Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-03-13

much"
But as soon as the garden gate closed
behind them | took my engagement
ring from my finger and flung it upon
the ground, and | actually-Fm asham-
ed to tell it, but [ did-made my hand
into fist and shook it at my promised
husband. What would mamma, the
dear, meek darling don't get my
temper from her-have said if she had
seen me?
AS for Anthony, he wasn't the least
bit frightened, but caught the fist and
shut it up in his strong hand like some
thing in a box
Il hate you'll" [ cried 'sNobody ever
treated me so before;
''But how many have you treated
SOP he asked, with a smile; and [
couldn't help thinking how handsome
he looked in the silver moonlight.
Everybody has always done what
ever l want them to do" I went on,
stamping my foot.
And consequently spoiled You"
said he
"What did you love me for, if I'm
not-not nicer"
Because | knew the moment saw
you, you wee thing, you were my fate.
[ thought you were nice then, and
wanted to take you in my arms the
moment you smiled at me-"
"And noW?"
"And now | think YOU bad-temper-
ed, selfish, wilful, unreasonable little
girl"
Indeedw and | wrenched my hand
away, but not before he had kissed it
with the most provoking GOODNESS.
"Then We'll part, unless you change
your opinion immediately, and promise
never to speak to Meta Brooke, again ~
Il shall make no such silly promise,
Barbara"
Good gracious. the idea of his calling
me Barbara!
II have promised to drive her to the
depot tomorrow"
You return to the city together"
We return by the same train, as we
have done q dozen times before"
&C.," said [, almost beside myself
with rage II never want to see YOU
again.
Are you sure, Barbara" he asked
"quite sure? | think you had better
wait for day or two before you ban
ish me. If by the day after tomorrow
your birthbay-yOu still hate me-
send me word to that effect. and [ will,
the moment your note is read, accept a
position offered me this morning, and
start for a home beyond the sea- Good
night Miss Darling"
Goodnight, Mr. Ditto"
And he strobe away up the road, and
picked up my ring and stole into the
house, and cried as though my heart
would break. 1t was so cruel of him
to be unkind to poor little thing like
me.
The next morning, as | sat on the
front porch darning the children's stock
ings-dear me it seems to me every
time stocking darning time comes
around that there never could be an
other family with so many legs as ours
Anthony drove past with Meta Brooke
at his side.
| hid behind the stocking basket I'M
| til they were out of sight, and then ]
| flew to my desk and wrote as bitter a
note as a woman twice my size could
have written, and [ sent it to the village
postotfice that very evening by our lit
tie servant-mald.
Our little servant-maid is a pretty lit.
tie maid with large honest gray eyes, a
small red mouth, b4i ght chestnut hair
pleasant smile, a reat plump figure
and u remarkably cheerful disposition
And clever little maid she is, too-can
wash and iron and cook and do hun
dred other things: but she possesses
one taste which interferes sadly with
the performance of her domestic duties
the most insatiate hunger for litera-
ture, which she gratifes whenever she
finds an opportunity, in season Or out
of season, morn, noon, or night.
Potatoes and stews are burned, bread
cakes. and pies baked to cinders, doors
left open all night, breakfast delayed,
lunches forgotten, dinner served too
early or late-all on account of this love
of reading which characterizes our little
servant-maid.
She nearly drowned baby once, while
giving her her bath, by letting the dar-
ling's head slip under the water, while
she devoured a story in Harpers Weekly
she had taken from a table nearby.
She let my canary escape while she re-
moved his empty seed cup with one
hand, and held HeIen's Babies in the 9th
err, her eyes being fixed on the book
She spilled the soup one dinner-time
over papas Immaculate white vest
while trying to peep at the magazine he
was glancing over. She set the hot fiat
iron on our best damask table-cloth,
and left it there to indelibly imprint its
triangular portrait, while she hastily
read an interesting murder case in the
morning paper.
She could scarcely be got out Of bed
mornings, because she was tired and
sleepy from reading the book she had
distracted from the bookcase the night
before, and when she did get up she
actually sat before the dreary-loeking
stove for half an hour or SO, intently
perusing the various scraps of newspa
per with which she should have been
lighting the fire.
In short, if she had not been the most
devoted, sunny, unselfsh, fond-of-us-all
little creature, it would have been utter
| lV i'm noSSib1a for us To have stood the