Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-12-30
LANCASTER. WISCONSIN. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 80 1880


soups and omeiets, and roasts an,
, puddings, was absard while it wa
no less an absur6lty to think OF m,
filing the place of an entertainin.
companion to an exacting woman
who must be cheered with music, O.
novei-reading, or embroidery, as he
fancy willed.
For once Caryl's plan was tn,
practicable one, sad before another
week passed our home was broker
up,and we had entered upon our new
duties.
| can see Caryl low, as she looked
that February niorning, when we
went for the last tine out fthe dingy
tenement which Lad been our home
for months. Sh lsd put on her best
| her navy blue dress and ribbons
and a jaunty hat with bit of white
wing at the ride; and although her
clothes were shabby genteel," as
she said, yet there was an air of lady
hood about her, which atoned for all
the shsbbness. 1t seemed as though
l was bidding my pet good by for
ever, when | left her at Mrs. Ern.
STEMS door and entered the car that
was to take me to Mrs. Fields. But
she stood waving her hand in fare.
well, and looking so radiant and
smiling that put all gloomy fore
bodings out of my mind, and tried to
remember her only as | saw her then,
standing in the February sunshine,
with the light Of girlish happiness in
her face.
Twas counting out knives and forks
for the tea table that afternoon, when
Mrs. Fields surprised ME with:
LAY another place, Jane. John
Dakin is coming home to tea
John Dakin Coming home to
tea p
why, Jane what ails thee ? Had
forgotten to tell thee about John !?
You see his ride lies mostly on this
side of the city, and he only moved
out here last week, to be quiet and
feel homelike, the boy said A good
boy John Dakin is. Pve known him
these many years, and | gladly took
him into my home And thee knows
him too, Jane p
| told Mrs. Fields what little |
kuew-how three years ago he had
attended Caryl through a dreadful
fever, and how he had often befriend-
ed US since; but did not tell her of
the strong love I knew had grown
into his honest heart for my pretty.
wiilful sister. John Dakin should
never suffer through wounded pride
at her rejection, if / could prevent it.
How kind and considerable he was
to me through all the happy weeks
OF that spring aud summer. | had
told him, that first evening, of Caryl's
new occupation, and I fancied
frown knitted itself into his shaggy
brows that never wholly went away.
But he made no comment then. AZ.
forwards, when he brought my let
teEs from the office, be always recog.
nized Caryfs dainty handwriting,
and was sure to ask me how she was
getting along. He would ask the
question indiffarently, but | noticed
that his face was turned from me
when | answered, and sometimes be
would walk abruptly away when
related how happy she was, and what
gay life she was leading.
1t was mid summer when Caryl
came to see me. ! had never told
her of John Dakin; and l think she
must have been surprised, at least,
when she came up through the flower
borders and saw him sitting on the
piazza. The afternoon had been very
warm, and when he came in from a
long drive among his patients, he sat
down in the honeysuckIe shade to
rest. Mrs. Fields asked me to carry
him out a glass of iced milk, and |
had just handed it to him from the
tray, and stopped a minute to pull a
bunch ofpnrple blossoms, when Caryl
came in sight. knew that the tall,
handsome gentleman with her was
Laurie Ernstein, and tried to be only
cooly civil to him. But he had
wonderful way of making one forget
preiudices, and was so iovial and
agreeable, that | could hardly won.
der that Caryl fancied him. John
Dakin did not hesitate, though, to
show his disapproval of her company,
and only waited to touch her hand in
greeting, before he went down the
walk to the barn. saddled his horse,
and gslloped out of sight.
Cool, wasn't it p Caryl asked, with
a blush. Sorry to spoil a tete- tete,
Janey, if he was making love to you
1t looked like it, | must saw
| wanted to box the childs ears
for limiting such thing of John Da-
kin, when she must have seen plainly
the pain in his face as she swept
hum the most chilling courtesy and
offered him only her finger tips. But
there sat Laurie Ernstein, smiling
down at her with sentimental air of
devotion, and could not say a word
After that Caryl and Laurie came
often. but they never encountered
the doctor again. If he saw them
coming he disappeared quickly, and
it would be late at night before |
would hear him putting Selim in the
stable and going YEARLY up to his
room.
Caryl was 10 high spirits in those
days, and | am sure she must have
spent the whole of her earnings in
ribbons, and flowers, and deekings,
for the sake of the fiattering compri-
meuts Lsuriepaid her. And all the
while, | could say nothing to infu-
ence her-conld only look on in help
lessness, and fear for the future OF
my darling.
did say something at last, tho !;
and when | had said it, the tears
rolling over my cheeks as | urged
her to think of the course she was
pursuing-how she could never hope
TO be the wife of man of Laurie
Ernstein's social prejudices, and of
the sorrows that would surely follow
her answer was to draw from her
bosom a mysterious little packet, and
fash before my eyes a dazzling ring,
which sbe slipped triumphantly on
her slender finger, aud laughingly
bada ma say ar thar word if darad