Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-04-26

faithful handmade followed her to the
parlor door, where the stranger was
waiting yet.
He looks like gentleman, Eliza
beth, whatever he is, she said doubt
fully, thinking necessarily of certain
stories Of gentlem burglars and of the
fact that there were ten sovereigns in
her purse at that present moment.
Do'ee go in and see him." said
Elizabeth, giving her mistress friendly
pat, with smile on her hard, elderly
features, "he's real gentleman, and
an old friend of 'eer's, Miss Julia; he
called here before to see you"
He was standing with his back to the
fireplace, wherein burned an econom-
ical fire of few logs and morsels of
coal, looking around the dingy, meagre-
furnished apartment with sharp look
of disfavor. But when she came in,
his face lit up with strange pleasure.
"Why, Julia p he exclaimed, "you
are yourself again--just what you we're
twenty years ago, only older-looking. :"
"Charlie! she said, and her face
grew white to her lips
Charlie, sure enough, with bald
head and skin like tanned leather"
he said, taking her hand 81 couldn't
believe it was the pretty girl I knew
long ago, when | picked you out of the
! dyke. But see the pretty girl now
grown into a middle-aged woman
good-looking enough though yet, Julia"
AYE, middle-aged, sure enough"
said Miss Julia quietly, though the
table trembled beneath the shaking
hand that rested on it, I am forty one
and you are forty-six."
"And it's been dull life for both of
us, and it has been worse for you than
for me, Julia, although / never married
any more than yourself" said Mitchell,
steadily. GIVE knocked about the
world these twenty years, and known
poverty and hardship worse than most
men, but it hasn't hardened my heart
nor made me fond of money for
moneys sake, though have wanted it
badly, and earned it hard 1t hasn't
made me forget old times, nor old
friends, not even twenty years of hard
life, Julia nor wish to forget them"
!. "Nor it hasn't made me forget them,
either, said Miss Julia, in a low, uncer-
tain voice. ~ suppose you think /
treated you badly long ago? Well, 1
did There, say it. I wronged you,
did ! But, you see, it has been best
for us both"
" How do you make that out?'' said
Mitchell coldly. awe have lost a youth
that might have been spent happily to-
gether. We have lost a home that
might have been "a blessed one. We
have lost the children that might have
grown up around us, and we have got
instead a few thousand pounds apiece;
and you are a lonely old maid,
and / am lonely old bach
elor, and we have nothing but q
lonely old age to look forward to !
Don't cry, Julia, though | am glad in
one way to see that you cry for what |
say. You did me a great wrong, and
you did yourself a greater wrong, and
| am glad that you regret it,"
81 do! Idop sobbed Miss Julia
"Well, Julia, better late than never;
that is as true as the sun, my dear
Better late than never Will you right
] the wrong?" he asked, and then he
drew his chair beside hers, and put his
arm around her waist
He might have kept it there ten
minutes or half an hour for all that
Miss Julia could determine as to the
fight of time, when soft and plaintive
whisper near the door aroused her.
"Please, Miss Julia wouldn't you
like q nice broiled hogs puddin' for
supper?" = 1a1u ~.
"Oh! whatever you like, Elizabeth"
said Miss Julia, blushing yislbly.
And Elizabeth did what she liked in
consequence, and brought in delicious
i homemade sausages = euphoniously
termed by local cooks "hog's puddin's"
brown and fixing hot from the grid
iron, and fresh, homemade bread and.
scalded cream, and golden lined prints
of butter. And she recklesslv lighted
the two composite cand es which her
mistress kept for state occasions, made
best china, and the silver out of the
wash-leather obscurity wherein it had
lain for years, and made tea lavishly
strong in the bright silver teapot.
! And as she closed the parlor door,
her honest heart swelled with pleasure
at the sight Of the tete-a-tete pair at the
tea-table.
Bless their hearts !" she said, fer
vently, :" they does look SO happy to be
together once more, and / know they'll
like them hogs puddin's that I made
myself"
One month later the handsome house
lat Penredding was tastefully furnished
nobody knew by whose orders-the
grounds put in order, the conservatory
filed with choice flowers, and then one
evening the two respectable women
servants who had been likewise in
stalled in it, prenared dinner for their
master and mistress; and when the
master and mistress drove up to the
door, the lady dressed in rich silks and
furs was welcomed home by one ser
want with deep curtsey as "Mrs.
Mitchell" and the other, who was in an
hysterical state of pleasure, as g Miss
Julia"
Nay, farther, as she followed her
mistress to her own apartments, she
could not refrain from confdentially
murmuring in an ecstacy:
Miss Julia Miss Julia wasn't it
l. L