Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-01-02
BRANDED.
The Story of Brothers Revenge.

great, brown eyes, she ClaSped the wee
thing tighter to her breast and went
rapidly toward the rocky ledge that
hung over the ocean. She had played
here a thousand times in her childhood
had watched the tide creep lazily IN
and out on a summers day, or, wild
and tempestuous, dash ships with their
precious lives upon the rocks.
The ocean was like lover. 1t could
be all things.
"Will it be very cold for the baby
my baby-his baby? Will he mind it
much ~ The birds sang sweetly, and
the baby cOOed, and the mild spring air
brought up the breath Of the violets.
For Il moment she faltered. If life were
only birds and blossoms, but it was not,
and, witt last kiss on her baby's lips,
and a death-like grasp, leap, strug-
gle. and all was over
Missing!
Grace Reeverly was missing, but the
ocean told no tales.
The little Atlantic village was stirred
from center to circumference. A lovely
girl, confding in nature and pure as the
snow, she had been the pet and pride of
the toWnsfolk. Her voice was clearest
in the choir of the little church.; her
hand was gCntlest on the head of the
poorest and toughest child, and the vii
lage schoolmaster thought she repaid
his teachings thousand fold by her in
telligence.
There had come young physician
Of good family to the town, a young
man of manly physique and agreeable
manners. Acquaintance grew into love
and the good people looked on with Joy,
that providentially their loved one had
found one worthy of her He had been
trained in city ways. Either woman
was not sacred thing to him, or, match
ing her artlessnesss with his art, he
judged wrongfully when he tested her
virtue by her self-forgetting love. Per-
haps it was not true, rs ButfOon saws,
that every person has his price," All
may not fall under the strongest temp
tatiOn, but most err because they blindly
trust leader who leads over a preci-
pice. Is there no remedy? Mothers
must do more than they have. Girls
must know that life is full of ouicksandS,
and boys, that virtue is of God and the
destroyer of it, if not always punished
here, will meet a deserved hell here
after
Missing! The whole town knew the
story; how he had deserted her, claim
ing that q woman who could be won
was unworthy Of him; how the day for
the bridal came and went; how Grace
and her aged mother wept and prayed;
how, when t. e baby came, she hid its
Al ylIn fl1 u he
nobody ever looked upon it save the
mother, for. beautiful though it was, it
had his face; how the splingtime came
and the fresh May mornings, but no
color came to whitened cheeks, but a
strange, unusual brilliancy into her
eyes, and then the old mother was
alone!
Everybody was questioned, but no.
body had seen her. The aged woman
crept down to the ocean day by day,
but the tide came in bringing only sea
weed and empty shells. One morning,
far up the beach, kindly hidden from
sun and storm, under Clump of trees,
some boys at play found the missing
ones. The sea weed was wound IN and
out rs though to bind the hands still
lock them and let go her treasure.
The town had common sorrow. At
the burial, the little church was crowd
ed. All the way to the graveyard that
lay just above the sea, where the waves
sang constantly above the sleepers,
there was an unbroken procession.
From that day, no woman ever spoke
to the young physician. He walked the
streets unnOticed. He carried himself
less proudly. Circumstances would
compel him to seek another home.
" Strange that in q country town wo-
man was SO highly priced" he thought.
The world was not all thus.
The aged mother soon lay beside
Grace and her baby.
The good ship Betsey heaves in sight.
The news went like wildfire through the
town. The whaler of Capt. Reeverly
lGrace's own brother) had been on a
ten years cruise. The crew were wild
with JOY, swung their handkerchief
long before they got into port, hardly
waiting for the plank, and fairly embrac-
ing every person who came within their
iSTtbhs 1IlC bCOPIS wills pSISAi dlIlOuS
themselves. Who could tell the cap
tain what those ten years had brought?
Nobody! After a few hurried direc-
tons, the bluff and generous-hearted
captain started eagerly toward the dear
old home. The old lady in the next
house had stolen over, unlocked the
door and gone back again. How light
his step as he went over the threshold.
How natural everything looked.
:" Mother! Gracie!"
No answer.
" Not very warm welcome to a
homeless fellow ten years awayw he
said. The old lady had crept in.
Your mothers gone, Captain. I
hoped you'd heerd ont afore you got |
here Wonderful good woman! Such |
clean houses, and so good to mel She |
was allus askin' me to a cup O tea. |
Never had nothln' go to my heart so
since my John died!"
And where's Gracie?"
She and her ba ,y's lynn aside her!" |
and then between her sobs, the kind old |
woman told the pitiful story.
George Reeverly's eyes grew very |
black and his lips very white. He went |
straightway to the new graves, and with |
curses in his heart, he wept like child. |
And that man had been the cause! |
There was much talk in the village. but |
IL l. L. ii,