Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-05-20


conundrum very long. From that moment I
gave myself up to the task of winning her
ana went at It rough and tumble. | never
went into anything before so secklessly, be-
cause never before had / beer SO seriously in
| earnest.
But you don't care for details. If "none
but the brave deserve the fair" have at least
earned the trophy shall henceforth wear SO
proudly on my breast.
Before Fred returned from the country
was upon the Atlantic. had again
behaved in a cowardly manner and de.
serted my Colors when a vigorous move
ment on my own part instead of result
ing so would have had decidedly con-
trary result
But l was both blind and stupid. !
could neither see nor understand what
| had taken place nor how it all tended to
my advantage did / but follow it up.
That knowledge did not come to me till
many months afterward.
On the water and pressed to the brim
with work l had supposed | should for
get the little country girl and return
heart-whole from the European trip l
had been commissioned to take by the
house in which l was engaged; but
every day only added to the intensity of
my suffering, and finally the longings l
| felt must be forever unrcalized, because
so much a part of my existence that even
sunlight began to take its hues from the
half-ripened orange.
But the exigencies of the bushes was
! transacting demanded my continued
stay and levied such tax on my mental
capacities that soon began to look on
my trouble as annoying, but not serious,
and as though a callus had grown over
it and no pain would result from it un-
less violent strain were brought to bear
upon 1t.
Then disaster came and the house sud
denly failed, leaving me adrift; and
was preparing to return home when l
was offered an advantageous position in
foreign house, a member OF which, l
was courteously informed, had lob
served the mastery manner in which l
had managed the affairs of the branch
which had been intrusted to me-"
SO Of course it transpired that did
not return to my native land that autumn
nor the next, norm fact, it was three
years from the time left for Europe
before l returned l landed in the mid.
die of August, last summer, and at once
began to hunt up old cronies, by aid of
memsry and directories. But | had no
luck. Fred could get no track of, only
that he had just returned from Faro
pean trip; but where he might be at that
particular time was uncertain. All for
whom cared in the city were out of
town for the warm weather, or else
where I could not readily find them and
l began to think | had been fool to
come across the water at so unpropitious
a time. My own immediate family
found, on inquiry, were stopping for a
few weeks at remote place twenty
miles or more beyond the little valley
where Fred and l had summered three
years before, and toward that point |
turned my face.
Just before sunset the train made u
halt at the little village overlooking the
valley where | had met my fate, and
where the last time | had seen Fred he
was engaged in making sketch of the
valley, hardly taking his eye from the
canvas to bid me his CHEEKY good-by.
For some reason the train was delayed q
few moments, and as ! gazed over the
valley, the old feeling of three years be-
fore was instantly surging and swaying
in my breast; and before the train was
again in motion | stood upon the rude
country-station platform, unable to re-
sist the force impelling me there, think
ing | could pursue my journey the next
day as well as this.
After the train had departed, and OBJ
served the curious country eyes scan
ming my singular movements, | suddenly
realized my awkward position, and Won
dcred what to do. Mechanically |
strolled toward the spot Fred had chosen
for his vantage ground to view the val
ley. Little change was visible. The
sunset colors were less vivid, and conse-
quently the shadow over the valley was
less somber-a much more pleasing pict-
ure; and yet Icould not help feeling that
the somber shadow was over my heart in
stead.
aimlessly followed the winding road
into the valley, descending at every step
farther and farther into the shadow; yet
my soul into its own shadow plunged
more recklessly still, the gloom sur
| rounding it seeming almost sullen in its
| intensity.
Suddenly it grew lighter. What did it
presage? A large cumulus Of cloud had
drifted into the range of the suns rays,
and caught the splcndor, sending them
| down to the earth in o glow of retlec-
ton. =" If my own soul could drift into
such a volume of lightw thought, bit
terly, and walked slowly onward.
What marvellous shapes the clouds
take at times! This one and smaller
ones, drifting with and counter to it, sud
denly took the shape of huge anchor,
seeming to me, in my shortened vision,
CLEAN of mighty irony glowing with a
false glimmer.
So intent was my gaze bent heaven
ward that did not observe figure inn
mediately in front of me, emergi ing from
the valley. 1t was female figure and
hastily stepped on one side to allow her
to pass, hardly withdrawing my gaze