Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-06-17

reserve winch covered an aching
heart. Whittier he had gone knew not.
Why, was equally an enigma to me; Blu
there was the fact that sealed my lips
against the disclosures of any of the cir.
cumstances Of his disappearance. When
arose that morning | found my watch
and my purse had both been taken from
me. Always that hideous fact rose up
in mockery when l recalled the image
of my noble friend. l could not explain
it away could not lay it bare to the
impertinent gaze of halfinterested Fer
sons. hid it almost from myself, striv-
ing to make the fair presence of my
friend light enough to eXtinguish this
blot. l succeeded in part. That is to
say, | held to his memory with loyal af-
fiction, and, while l could not forget
the damning spot, ] refused to let it
spread through my speculation until it
stained all his character. / could not
explain it, yet through all my years of
preaching it was TO me, singularly
enough, constant check upon hasty
condemnation. AS if had explained it
and indicated my friends character it
constantly came forward to arrest my
judgment when disposed to mete out
some reward of condemnation. "Wait
and see," had at such times said. SO
nave waited these many years; so, at
last, see.
For three days watched the faces and
studied the characters of the young men
whom / was assisting to examine, but
chiefly l kept my eyes on this young
Candida Ives, who fascinated me not
only by the resemblance to my friend
that lurked in his face and bearing, but
by the halfindolent power which seemed
to lurk in his nature. He was keen, but
his keenness was not the sharp inquisi,
tiveness of the North, but certain
stlletto-like thrust coming unawares
from a soft hand. asked the President
once more about him.
HE is strange fellow" said he,
and has strange tastes. He always
seems out of place here; he makes
enemies OF every one, yet somehow he is
the head and front of every enterprise.
We never have caught him at anything
mean or vicious, yet l think he is as
subtle as-as the devi!' and the old
gentleman brought out the word with an
emphasis which strangely reminded me
of Ralph's own pounce upon the same
word in the Grafton which he never de-
livered The more / puzzled over him
the less Inclined l was to try to solve the
mystery by speaking to him. And then
and then--though ! loved Ralph, and
had long ago buried the mystery of his
leave taking, the one blot would come
blackly to mind, and in my cowardce, if
it was cowardice, would not have that
explained lest a worse thing should come
some unmistakable evidence of dis
honor. No, | would rather leave it all a
mystery than have any terrible clearing
up.
SO it came about that I stayed through
all the exercises, and went back to my
parish. Yet the image of that young
man followed me and haunted me. !
was glad to accept of so good an excuse
as commencement for making another
visit to st. Johnsbury. went and took
my Place with others of my class and
classes near mine that marched in the
customarily waving line from East Col
lege to Alumni Hall, where The com
mencement exercises were held. 1t
CHANGED that my old friend Treat (three
classes my junior and l sat next each
other in the hall: He, too, had come up
after long absence from the place, and
our talk was mainly of our contempora-
ries. We looked over the programme for
the day.
"The old names get repeated" said he
"There is Ames. We had an Ames, you
know, in our class. Hubbell. Wonder
if he is any relation to Peter, who lived
in that little hut by himself on New
street? Ives. Look here, Butler! Has
Ralph turned up again. Well, you were
singularly mum about him. Just look at
the subject of his oration Murder will
OUT That's curious topic for fresh
young fellow to choose" SO he ran on,
while my own eyes stared at the title of
Candida Ives Grafton. | felt a shudder
as if this young man were to stand there
and disclose his fathers secret before
the whole audience, and before me! ]
waited feverishly for his speech, 1t was
the last of the orations before the vale
dictory. When his turn came the young
man stepped forward, his 1.-THE figure and
dark, handsome face fixing the eyes of
the old and young alike. He was greeted
with faint applause, which plainly Gid
not come from the students, and by
buzz of expectation, which was more
complimentary lnan AN amount VI ap-
plause would have been.
IL don't see any likeness to Ralph"
whispered Treat to me, but he left his
eyes on him. The young speaker wore
the academic gown. as did the others,
but it was noticeable that he did not
treat it as they did, as some unwonted
and rather dignifying robe in which their
boyishness was for time concealed. On
the contrary, he used it as if it were a
part OF his speech; now fiinging it back,
now wrapping it sternly around him,
now throwing an end over his shoulder
in an audacious manner. 1t would have
been merely melodramatic in Others, but
in him it seemed so completely in keep
ing with his nature and his words that |
found myself coming really under a kind
Of snell and kent NY ewes fixed unnn