Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-11-13
A ROMANTIC STORY OF LOVE AND
DEATH.
Boston Herald.

gay on the steps OF his mousse, on MOVE
street, ends a personal history which
had in it elements of romance as pow
erful as anything ever Matched behind
the spectacles of Wlkie Collins. Elabor-
ately worked up, it would furnish 3
fine basis for novel IN itself, or play
for theater languishing for something
besides French adaptations and English
classics. Many years ago Charles B.
Power was sailor lad of II or Is years.
With only his youth and good looks to
advance his interests, he fell in love
with a bright, attractive young woman
whom he met at a social gathering of
the young members of the Salem Street
Orthodox Church IN this city. Her
name was Amelia, and she was the only
daughter and heiress of old DR.. Hollis.
well known In the North End, and in
deed throughout this whole neighbor-
hood. The Doctor was rich; the rowing
sutton was poor and without profess
sion; but love smoothed out these inc
qualities. Miss Hollis fancied the
young mariner, and when he left Bos-
ton IN certain memorable month at
the age of 19, no prouder or happier
mortal ever breathed on this mundane
planet, for Amelia was his affianced
wife, and he was the first mate of Liv-
erpooi packet, a stanch and goOdly yes
sci, belonging to q strong firm and en-
gagged in q profitable trade. This was
the time when hotels lined our wharf
streets, whose registers were never bare
Of the names of guests; when sailors
boarding houses prospered at the North
End; when all over our harbOr foreign
flags tioated at the peaks of trading YES
sells, and the star-spangled banner
could be found similarly unfurled in
every civilized port of the then known
WOrlG. There were no quarrels over
the American registry of foreign iron
bottoms, for it was long prior to the ad-
vent Of competing lines Of steamers,
which have since reduced the ocean to
a ferry crossing. The voyage to Liver
pool was a long and weary one, but the
lovers confidence diminished the sus-
pense he felt. His ship did not retern
immediately. but carried freight to var
lous parts of Europe. In the mean
while ne received news from home and
learned that Amelia Hollis had given her
hand to a gentleman whose acquain-
lance twas said she formed after Powers
departure. His grief and disappoint-
ment nearl y crushed him. He left the
sea, and for eight years led wild sort
OF life on the continent, got into hor-
rlble habits of dissipation, and probably
permitted his passion to remain un-
checked. After the lapse Of this period
OF elght years he Strengthened up, re-
formed his ways and determined to be
man. He shipped on a vessel bound
for Boston, unable to resist the tempta-
tlon Of beholding the happiness Of her
who was to have been his. On his arri-
val III this city he went to his old home,
visited all his old haunts and was as
nice and exemplary young man as
you would meet between this and east
Boston. His old associates gathered
about him, and they attended social
entertainments and led gay city life.
She heard of him but they never met.
Presently ne grew restless again; the
old feeling gnawing at his heart would
not let him remain in Boston. and
down to the sea ne went again. The
brlny' was his home after that. He
crossed and recrossed the ocean, and
IN the course of few years left Boston
as master of the good ship Archer
Years and years went by. This young
man had become bronzed and grizzled
and spoke In deep tone. He was
still captain Of the Arc'aer when twenty
i've years had elapsed since his engage
ment with Amelia Hollis. One day,
while he was at his lodgings IN this
city, be received letter in a woman's
handwriting inviting him to meet her
at the store of Crosby & Lane at GER
tain time. The letter was not signed
The thought flashed upon him that
it was from his old love, who,
II all these twenty-five years, he had
not forgotten. The widest scene at
sea had not dimmed her image in his
heart, where he still carried it. He
compared the handwriting with that in
the letters Of aud lang syne, and had
ms suspicious developed into convic-
ton. He visited the store at the speci-
he'd time, and there met her for the first
time since they parted as lovers. After
Inc greeting was over, and they
hao talked OF their mutual experience
durlng the quarter of century, the
lady informed him that she had been
divorced from her husband. What he
learned at thatlnterVieW convinced him
that she had always loved him, and
that her marriage was not the result of
any GOODNESS toward him. Within three
or four weeks of this meeting they were
married, and the long-delayed happi-
ness of the captain was realized at last.
They went to live at her fathers on Sa-
lem street, but subsequently removed
to Rowe street Somerville. The lady
was thensthe mother of two grown young
people, son and daughter. The cap
tam had abandoned the sea at his wife's
urgent request, and was without an oc-
cupatlon, except that which the man
agement of some property in Colorado
supplied him with. Finally the doctor
died, and left a large sum of money to
his daughter. The captains family
circle was for some time after this a
happy one, but the wan of settle oc-