Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-30

Eyes," said the other man; "but
there's my son Job wild over her yet.
He's offered himself twice. He stands
ready to offer himself again any day
ready to be father to her boy, and a
good husband to her. He's better of
than I be. His mothers father left
him all he had. He's crazy as Job
crazy, I call it. Plenty of pretty gals,
and healthy, smart widows, and he sees
no one but that pale, slim little thing
that's just gone out into the mud, and
she-why, of course, she's lost her
senses, or she'd have him. Works like
slave to keep herself and the child,
lives in a rickety shanty waiting and
waiting for a drowned man to come
back again. Why, every one knows
Charlie Lester was drowned in the
Sphynx. There wasn't soul saved
not one. It was in the papers. Now,
the bottle was found with letter in it,
writ by some one before the ship sunk.
And she's waitin' for him yeti"
"Crazy on that point" said the post
master. "Well, poor soul, she'd only
been married week when the Sphynx
sailed; that makes difference"
"Oh, yes," said the farmer.
Then, their parcels being ready, they
went out to their wagons, and Mr.. Far
john having stared out into the rainy
night awhile put up his shutters and
went to bed. Meanwhile the woman
pIodded on through the mud. s'Walk-
ing off her disappointment" she said to
herself. It was one she should have
been used to, and now the absurdity of
it seemed to strike her for the first time
In all these years.
"They laugh at me-" she muttered to
herself. 81 know they laugh at me.
Perhaps am mad; but they don't know
what love is. Charlie wouldn't have
left ne like that. If he had died he
would have given me some sign; and,
yet-yet, if he were alive, it would be
stranger still. No, no; they are right
I am wrong. He must be dead"
And as though the news had just been
whispered to her, she clasped her hands
to her forehead, gave cry, and sank
down on her knees in the road.
She knelt there few moments and
then arose. In this interval the wind
had blown the clouds from the sky, and
the moonlight lay white upon the path
and lit her on her way to her poor
home.
There at the door sat aman, strong,
determined looking fellow, who arose
as she approached and held out his
hand.
ssHere you come," he said, "tired
to death, worn out, still on that fruit
less Grand. Jessie Lester, can't you
give up this nonsense and think of the
living a little Think of me, Jessie, for
just half an hour
ST do think of you." she said. s'I
am very sorry ycu should be so good
to me when I must seem so bad to
you
Then she sat down ON the porch and
took her little hood off, and leaned her
head YEARLY against the wall of the
house; and the man arose and crossed
over and sat down beside her.
"Give it a softer resting place,
Jessie" he said, s'here on my heart"
She looked out into the night, not at
him, as she spoke:
"Job," she said, 81 begin to think
you are right, that he went down In the
Sphynx with the rest ten years ago.
But what good would / do you? What
do you want to marry me for %
The man drew closer still as he an
s wered:
"Before you were married to Charles
Lester I loved you. While you were a
married woman I loved you. All these
ten years since that vessel went down
I've loved you. A man must have the
woman he loves if he gives his soul for
her.
"What horrible thought said she.
' His soul.'
ct should have said his life," said
Job. Il don't want to shock you.
But you don't know what it would be to
me to have you. And then I'd do every
thing for your boy"
eyes," she answered; ct know you
would"
There was pause. Then she gave
him her hand.
Sob" she said very softly, ct shall
pretend nothing don't feel, but know
I've been crazy all this time, and if you
want me you may have me. It's very
good of you to love me So
And thus it seems to have ended, that
ten years watching and waiting, and
there was triumph in Jobs eyes as he
turned and left her with his first kiss
upon her brow. But at the end of the
green lane he paused and looked back.
ct told her the truth, " he said, "when
I said that when a man loved woman
as I loved her, he must have her. if the
price were his soul ITSELF"
And then lie drew from his breast a
letter with a great red seal upon it,
looked at it for moment, and hid it
away again.
Married? Yes, they were to be mar
ried. Every one at McKibben's Cor
ners knew that now. Jessie Lester
went no more to the postoffice for her
long expected letter. Job was furnish
ing his house had furnished it, for on
the morrow the wedding was to take
place. And it was night again. A
month from that night, when she had
come for the last time, as every one
thought, through rain and mud, to
make her sadly foolish query, she was