Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-01-02
HER LAST CHANCE.
ANNIE ROBERTSON NONSON.

ANNIE ROBERTSON NONSON.
If there had ever been a touch of
pathos or a bit of romance in Drucilda
Maxwell's life it had all faded out now
passed away like the sweet scent of our
first wood violets: for certainly a plain
er, more commonplace little woman
could not be found anywhere than
Drucy Maxwell. who had slipped from
Il girlhood into middle age almost before
even her enemies took note of it.
With rare good sense, she had accept
ed the inevitable ard had settled down
into sober browns and grays, when 9th
er women of her age, married and sim
gle, were gaudy as. peacocks in greens
and puppies. 80
q declare" said Mrs Redditch, peep
ing through her parlor blinds one Sun
day, as was her custom, when folks were
going home from" meetin', y" [ declare
if Drucilda Maxwell amt really getting
old" @ agti.s Es.7 'TT
$50 are we all, Polly" said Jacob
Redditch, gazing out at the frozen to-
mato vines. s. #H
Drucilda was powerful pretty girl
once, but that was dozen years ago,
when our Nathan first left home.
Strange we've never heard of him,
poor chap and stranger still, we never
knew why he went. His old fathers
ways wasn't good enough, suppose"
Polly dropped the dimity curtain with
a last spiteful glance at the dun-colored
figure passing under the scraggy branch
es of the balm O Gilead trees in front
of Squire Colby's red brick house, a
mean suspicion which like shoulder
ing fire had been eating at her heart
day and night, for ten years, spring
ing up afresh at Jacobs thonghtless
words. s
The Maxwells were well-to-do folks
then, and the Redditch farm was heav-
lily encountered, and Nathan stood but
reputed heiress. .r- ..f.
Jacob Redditch since then had pros
pered wonderfully, and, like Midas,
everything he touched seemed to turn
to gold while the Maxwell's had gone
down the hill, until death and poverty
had swept them all away except Drucy
and her mother, who lived In poor
but neat cottage on the outskirts of the
town. ..t... sstfssf Is. hfs o.-.
And for all her high notions and as
pirations Drucilda Maxwell had been
left an old maid, while the other girls
had married and raised troops Of rosy
children. It might be said by thepeo-
pie who loved justice. that Drucy had
thrown away more chances than all the
others put together, but that did not
lessen the meanness of her position one
whit, nor take away any pang from her
as she sat reading the yellow pages of
old love letters, and tenderly touching
the relics of other days. To her moth
er she had said with light laugh, that
"her time had not come, and she might
vet have chance better than ALL" and
this saying had gotten abroad and every
body scoffed at it, and talked about
Drucy Maxweips last chance.
This would have been hard to bear if
Drucy Maxwell had cared for peoples
opinions, but she did not, and so her I'M
eventful life went on as it had done for
years, until even she discovered that she
was no longer young. s.r ...
People will talk, and the next SEN
sation that set tongues wagging in Lis
comb was Drucy Maxwells sadden for
tune. - . .-l 49,.
Years ago there had been q wild. in
vestment "a hairbrained scheme of
her fathers. who died believing he
had wasted his substance and con-
denned his wife and children to eternal
penury.
The Investment, at the end of years
of privation and waiting, had proved
a success, and the two remaining Max
wells had suddenly grown rich-richer
than anybody IN the town. which fact
made Polly Redditch grow grayer day
by day. This thing had to be balanced
in some way and, as the wheel rattles
around, some go up and some go down,
and now poor old Jacob Redditch lost
his money as fast as he madeit. His
cattle died of strange disease and his
) big barn burned down, and his corn crop
was an utter failure for the first time in
his life. eHlaaaa
Rumors of these misfortunes came to
Miss Maxwell while busy experimenting
affairs at her new home-an imposing
affair FOR Liscomb-with VIE stone
facings, and new tangled window shut
tiers inside, Drucy was not without
womanly pride, and her gray silk dress
glIInpered. like water In the sun, and
rustled after her as she walked to the
Redditeh home, passing again unAe
those balm o Gilead trees, but quite a
different woman now People smiled
on her now servilely who last month
would have passed her with cold
glance and nod
She had not crossed that sill for years,
bat her pride had lnelted away quite,
and her heart ached for Nathan's bid
father and mother.
The old people sat by the hearth, their
tremulous fingers grasped aseif there