Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-05-22

CURED a youth who sat opposite the
serious gentleman.
"You should not Jest under the shad-
ow Of the great calamity" said the first
impressively, regarding the youthful
unbeliever severIy through his glasses;
then to the lady" the traveller was OBJ
served to have jet black hair the night
before, in the morning it was snowy
white"
Part of the people at the table looked
serious; part were amused. Among
the latter was Redmond. His eyes
twinkled with suppressed amusement,
but he concealed it. Blanche and
Louise bad been interested listeners to
the narritive, growing somewhat digni-
fled by the discussion at the dinner
table.
"You see how much foundation lies
beneath this apparently idle gossip.
believe discretion willbe the better part
of valor on our part"
Louise from under her long lashes,
shot whitening glance at the man who
loved her, but did not deign an answer.
She could not make out this man. She
believed that sometimes she, half de-
spised him. .s@.@ 5's + a-~ t't.'. . VI
az believe 1 shall take the stage for
Ashdale," announced Redmond the
next afternoon, looking at his watch.
Have little business there to which l
wish to attend"
Louise flashed a quick glance from
her large dark eyes.
"What! going to leave us to take care
of ourselves % said Blanche. eve
want you to help bouy us up when the
water rises"
go! I shall return tonight. l have
no idea of being absent from such an
interesting adventure" he replied.
!" That is, if can possibly see the gentle
man I am seeking just five minutes:
od-afternoon, ladies'" and he bowed
himself out of the room gracefully.
"There! I am not surprised at this
action on the part of Redmond Clarke,
said Louise /" He will not come back
hele tonight. I say, as l have said be-
fore, he is coward"
"Why, Louise. this move of his has
nothing to do with the superstitlous tale
we have just heard"
"I believe it has" The secret desire
to think and believe high and lofty
things of his name, drove her to sudden
anger at any suspicion of the opposite.
"Who ever knew of those blue-eyed,
blonde-moustached men who had a
spark of true courage" and she looked
anything but feeble character herself
as she paced the floor rapidly, her eyes
flashing Indignantly with the intensity
oh 81, hod
herself. So .... ....... ..a..... D..
"Take care" said Blanche warning
lv, in a low voice. I" You remember
Hamilton Belmont saved my life at
the risk Of his own. He was none OF
your heroic-looking men," ur5rraa
"You will find that Redmon Clarke
is not a second Hamilton Belmont. If
[ could know for a certainty that he
ran away from any danger, threatened
or real, | should never again allow him
to touch even my finger tips l should
feel so Inundated that such a man had
ever dared to ask for my love. y
Don't Judge too harshly-too hasti-
ly," said her friend, gently. She knew
that Redmond Clarke and Louise Rand
were fitted to make each other happy
could the latter have the mists
Of doubt cleared from her willful eyes.
Clarke had really intended to return
to the Cocasset House as he promised,
but the gentleman whom he sought
was absent, and the last stage left be-
fore his return.
Ashdale was primitive, unambitious
town. Its only connection with the
great world was the regular stage. Its
hills and valleys had never yet echoed
tive.
He paced backward and forward on
the piazza Of the quiet little hotel where
he was to pass the night, under the
poetic skies of fine evening, thinking
of Louise Rand. Her naughty i'm
periousness had charm for him. He
smiled to himself as he thought, 8 She
will thoroughly believe now what she
suspected when [ left her, that should
not return tonight He was prouder
than she. There was a depth beneath
that indolent exterior she had not sound
ed; and because she had doubted him
she whom he loved-he would not
deign to inconvenience himself to gain
her approval. A man with less in
herent haughtiness would have acted
differently. The smoke of his fragrant
cigar curled upward and dissolved in
the moist thin air. He removed it
from his mouth for a moment, thought
fully. "She has no reason for judging
me. Thank Heaven among all my
failures cowardice has never been Justly
attributed to me- His. memory went
over one or two deeds of daring in the
past of which he never spoke. "She
may one day find out" he thought, as
he replaced his cigar.
He retired early and was soon in a
deep slumber. 1t did not prove re-
freshing. A feverish, restless dream
wreathed in and out Of his brain. He
saw Louise suspended over a waste of
waters clinging 10 something that
threatened every moment to snap with
her weight, and she be engulfed forever.
Then the scene shifted. and he saw as
plainly as if it were reality the building
where he had left her enveloped in
flame, and amid the cries of frantic