Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-06-10


He sat down again, and laid aside his
crutches. He forgot the present for a
while, while memory went back and
brooded over the past regretfully. Five
years before he had been the proud,
happy lover of Marion Leonard, bright,
sweet, loving, whole-hearted girl. 1t was
the old story of love and misunderstood
ing. He had sent her bouquet of hot
house flowers and along with it note
telling her Of his love, and requesting
her, if she returned it, to wear the moss
rose buds in her hair at the party they
were both going to attend that evening.
The boy, who carried them carelessly,
lost the note, aud when questioned by
Burke on his return declared that he had
delivered both all right, being two cow
ardly to tell the truth. His heart sank
like lead when in the evening he discov-
cred that she had not worn the flowers.
Then pride came to his aid, and, mental
ly calling hera coquette for the winsome,
smiling manner in which she had treated
him for weeks past, he bad almost ignor-
ed her during the entire evening and
lavlshed marked attention upon Kate
Denning, who was but too well pleased
to receive them. With characteristic
rashness, he, after week or two, asked
her to marry him, and she accepted him,
thinking her lot most blessed, for she had
loved him all along, and he loving Ma
rion with heart and soul, but too proud
to even seek an explanation after the
slight she had put upon him, as he
thoughtlessly led Kate to the altar.
Then a short time after the fatal step
was taken the truth came out. He found
out that Marion had loved him devoutly
and that her heart was breaking over the
desertion. He had made an Indifferent
husband, for he could not forget Marion,
and his wife, during her short married
life, was not happy woman. He was
not unkind by any means, but she missed
the affection she had right to expect
and pined over the disappointment.
Since her death he had felt some remorse
that he had been thoughtless enough to
take into his keeping the life of a loving,
sensitive woman from no other motive
than pique. Lately his thoughts had
turned to his early love, but he had no
clew TO her whereabouts. After his mar
rage her father had died, in few months
her mother, and she, an only child, had
drifted out into the world alone, to earn
her own living, he had heard, for her
father had left very little property. "She
may be married." he thought, "and if
not, she may have ceased to love me, but
she is The new one of my life, and if |
only knew where to find her."
With these thoughts in bis mind his
eyes wandered through the open window
to the yard below. They were back
yards, but pleasant ones for all that,
with clean brick pavements, with beds of
bright, fragrant summer flowers here
and there, grape vines and other shrub
berry clinging on trellises, in all making
perfect picture of summer bloom and
verdure. Two or three trees reared their
heads skyward, family suggesting the
forest primeval to the city denizens.
Then lie looked across to a window ex-
actly opposite to his where lady sat
sewing. He had watched her every day
since he had been prisoner in that
room. She piled her needle steadily all
day long with only short intervals of alb
sence from her room, and must accom-
plish good deal, he thought, her fingers
flew so rapidly She was not near
enough for him to discern her features,
but there was something in her air and
attitude MS she sat at work that interested
him and made him like to watch her.
He could perceive that she was not
posing for his benefit, although she must
be aware that she looked a good deal III
her direction. She was tall and graceful,
he could see when she arose to walk, and
there was certain self-possession and
absence of furry in her movements that
made him feel it would be relief to his
tried soul to have such a woman near him.
"Sewing eternally sewing !" he NUT
tered. Il wonder women don't get tired
to death of such monotonous, confusing
work l suppose they do. Probably
she has to earn her living in that way.
| wonder if she is a widow" He had a
horror of widows. probably not, or
she would have tried to scrape an ac-
quaintance before this time. | wish /
could have just such neat-loolzing
woman for housekeeper. But, perhaps,
distance lends enchantment. I've n
great mind to go round and see her when
] get we'll That house is--let me See
the same number as this, for these
streets are numbered just alike. But
then | should not know who to ask for.
1t would be rather awkward to ask for
the lady who sits sewing by the window
up two flights, for it's lodging house,
where folks are not supposed to know
each others business. ] guess she is
alone in the world, for she don't seem TO
have many callers; so there would be no
use to talk about her." he thought,
spitefully, remembering how Dora Rob
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