Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-09-25

walked home from Friday lecture"
with the beautiful woman, who now, as
they entered the willow arched lane
leading from the high-road, in moon
lit solitude, changed from her usual gay
mood to one so sad that no chllalrlc
heart, least of all the kind and manly
heart of Harry Barton, could have been
unmoved
She spoke of the sorrow of her life,
the lonely widowhood, ana with such
simple pathos dwelt upon her devotion
to her little crippled boy, that Harry
Barton pressed her hand and sighed
audibly.
"Often," she said, "wnen l seem
most gay, my heart is breaking. 1t Is
indeed; and l may say to you, whose
life is SO sunny, that you will hardly
comprehend, perhaps, that som etlmes
sometimes IN the darkness | have
been tempted to fly from life. If it
were not for my boy-and [ must be
all to him-I have wished that | were
dead. | am surrounded by hatterers, |
| know But there is no one entirely to
contide in, and to trust; at least no one
that /" And here Mrs. Rinaldo
paused.
The pause gave space for consolation,
and Harry Barton used the most
gentle, cheering words he could, but
they failed to remove the shadow from
the pleading, saddened face. AS they
stood together silently a moment before
saying goodnight" an expression
crossed this clouded face that gave
Harry Barton pain; swift, vague, and
underlined, it awakened an emotion of
repulsion, of dislike. But it is difficult
for the generous heart 10 imagine guile,
and the depreciative suggestion of dis
trust was banished rs soon as it was
formed. He said to her, with genuine
tenderness, as they parted OF the tardily
opened door: .. " =. 4.
Promise me that you wall not brood
over your sorrow tonight; go to the side
of your little child and try to sleep in
trusting peace [ shall be wishing you
Happy dreams = Promise me that you
will try to Danish gloomy thoughts, and
have happy dreams tonight" 49,. -.
Once more the look. he liked not
crossed his companions face, once
more be, banished vague distrust. And
then they parted. sr.r ... ...I...e
He decided to himself going home:
q have sung songs enough with this
impvlsirle little womans | fear she is
unconsciously giving me her heart. l
can not love her as man should love
a wife, and will not tritle with her. /
bid her good-by tonight" ar# ..
He took up a dropped plan Of months
ago, said to his ever indulgent Uncle,
4 have decided, Sir, to accept your
proposition of q year abroad" and one
week after, the Friday evening walk
sailed for Europe. People thought he
had offered himself to Mrs. Rinaldo and
had been refused, and the circle Of ad-
miration for her was Intensified by this
interesting belief.
Henry Barton studied while abroad
every thing that could yield instruction
suitable to the purpose of his life, the
purpose for which he had been solely
educated-the management and cult
walton of the broad estate which would
be his Inheritance, and was already his
delight. He intended that his farms
should be models of fruit-raising and
grain-bearing, and unrivalled in the
quality of live stock. He made these
his special considerations in travel, and
every weil-known feature of the broad
domain that he had loved from boyhood
| became associated definitely with a
careful plan.
But during the twelve months he spent
in the Old World great change befell
| his fortunes. His uncle married Mrs
Rinaldo, and soon afterward died, Ieay-
ing to her and her child his whole tor
tune, with the exception Of a few lega-
cles to charities, and yearly stipend
to his nephew SO @inconsiderable that
the remembrance had hardly an af-
fectiOnate worth.
Harry Barton was on his way home
when the tidings Of his uucle's death
and of his last Will reached him. The
effect upon his mind after the first
shock Of grief-for he had loved the Old
man as be would have loved a father
was that Of beWildered. apathy III the
sudden loss Of his youths intent, min
gled with a deep sense of injustice and
treachery. He would not trust himself
to 60 home, would not trust himself to
so near the dearsold place. ETTTfI
\ II : + NJ sjsss,,sS7 Il III I
b. Was there lever. suchla, pouring rain
as fell upon the Nebraska plains that
memorable mid-May night? aPitch-
forks, " :t,great guns" al the exaggerat-
ed symbols of aqueous descent, were
tame to describe the torrent that, ac-
companied by mostviyid lightning and
crashing, thunder, fell not in steelN col.
umns like liquid bayonets, but,in mas
sive shelves and sheets
The "Overland MALI was drenched.
And as at midnight it neared the stop
ping-place where it had been due. at
shutdown, and slowly. approached the
solitude's one sheltering ranch, the
passengers, spell-bound with fear and
desperate hope, kept sucn profound
silence, one. might think them an en-
bassy of the. dead. Not so when sud-
den halt and a revelation by lightning
flash Of a log-cabin and corral and tree
arched court proclaimed arrival Then
cries and cheers arose to awake the
III L I. u : III