Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-08-30

4 "oNf "hSh my Aa'iiSi PHhohSA az
my request, and stigmatised it as a
nonsense, feeling that | could have
instantly cut my parent off with a
shilling and settled everything on the
object of my alteration, as some small
recompense for the fearful insult.
did And did | not, upon reaching
home, become FESTIVE under the en-
braces of my own kindred, even 60
ing so far as to tell my aunt Jane that
she kissed wet simply because was
anxious for freedom and Charlie
Ford's sister? / did
AT last / was liberated; and on the
wings of the wind | flew to the house
| knew SO well. Every line of that
mansion was engraven in my memory,
and there could not be an instant's
hesitation in my finding it. | saw it
from afar, and the drear and the dis
NAL appearance of its closed windows
struck terror to my very soul. |
thought of the respectable grief which
retired to the back of the house, and
left the front in a state of mourning !;
and, laying this flattering JUNCTION to
my soul, sped on until | stood upon
the stoop. | rang the bell, little
startled by the echo of its clang, max
ing rapid use of the time | supposed
would be consumed in answering it to
give my hair a touch with my fingers,
and my cravat little jerk into proper
set. There was no response, even
after | had taken ample pains over
my toilet. Another ring, another
echo, and began to look about the
environs of the Ford domain. The
stoop certainly had dusty, forsaken
look. The area also showed an accu-
mutation of dust and trifes, such as
an old bone or two, a dead kitten of
diminutive size, rusty and battered
tin cup, and long discarded shirt
collar All these things chilled me
through and through, and rang once
more loud and furiously, until heard
the echoes answer from every angle
inside. Then felt that | stood upon
the portal of a deserted home, and my
heart sank away down, down, a thou
sand fathoms deep.
Let me draw a vail over this awful
awakening. Let me only tell how for
an hour passed from the corner gro
Gerry to the neighboring dwellings,
from the thread and needle shop OPP
posite, even unto the stately hotel
that loomed up two blocks away in
vain. There was no trace! Long /
stood in that bleak street, with the
winds of December whistling about
me, Illuminating on my wretchedness,
and 5ewailing fate that could ask
neither sympathy nor advice-for to
whom should l appeal for either, when
| could not reveal the cause of my
agony?
With the privilege of story-teller,
let me skip period Of ten years, and
land myself safe and sound at the age
of twenty-five. Let me only 60 back
through this period, that / may de-
clare the freshness of my youthful
memories. Many times had l loved,
even with wild passion that bears
no translation into paper; and yet I
stood, at that mature age, untram-
meled by matrimonial compact. Will
it be weak for me to admit that the sad
spirit of my early love stood always
between my ventures upon this un-
known sea? And yet / am fam to
confess that such was the case; l
could find nothing that, when the real
chords were touched, answered back
with the harmony of this early dream
of Charlie Ford's sister. To it / had
chung in every change, and upon it |
had built all my basis of beauty. No
effort had been spared, on my part, to
trace out the whereabouts of Charlie,
but all in vain. There was just the
taintest supposition among the few
who had known anything about them
that after the death of Ford pere,
Charlie and his sister had been trans
ferred to the charge of an aunt living
in some unnamable spot in Alabama,
but there was no confirmation to the
rumor; and as years went on, the
chances grew smaller and smaller, until
at last looked back upon the love
of my youth and upon Charlie Ford
as one learns to look back upon a
long dead friend-sadly, sorrowfully,
and dimly.
So it was one day, when, as a re-
Taxation from business, stepped on
board an Albany boat, bound for a
couple of weeks at Saratoga 1t was
the very height of the season, and the
boat was crowded with tourists of
every shade, color and condition.
There was one, LADY, have al
ways confessed myself susceptible
who from the first attracted my admir-.
ing attention. So elegant she was,
without the slightest attempt at dis
play so attractive, without the least
beauty! Her elegance lay in the
very formality and plainness of her
dress; her beauty in the very plain
ness of her face. When could,
without seeming to, studded out
my little Quaker friend. | had ar
ranged it all in my own mind. There
was child, mere babe, and nurse,
which, of course, settled the fact that
she was married. Happy fellow that
owned her Travelling no doubt, to
join her husband. All! but for the
stiff formalties of life, how l should
have liked to offer my services to look
after her baggage. Confound it
why isn't the baby older, that | may
scrape acquaintance with it? No |
there was nothing for it but to sit still
and feast my eyes, as one would look
at a picture. And what then, sup
pose an acquaintance could be scraped
Of what use would it be? / felt In
stinctively that, if knew that quiet,
elegant, little woman, that / should
fall in love with her, and wouldn't
that be pretty thing for respecta-
BILE business man, just made a part
ner in the firm, to be loving some
body else's wife The idea was an
absurdity; and so, with a bunch of
newspapers, coiled myself up in a
corner, to forget all about it, and, if
p0Ssible ha nj rast