Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-30

over ACROSS lOIS one AFTERNOON TO Tell The
Evanses that John was going on Mon
day. and she guessed he would man
age to get over and bid them good-by;
and cried because her pet son was going
away, and was cool and sharp to Nancy,
evidently suspecting that she was the
cause.
Perhaps light natures suffer most
overwhelmingly. Often in these beau
tiful June days Nancy, all alone in some
shadowy, grassy place, with sunbeams
shimmering above, would wonder in a
dim, childish way if she should not
"die when John went" Only one hope
was left. John was coming to say good
bye. Oh, if she could only let him
know how it really was But how could
she and she would look down despair
ingly at the little gold circlet on her
finger.
Sunday afternoon John finally came.
Nancy, sitting in the parlor with the
doctor, caught a glimpse of the we'll
known figure at the gate under the IL
laos again. For few moments the
room whirled around and she was
deathly white, then she arose mechani-
cally, saying she must bid Mr.. Armi-
tage good-by, and she went out to the
doorway, where John was greeting with
her parents and warding off the New
foundland with a laugh.
eyes" he was replying, as Nancy
came up, "they say there is pretty
good chance out there for a young fell
low with health and energy-how do
you do, Miss Nancy ?-and I've always
been enterprising. SO [ mean to try it. %
Nancy stood pulling the rose vines to
ieces, while for an hour the others
talked crops, politics and prospects.
She could not have spoken for her life,
though she longed to speak as con-
demned criminal longs to ask for
mercy. Not once did John turn his
obstinate auburn head to look at or
speak to her, and at last he rose to go.
He interrupted himself while detailing
particulars about grazing lands, to say
good-by, while he just touched her
hand. If he had looked at her, the
miserable, pathetic look of appeal
would have gone straight to his heart,
but he did not dare to look, and turn
ing away abruptly, walked down the
garden path with the garrulous farmer
hobbling by his side.
Nancy had just time to escape her
mothers eye by running up the stairs.
She did not faint; but God forbid that
girls should often know such misery as
she suffered then. When she at last
joined the doctor, as in duty bound, the
stunned look in her face was pitiful.
She "was not well" she said, in answer
to his alarming queries.
1t was Nancy who proposed that they
should go to church that evening. In
the corner of the high old pew, with her
veil hiding her face, she could at least
be quiet, and one hour more of effort
would have been insupportable. Mrs.
Armitage was alone in her pew, and
cried silently ali through the service.
Nancy's heart SO went out to the poor
woman that, when they met in the
aisle she pressed her hand impulsively,
saying, in quick whisper, "Mrs. Arm
itage, I'm so sorry for you"
81 don't want any of your sorrow -
was the sharp response. cts fine
talk; but you know %ell enough who's
the cause of it all. One word from you
would stop it now if you were sorry
enough!'
Poor Nancy! The clock was on the
stroke of eleven that night when her
lover finally took his leave, and she was
free to pace the moon-lit sitting room
from end to end with set lips and gilt
tering eyes. She did not cry. She felt
as if she was going crazy, and in her
desperation she did not care if she did.
Hour after hour passed, and still she
paced there, till her rigid face showed
whitley in the first faint grey of morn
ing. 'sOh, would he go could he go
Would nothing stop him?" Scarcely
knowing what she was doing, Nancy
slipped through the door, and hatless,
trailing her dainty blue dress through
the dewy grass, ran across lots to the
Armltages.
It was still dark and dewy. She
heard the village clock strike three as
she paused on the outskirts of the old
fashioned flower garden behind the
house, and sErunk behind the hedge of
blossomy ilacs, whose potent odor sick
ened her. Her mind was in a whirl.
She did not know why she was there,
or what she would do. She was in
deadly fear lest some one should dis
cover her, yet she could not turn away.
For half an hour she crouched there
shiveringly, never taking her eyes off
Johns window, but starting every time
the curtain blew Suddenly a step on
the garden path started her so violently
that she could scarcely suppress a
scream.
It was probably some of the work
people-oh, if they should see her A
hasty peep through the bushes showed
her that it was more than that; it was
John himself striding straight toward
the gap in the hedge, and wearing a
most unpropitious face. Nancy, in
blind terror of discovery, crawled on
her hands and knees close under the
ilacs. He had passed, he was almost
by when bird that Nancy had disturb
ed flew out with loud chirping. One
end of the loose blue sash had caught
on stiff bough, and the color arrested
his eye. Two strides brought him to
the spot, and he stood with folded arms
looking down at her q moment before