Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-11-17

that she should not "keep steady COM
pany with strange man, and that she
ought to lay the matter before E der
Park and have him make inquiries. and
that this young man might be wolf in
sleeps clothing, and much more of the
same sort.
They left, angry at her obduracy. and
she threw herself upon the green-cov-
cred lounge in her sitting-room and Sob
bed as if her heart was broken. And so
Stanley found her when he came, half an
hour later. Her hot, indignant tears
flowed afresh as he sat down beside her
and took the bright head on his shoulder.
and petted her till she became calm
enough to tell MIN the cause of hertear
His face was not pleasant to see as he
listened, it didnot please him to be forced
into declaration, as he now was. He
had staid ON in spite of himself, charmed
by the sweet freshness of this Young
girls nature and her tender beauty: but
he meant no harm to her, and had not
meant to speak of love to her, but now
he must; and, indeed, he was not quite
sure he did not love the child. so he
made the heavy heart bound with a great
and new happiness as he told her how he
loved her, so that she hardly took in the
meaning of his words when he told her
they could not be married for some time,
that his father would not consent, and
many other specious arguments which
fell upon unheeding ears, for she was
too mildly happy in her main idea.
The time now flew on golden wings for
her, but Stanley became nervous, dis
trait and impatient to be away; and SO
one day he told her he must leave the
next morning, and asked her how long
she would wait for him if he was obliged
to delay. ''Al my life,' she answered
gravely, with her truthful eyes upturn-
ed.
"Dear child" he answered, "perhaps
1t may be SO, but be faithful and ] will
one day come.''
The was not even to write to him; but
hers was that perfect love which casteth
out fear, and she was content; but she
did not then realize the sorrow of loneli-
ness nor the despairing heart sickness
for the sound OF his voice, until it was
gone and she alone again, and now
doubly alone, for the neighbors seemed
to hold aloof from her, and regard her
coidly, and SO she withdrew more and
more into herself and lived only in the
past. 1t was peopled with sweet re-
membranes.
Years passed, and yet the child wait
ed; years more, and a patient woman
took the place of the child, and sad
look of expectancy made the face wistful,
even to pain, and he came not, nor any
word of him. But she had given her
promise, and kept it; he had gwen his,
and she believed that he kept his word
as well, and she hoped always that morn
ing would bring him, and in the morn
ing she took her post where she could
look down the road from where he would
come.
The three old ladies were dead, and
the girls that had been her schoolmates
had little children around their knees
and stalwart husbands by their sides.
and Miss Cherry had begun to be called
an old maid, but still he came not. and
she was not tired waiting for him who
never came.
But, if there was sickness or sorrow
In the village, it was the cold maids -
province to be the soother of pains, men,
tai and bodily, and the sweet patience
and loving sympathy made her the well
come guest everywhere.
One day Miss Cherry had a pressing
invitation from friend who had married
a wealthy man in New York, to go there
on visit. Had it been any other city
IN the Union she would have refused,
but that was where Stanley lived, and
with a faint, underlined hope that she
might at least see him, she accepted the
invitation and was soon on her way.
Years had ripened her into a sweeter
loneliness than she had even in youth.
and her love of books and her quiet, re-
Elective life, had cultured her already
fine mind, until she was In every sense
the peer of any belle that famous city
could boast, though she was modestly
unaware of that fact.
Her friend, Mrs. Harris, had issued
invitations for dinner and social dance
afterward to some intimate friends, and
among the guests was the senior men,
Der of their mercantile house with his
wife and their two grown daughters.
Mrs. Harris and her visitor went to
church in the morning and listened to
the Thanksgiving sermon, but somehow
Miss Cherry would keep thinking of
Stanley and hope to see him, SO that she
could scarcely take the sense of it all.
Then they returned and passed the day
IN pleasant conversation till time to pre-
pare for dinner, which was to be large
one with many guests.
In the parlors the guests began to as
semble, and Miss Cherry was presented
to Mr.. and Mrs. Verdenal and their
daughters. She did not faint, nor
scream, though she went very pale, for
while, and they all went down to din
ner. This was Stanley, and this their
meeting. Then she began to think and
look at the daughters. Yes, it must be
SO. He was married and had children,
even when he had come to her little
home and won her trusting heart. ALI
the good and true in her rose upper
most, and she grew to despise a man SO
base as that, but in spite of the deadly
sinking of her heart. she seemed placid