River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-07-26
THEEx.BACHELdR.s STORY.

THE Ex-BACHELOR'S STORY.
Never shall forget the day Wallace
Haughton first told me he loved Mary
Vernon. Before that thought of her as
sweet, angelic woman: but in that hour
hated her
Well, time wore away and brought me
balm. / became an intimate visitor at
his house, and soon came TO regard Wal
lace and his wife as one. They furnished
me beautiful room and went and came
as listed. By-and-bye a daughter was
born to them. They called her Alice be-
cause il was my favOrite name.
Little Alice HaughtOn She was a fra
gile, fairy thing, but exceedingly lovely.
IL was grief to us-yes. at last even to
me-, that Mary HaughtOn dropped from
the date Of the birth of Alice. Some hid
den disease, whose germs had never
showcd themselves above the surface be-
TIRE, fastened upon her vitals. So slowly
size faded that Wallace would not believe
I'LL her till one day when Alice was three
wears old.
One week from that time, the hc,lrse
stood at his door. From the moment
Mary died. did not see nv friend shed
tear. His face was rigid. colOTless-
awful in its calm.
His little daughter was taken TO his
mothers home. and after while Wallace
broke up houSeket ping and went there
too. Once more he was all mine Day
after day | sat with him real To him. nor
could I believe that brilliant complexion
that fierce rapidity of movement, of ut
teraHce, prcsaged fatal disease BUT 80
= lfa n nj
Happy years. mv dearest friend, died.
tedvirs me The euarJiisn ~ his little
jltghter
Alice was more lovely than her child
hood had promised. Not strictly beauti-
full, but charming, fascinating. She loved
me very much. and when in year from
her fathers death she left me for school.
she wept on my neck, refusing to be com
fOrted
Eight wears from tl,e very day that
Alice Haughton left me for school, re-
ceived a letter from her edged with black.
1t was not the first letter my ward had
cent, by any means-but the first missive
'iiat bore tiditgs II dca.t. It WIS adj
dressed 20 me as her fathers dearest
fIiend. Tier grandmother, she said, had
recently died; her two aunts had gone TO
"a the far West; she was about leaving
school; where should she 90. | was her
guardian and had legal right 10 advise
with her She longed to see some famil-
lar face, etc. etc. The letter did not
give her any pleasure. / knew what my
duty was, for on his dying-bed Walter
had cohtided his daughter to my care.
I looked around my comfortable rooms.
did not want to have my quiet broken
up.
No. said, resolutely; I will find her
q CSOd bUsrding place. So / wrote q
litter. sealed II, but did hot send it. Her
words, in one artless line, haunted me.
/ DO 50 long 10 see a familiar face that
viii remind me of nv dear hOme-my
dear father and mother in heaven"
There Is no use in being such n saw
age I said mentally, and then l tossed
the letter into the fire at was in january,
and sent for Aunt NIFTY She was spare
person, with not the most pleasant face
IN the world-but the face Is not always
Al index Of the heart;
Il think some of having a young lady
here, Aunt NIFTY" said.
"LOr! are you going to get married.
snd her knitting needles fell as if para
lyzed-
Oh, no. not the least intention; you
reed rever Ssh that question / shall be
8 bachelor sll ms days, and you shall
keen house for me, Aunt NIFTY. But you
know have spoken sometimes of my
little ward, Miss Alice HaughtOn; she has
neither father nor mother. / must have
her here, I suppose"
was called out of town IN important
business on the day of the expected ar
rival. and did not return till late in the
evening. I was cold, cherries and weary
and had almost forgotten that | was tC
meet anyb0dy, when IS | was taking of
nv cloak in the front hall, heard light
fo0tstep, and looking round / beheld s
vision for which : was but little pre-
Pared. Dressed in black garments. a pro
fusion o. dark hair falling in clustering
ctirls frmn her temples. there stood
Alice; her dark eyes 50 like her faith
er's. beaming. glowing with wSrm vel
come. her white hands gutstretched e
greet me.
Why. Alice = exclaimed. forgetting
cold and fatigue. .Csn this Re You, - tall
- beautiful.
She b'ushed rosy red. smiled. returnet
nv salutation. and led the way into tht
tea-rOOm Surely some magic had trans
formed It. I had always thought i cheer
full. but now with that sweet presence
from which some charm surely emanated
il seemed dazzling. Perhaps my fair,
had let on trihe more Of the gas; Ter
hans she had caused the fire 10 be replen
ished-I could not tell-but il appeare,
10 me new and refreshing place. for
GOT all nv trials; my heart grew light i
moment. / could not keep my eve
from the sparkling face of my ward
There Is no use in trying o describe he
inimitable grace. her varying expression
every moment disclosing some new charr
her del cacy Of department, and s
times her gravity of dcmeanor an
thoughtful ways.
We'll. this was coInfort-there was n
DENYING It. Every day the sweet gu
won uDon me. She seemed perfection ]
All She did and said. Her playing VS.
exquisite: nor did she depend upon ma
ters and practice. for her soul was the de
,osi orv of beautiful gems Of melody
and She drew them forth at viii Ho'
she had retained her girliSb simplicit.
the sweet modesty Of mien for which As
-Lild she vas remarkable. never oOul
tel Certainly. Alice Hsughton was u
lie all other young ladies / had ey'
scr ] had rather anathematzed u
txbole claSs-buf Alice Haughton II
deemed them all
Let me hurry On with my nArratly
every day grew more hopeiesziy enap