Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-01-01
BRANDED.
The Story of Brothers. Revenge.
Womau's Journal

W oman S journal.
st won't last long! Can you bear it,
baby?" and with a wild look in her
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 q 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 a 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 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, a leap, a strug-
gle. and all was over.
Missing.
Grace Reeverly was missing, but tie
ocean told no tales.
The little Atlantic village was stirred
from center to circumference. A lovely
girl, confiding in nature and pure as the
snow, she had been the pet and pride of
the townsfolk. Her voice was clearest
ia the choir of the little church; her
hand was gentlest on the head of the
poorest and toughest child, and the vii
lage schoolmaster thought she repaid
his teachings a thousand fold bv her in
teligence.
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 WrongfulIy when he tested her
virtue by her self-forgetting love. Per-
haps it was not true, as Buffoon SAYS,
" that every person has his price" All
may not fall under the strongest temp
tation, but most err because they bIindly
trust leader who leads over a preci-
pice. Is there no remedy? Mothers
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 deserved hell here
after
Missing The whole town knew the
story; how he had deserted her, claim
ing that a 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 tie baby came, she hid its
darling face against her breast, SO that
nobody ever looked upon it save the
mother, for, beautiful though it was, it
had bis face; how the springtime came
and the fresh May mornings, but no
color came to whitened cheeks, but
strange, unusual brilliancv 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 lnand
closer, lest the weakness of death I'M
lock them and let go her treasure
The town had a 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. Circumsta noes would
compel him to seek another home.
Strange that IN country town a 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
(Grace's own brother) had been on a
ten years cruise. The crew were wild
with Joy, swung their handkercniefs
long before they got into port, hardly
waiting for the plank. and fairly embrace
ing every person who came within their
reach. The people whispered among
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
hls 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
Sai0 The old ladv bod croY+ ~