Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-02

with the long DIaCk DoarQ, n1mSou. l.
uttered a scream of terror, and the tall
man put his hand on my shoulder.
"Don't be frightened, little one," he
said elm very fond of little girls
"Does he mean he likes to eat them ?'
I thought; and I looked up into his face,
expecting to meet sardonic ogre grin,
but instead I encountered such sweet
smile that I gained confidence in mo-
ment, and stood quietly beside him.
"Sit down here" said the stranger,
"I want to talk to you. Look, here is
something NICE" and he drew handful
of confectionery from his pocket. Eat it
while talk to YOU"
I held my little pinafore to receive the
| gift and sat down, and the man with the
black beard sat down beside me.
I" How old are you ?" he said.
"Just years" [ answered.
And where do you go to school ?" he
asked
"On the hill, at Miss Lindas," an
swered.
"Have you nice teacher? Do you
love her ?" inquired the stranger.
every much," I answered; Every
much indeed"
And, to my great amazement, the gen.
tleman with the dark beard covered his
face with his hands and ejaculated:
S'God bless her! Who could help it
Do you think she is happy ?" he wenton.
Does she smile and laugh, or does she
ever feel sad? Tell me, little one"
d" think Miss Linda is very happy"
answered. 81 never saw her cry"
The tall gentleman arose and paced to
and fro, and I heard him mutter:
"Happy! Is she happy? My selfish
ness shall never break IN upon her quiet;
[ will never arouse the sleeping past to
grieve the happy present.
The heart under my pinafore beat
wildly with alarm, and my confectionery
was forgotten. In few moments he
| turned toward me.
"Good-by, little one," he said. "Run
home now, and never tell your teacher
that [ have been talking about her; and
you would never do that, [ know"
I gave ready promise aud ran joyful
~ away; and as the weeks passed by and
[ saw no more of the gentleman with the
| black beard, soon almost forgot that
such a being existed ''And still our
minister visited the school, and looked at
the teacher, and still the gossiping
tongues of the village foretold that Miss
Linda would be the minister's lady yet.
One day-a bright, cool autumn after
noon. it was-Miss Linda and I were
alone in the school house. I was prac-
ticing the scales on "a piano In an inner
room-for it was the day on which [ al
ways took my music lesson-and Miss
Linda was writing at her desk in the
outer room. There was no sound save
the monotonous "One, two, three, :"
which [ uttered, until a quick step fell
upon the grass without, and raising my
eyes saw the young minister pass the
window and enter the schoolroom. He
| had scarcely done SO when another shad-
ow fell upon my music book, and [
saw the tall gentleman with the black
| beard glide after him and stand motion
less in the shadow of the school-house
porch. [ played ON still, but very softly,
and my eyes were turned toward the
other room. The young minister and
| Miss Linda stood in the center of the
apartment, and he was speaking passion
ately, but softly. Then he strove to
clasp her hand in his, but she drew it
away and stood further from him, nearer
to the doorway. Then heard his voice
husky, it was, and tremulous.
"Linda, dear LindaI' he said, "you
can never tell how much loveyou. You
do wrong to doubt me. NY existence is
worthless without your affection. Do
not deny me all hope, let me think, at
least, that In time my deep love may win
your own; that, when you see how con-
slant and devoted my heart is to you,
you will think well of me for that con-
stancy at least. Many a greater and
better may WOO you, Linda, but none
can love more truly"
| [ could see great tears in her eyes as
she answered him.
EDO not misunderstood me, Mr..
Alwyn. [ do think we'll of you. AS a
sister l may even say that [ love you;
but other love than that of sister Linda
Harrington can never give to ivingman.
I-I-have loved once, and he to whom
/ was betrothed sleeps between the ocean
| waves, or is waslderer upon the face of
the earth Living or dead, he is lost to
me forever. but woman gives her heart
but once, and mine is his still, Mr..
Alwyn. Leave me, [ beseeeh you! Time
can never change my feelings, and am
glad it cannot"
He took her hand and pressed it to his
lips, and in another moment he was
gone. Miss Linda sunk upon the seat
fron which she had arisen; the tears
were trickling down her cheeks, and her
bosom rose and fell convulsively Over
her dEess, over the floor fell shadow,
creeping slowly along the white-washed
| walls OF the sch0ol-house, and while /
watched it the tall man with the black
beard stood in the threshold-stood
there, with both arms stretched toward
her until she turned, and looking on him
cried, William, oh, my Williamp' and
fell upon his bosom.
At first had imagined that the black
bearded gentleman was about to devour
Miss Linda, or carry her away to his
enchanted castle; but when she called
him William the truth dawned upon my
mind, and / listened quietly when, some
moments afterwards, he knelt beside her
and spoke thus:
/" have been near YOU many week darI-