River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-09-04

for your kindness. You have spoken the |
only word of friendship that have heard |
Tor years"
We now arose and walked slowly down |
the stage road toward Spur City.
We were both silent most of the way,
and when we reached the FL Dorado Hetel,
Joe left me without word. and went
quietly to his lonely little cabin.
Alter that, when met him, he always
had sad smile and low, pleasant word
fol me, but not ing more; he still wan
| ders over hills, rife in hand, but not by
single word.d did he betray the secret OF
| his strange conduct. His conversations
were always brief, and when l ventured
to address HIM on personal masters, he
would silence me by look so full of
silent agony that could not have the
heart to continue.
One day | met him i'll the foothills,
and ventured a remark ON the geographic
cal formation of the country around Spur
City He begged leave to differ with me-,
and then went on to give me such a
learned discourse on geology as | had
not heard since left Yale College, years
and years before. | then ventured to
J draw him out en- the OF er sciences, then
!, on history, literature, art, and in them
} all found him to be well grounded. l
was amazed, and yet had suspected that
J he was something more than he repre-
! sented himself to be.
A few days after this | was wandering
in the mountains, and as | YEARLY
climbed TO the summit of one of the high
7 est crags ! threw myself down, and could
not repress an exclamation Of delig NJ
the beautiful prospect spread out before
[ me.
YES, it is very beautiful. l have been
admiring 1t for hours" said low, sad
j voice.
= was startled, and glancing hastily
/ around, / beheId the mysterious Joe
a looking quietly away over the landscape
/ 1T reminds me- continued he, un
e needing my surprise, sit reminds me OF
s a scene in Northern Italy Yes yes, it i
e very beautiful"
q | had travelled extensively myself, anC
: began 70 talk to him Of foreign lands, anc
t found that he vas familiar with men
!. places and things in almost every quar-
n ter OF the globe ! longed to ask hin
s who and what he was, but knew tina
@ the question was useless.
n Suddenly he ceased talking, and look
: ing meditatively away across the beau.l
n full prospect before us, he drew from hi
e breast pocket small, well-worn package
/ He unUound two or three wraps from IT
and then handed me card. 1t was th
is photograph of lady; and although il
e the course of my wanderlngs | have seci
!, rearly all the famous beauties OF the civ
o ilized world, never beheld so fair face
/ SO regular in outline, so calm, so sweet
IT so angelic in expression.
nj Nv ewes were riveted 10 the picture
is and for several minutes neither OF u
1t spoke. Then | asked him who was
Isl "My wife, was his reply; and his lool
l. forbade further questioning. Then W
II arose and wound our way back to town
l. For two or three days | did not Sc
k .'oe and then | went to his cabin, but
IS was tenantless. Joe was gone!
!. A moth passed, and yet Joe did no
e return. One evening met friend, AM
d he stopped mt with a wonderful story
lie Joe had ''struck it rich somewhere i
RS the hills, and had gone to San Francisc
is and sold his claim for tNcnty THOUSAND
IF dollars. 20 he had been prospecting al
Re the time we thought he was idling aroun
is with that everlasting rifle.
1t A week after Joe came back, and sen
N for me. | found him in his old cabin
If and dying. A lady was sitting by hi
is bedside, and single glance showed m
he that she was the original of that beauti
" full photograph.
/ Joe called me to him end handed me
le newspaper. ltcontained romantic stor
"a of defaulting bank. cashier named JC
> seph Denton, who, having gambled ava
hundred thousand dollars of the bank
funds, absconded, and had not been hear
of for three wears. Then suddenly, frol
far-off California, comes check for I'll
full amount, sent 10y Mr.. Denton himtel
II am Joseph Denton, said he ian
this is my wife. My life-work is ended,
And in five minutes he was dead.