Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-12-29

the door, and his head fell upon his
breast, and he walked slowly out and
down stairs, I following, and out into
the wide lonely night. The Christmas
bells were just beginning to vibrate up
on the air as I closed the door upon
him; and they found me at the foot of
the stairs, in dead faint.
81 had meant all along to give him
the five thousand. With that and what
1 could have raised on my house we
could have made good the banks loss,
and he would only have forfeited his
situation.
"By the next week the affair was
town talk, and everybody knew that he
had decamped. He'd dropped letter
into the mail for me, to be sure, but I
never opened it. I didn't care to read
his lame excuses; he couldn't say any
thing I didn't know already. I didn't
want to keep alive any spark of regret
or affection for him. I wanted to tread
on it, as would OF serpent that had
stung me. But nature is sometimes
stronger than resolve; I couldn't bring
myself to burn the letter, I've kept it,
with the seal unbroker, and I've written
it in my will that it shall be buried with
me.
We'll, it was ten years later before
married Mr.. Dunn-not for love, OF
course; that was all over with me. But
he was going to the bad, and needed
helping hand, and vowed it would be
the same thing as giving him over to
damna ion if / refused. But I was
rightly served. He led me hard life
and spent my money, and here am a
widow, not SO well off as was at TWEEN
ty-fve, with the world before me where
to choose, and no relief in happiness
this side OF heaven. All, we've let the
fire get low. I'm all of SILVER. How
garrulous I've been Save us, it's
twelve o'clock p
st is Christmas Day." said Mr.. Roy
burne. you leave your letter unfn-
ished unless you read the letter of Jules.
Why not celebrate the day thus, if I
may be SO bold? 2"
"Do you know, I've been tempted to
do the very thing. I've been fighting
against it all yesterday" she answered.
cit never occurred to you, perhaps,
that it may not have been the money
the stocking that he meant to rob you
off,"
ssWhat else could it have been, pray
He knew the money was there; he had
urgent need of it. He did not know
that ] loved him well enough tc over
look his ofense, and give him all had
Tor the aelsing. T would have followed
him to the ends of the earth, but for
that, for better or worse. Not that I
cared fig for the money! could wish
it had all been sunk in the Red Sea
before it fell to me. If it was not that
why should he have blushed and hung
his head, and left me without word of
extenuation 2"
"Was not the other fault grave
enough to make q man blush and hang
his head before his sweetheart p
enough to render him speechless Ye
gods But the letter Shall we hear
it? Remember this is the dawniDg of
peace and good will toward men,
CT almost dread it., she said, taking
the yellow letter from its hiding place. /
7" It is like a resurrection of the past; it
will all seem as if it had happened yes
terday. There, do you read it for me;
my eyes are full of tears; the lines run
And Mr.. Royburne read:
GO can not hope, dear Jennie, that
you could forgive me; I saw that there
was no mercy for me in your face last
night, when had crept into your house,
hoping to carry off your picture as re-
membrane of all had lost by my folly
and sin, not daring to meet you face to
face and hear your upbraidings and see
the contempt in your eyes, and beg you
for that last favor. But ask that you
will not utterly despise me, that you
will think as kindly on me as you
may, believing that my temptation was
great, and my punishment almost more
than can bear; that, like many poor
sinner, my intentions were better than
my deed. Should you have one tender
word for me, one consoling thought to
cheer my exile, write it to London, not
to Jules Adderly, but and here Mr..
Roy paused and bent toward Mrs.
Dunn. and took her hand in his, care
lessly, "Do YOU follow me, Jennie ?
Not to Jules Adderly, but to John Roy
burne = Christ's blessing on the newly
born I"
And the Christmas stars shone in
brightly, for the candles had burned
out, and the two long parted lovers
knelt together in the first hour of the
Christmas day.