing, and my hands were red
and tender,
well, put on the company-clotl-l was
always proud of that-we had two hand
some linen covers that my grandmother lett
us. 'Twasn't much we had else, to be sure,
but even bit of cold cOrned beef tastes good
to hard working people took my few
boarded pennies and bought a treat of cakes,
and | couldn't help being ashamed OF the
children, who showed plain enough, poor
things, that they seldom had anything of the
kind.
"When supper was ready took the baby,
and waited upon table, too; mother seldom
had any rest except at her meals, and that |
was determined she @hoUd have, and she
knew it.
Jessie, dear, you're tired mother said,
putting her arms out to take the child but
wouldn't let her
Jessie, my darling girl, and the mainstay
of the family said father, looking at me as |
never saw him look before, That was enough
for me. don't know when he had spoken
word of praise like that before, and it was
swccter to me than meat and drink.
"rc, me see, | wa, a little over sixteen then,
though such tiny thing, Ben is five years
OINtis bui 4 oAANhiN AZ - ''''' 1855 $1,000 ''
for twenty one.
II had never had lOyer-tlat is, real
one To be sure had my tancics, as all girls
have. and so il made me fee; strange to see
Ben's ewes on me whenever | looked up, for, |
though didn't know it, to be sure, till after.
wards. he was more to me even then than my
life
II never saw such sensitive, passionate
creature as always was | think time and
roublc have somewhat sifted me, but if |
owed any one, or anything, it was as if was
swallowed up by it. Even the thought that
athcr or mother might die sent me almost
nto spasms of trembling terror. so nowlthe
owe got hold of me with strong clutch,
hough didn't realize it TIL aiterward. All
hat evening, and days besides, felt the
of his looks, and still was sure that
ne loved Lottie Hill, and was very sure that
she loved him.
Many of the mill girls were rude others
we're as true ladies rs the world holds. One
IF these was Mary Lawrence, who sometimes
came to our house. She told me often of Lot
ie-of her charms and her lovers and how
I'D Nassar, the proprietor Of the mill, had
sent his son to Europe for fear he would mar.
" her But its my opinion that now she
6es Ben, and Ben her she added. They're
,tten together I've seen them down by the
lovers Walk myself many time; won't
hey make splendid coupler
"Then I knew what alled me, and " hat the
Iull pain meant at my heart. Why did he
ONE in our house so often What right had
Ic TO speak to me so tender? | began to feel
towards I.Ottie HILL and cried an
nv tears whenever | thought of her and Ben.
I would have made me happy any time to
Iear that she was dead. This feeling grew
trongcr and stronger till 1t seemed rs if Lot
nd Ben Were in my thoughts from morning /
i'll night.
AT last the trouble affected my health
iothcr saw how changed was, and think
he suspected. She always sent me away l
When Ben came, and ! was too proud to let ;
cr see knew why But Ben was sure to /
sait till came back, if it was only to say t
Goodnight; and that in such tender sort of |
;ay that it semitic blood to my &ce as if it t
,ould burst through.
$50 | went on suffering till father got sick, /
nd was given hi, place at the mill. There
saw Lottie Hill every day, and she tried to !
'c friendly, but, | am ashamed 20 say, the
light Of her beautiful face made me wicked
md Spitcful. tried not to feel So. | often
aid my head on my hand when | was work 1
ng, and begged and prayed the dear Lord /
o give me better temper, and sometimes I
conquered, and sometimes ! didn't But |
here had sprung up in my heart bitter feel t
ing-llatc! :
1T IS an ugly word, but was sure hate 3
had crcpt into my bosom, and like a veno- /
nous serpent, had Stung me full of poison ,
But oh, thank God that He saved me from q
knowing that awful ending that might have 8
been. 4,
"Onc day, when had worked in the mill a a
MONTH and Ben had been very kind in ssov (,
ng me my duties, and hnd been silly lit
lie fool while he did it, standing there, awk. ,
ward and red, my heart beating so that he
must have heard it'll had test that never
shall forget no, not to my dying day L
"Lottc Hill stood at the window near her
ramc. How beautiful picture the rirl h
made. She had trained bit of fiowcrin.
zine in one corner of the sash. which she was !,
lusting now, taking of the dead leaves. The
had stopped for some reason. II,
stood watching Lottic ont of the corner of
my eye when, without looking that way, | saw
Ben come in, saw her turn round, saw him
make a sion 10 her al which her face urau