The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-02-15
LOSING A LOVER.

"What on earth has become of Lucy
Taylor's bcau:" Queried Aunt Dorcas
Jones: haven't seen him in town since
that picnic over to the Long Pond"
"Oh, that match is broken up long
ago." said the Widow Perkins, who had
just dropped in to tea.
Do tell" exclaimed good Aunt Dor
cas-, industriously kneading her biscuits.
We'll, it does beat all how the young
folks are getting to be-girls especially.
Now thought he seemed to be real
likely young man, indeed, and Lucy Tay.
lor is a right smart looking girl. 1t seems
Il pity" .
We'll, all know about it," said the
widow, is that Squire Taylor's hired
girls told my Jerusha Ann that she didn',
believe they were rightly engaged, but
he'd been paying attention to Lucy while
she was away at school, and, after she
went home. he came to spend the vacation
with Fred Taylor, and see if the old folks
suited. While he was up there some.
thing or other must have happened, for
the hired girl said she knew Lucy never
got any letters from him, hadn't got his
picture, because She had searched every.
where for it. May be he turned out to be
forger, or something dreadful: you
can't calculate on young men nowadays"
While the two old gossips are specu-
lating. I'll tell you, confidentially, how it
really happened that Lucy Taylor lost her
lover.
Nobody ever said that Lucy Taylor was
beauty, and only her partial friends
thought her uncommonly pretty; but she
had just such sweet, gentle. lOvable
face as you meet Il dozen times day
upon the crowded street, and there was
something so delightfully."- fresh and charm
ing about her, that she seemed to draw
all hearts to her by some magic of her
own. Without being remarkable for
either beauty, wit or wisdom, she never
theless reigned supreme in her own circle
and that circle was by no means small.
So when she left the quiet little village,
and went away to the Seminary Of B.,
she quietly won her way to high place
in the regard of both teachers and pupils.
Some of the teachers, it is true, wished
at times Lucy was little more prompt
and thorough in her recitations; there
were SO many little golden grains
dropped out and overlooked by her that,
though she gathered up tolerabls sheaf
from the harvest fields of knowledge, the
careful, studious toilers found much that
she lost.
Lucy isn't Morouqh enough; but it
seems to be her only fault, and she may
improve" This was the general testi-
mony to her character.
Outside of seminary walls, Lucy found
many admirers; and one of thcse-Henry
Wcston-was generally regarded in the
light of Lucy's lover. How Lucy herself
looked upon him was not definitely
known; but one thing was certain: after
making diligent use of the opportuni.
ties afforded by seminary rules for social
intercourse, the young man was most Op-
rortunely invited, by Lucy's brother Fred.
to come up to Ardley and help him spend
his summer vacation agreeably. Of
course he accepted, for Fred Taylor was
such a capital fellow, and it would be
such relief to get out of the city few
weeks.
Lucy would be at home; and who has
not known the romance and witchery of
country walks and rambles-moonlight
twilight-shade, sentiment and roses?
If Lucy was charming in the hot glare
OF city gas-lights, what would she be in
the pure, untroubled atmosphere of home
Young Weston leaned back in his chair,
with Fred's note between his fingers, and
pictured that home to himself as a broad,
green, country place." and Lucy as the
presiding divinity, shedding beauty,
sweetness and odor through the whole. 1t
was very pleasant to think of, and, as he
contemplated the vision, the minutes
slipped so rapidly away, that he came
within second of being late at his place
in bank-a thing that had never happened
before, in all his prompt, meth0dical
business life. Partly from nature, and
partly from years of training in q bust
ness that required the utmost thOr0ughness
and precision, Henry Weston's leading
characteristic was q careful attention to
the smallest details of whatever came un-
der his hand to do. His employers trusted
him entirely, knowing that no item in.
trusted to his oversight would be neglect
cd, or let slip for want of care or prompt
attention. 1t was character worth pos
sessing, and these sagacious ones were not
far wrong when they prophesied that he
would take higher place in the bank be-
fore many years. Certainly, he was earn.
ing promotion.
Vacation day slipped around, and Mr.
Henry Weston made his arrival in Ardley,
having been duly heralded a week before
by the "hired GIRL" SO that there were
plenty of curious eyes regarding the great
numbering hack as it drew up In front of
Squire Taylor's house. There was the
homestead, just as he pictured it-large
and breezy, with its graceful shadowing
elms; there was Squire Taylor, dignified
and portly; his delicate, lady-like wife
who must have been once just what Lucy
was now; there was Fred, with his rough,
hearty greeting; and timid, fluttering
Lucy. looking fairer, fresher, more en-
chanting than ever, in her pretty home
dress of delicate lawn.
That very evening, Is they all sat to-
gether in the queer old family sitting.
room, anu Lucy sang to . simple accom-.
paniment,, The Ingle- Side," and such
old-fashioned songs as pleased her father
best, young Weston gaze himself up foi
lost, and decided that he really was In
love. Fred Taylor, with his hearty zest
for hunting, fishing, rowing and country
pastimes, gave his friend little choice bu!
to devote his days to vigorous tramrs and
rides through meadow and thicket in
search of sport. So it naturally happened
that, when night brought them home.
they were ravenously hungry. and too
tired to be either brilliant or sentimental.
and thus the wOCipg went on slowly.
One day, after week had been uasted.
as " eston mentally declared, q violent
shower drove the young spcftsmen home
in the middle Of the afternoon. It wa.
pleasant, as they rushed into the yard
drenched and muddy, to catch q glimpse
of Lucy's face at the window, as she So
contentedly with her sewing, and Westor
blessed the thunder shower that brough
him the privilege of q quiet afternoon
with her. fNaf
They assembled by the back stairs I,
Fred's room; but, before they had hal
completed the process of donning fresl
suits of clothing, and putting themselve
in drawing-roOm trim, the sun burs
forth again in all glory. To Fred's ey,
there was something aggravating in t6i
"a sort or provoking "don't-y0u-wish
yeu'd-stayed" expression to the clear sun
beams, that seemed to have been gather
ing brightness all the time