Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-10-19
"It is too late; I will never listen to

me now; nor will have till L die. You
have made me of less than no account,
and blot you like an evil dream from
my memory"
AS she spoke she struck the door-post
with such force that the blood trickled
from the bruised and wounded hand, but
without needing it she went on:
The sight of you burns and scorches
me. What was love in me is as raging
fire. Ii [ could have coined my heart
tor you, to give you JOY, I would have
done 1t; and you have made Of my love
only the play thing Of an idle hour, to be
cast aside for the first light fancy that
crossed it. And now go your own way.
Go with my-no, L will not curse you
but go without my blessing, and never
look upon my face again.
Wait minute, Amelia" said the
slow sonorous voice of old Penny, who
had stood silent, with bowed head, dur
ing this fierce outburst. His head was
erect now; and Gus, as he looked at
him, could but think he had never seen
his father so much a man before.
Penny, how dare your exclaimed
his wife, almost breathless with amaze
ment. 1t was unprecedented for him to
address her by her Christian name.
We dare do much" said the old
man, as we nivver thought we could
ha' done till the time for it come. I
know, Amelia, you have allus TUX me for
a quiet, good-natured fool, and so I am
most ways, most ways; but I amt SIGH a
fool as not to know that this house, and
this farm, and all the rest of it. is mine.
Yes mine, every rood and every shillin'
Of it. You didn' have no settlements
when we married, an it all became
mine. / didn' want it, and didn' care
about IT; and [ shouldn' never ha' said
nuthin' about it's long as all had gone
quiet. But l won't see the boy wronged.
The house is mine, and 3 long as it's
mine he's welcome to it, and all that's in
it; hearty, yes hearty"
1t was another of Mrs. Penny's little
mistakes. In her scornful reputation
OF any interference In her affairs she had
married without consulting any friends.
and without taking any precautions to
secure to herself the control of her prop
erty; and SO quiet and submissive had
her husband been that no SUSPICION Of
her position had flashed upon her till
now, when indeed she realized it i'll it's
full force. She stood as one thunder
struck, but taking in everything with
such helpless acquiescence as that with
which we regard the wonders of adream.
The old man approached his son,
shook him by the hand warmly, and
kissed his niece, whose eyes, dry till
now, answered his kindness with respon-
sive dews.
Your mother" said he, sis tossicat-
ed " perplexed) "llke with disappoint-
ment and the vexation of it. Thee'd
better not worry her now. 1t 'ud be
better, mayhap, if you'd go away for a
week; then you come back, and all 'ull
be right; her'll have timeto come round.
Go round to the kitchen, and I'll come
and talk to you in a mint.
"Now, Amelia, come" he went on,
when he had led her into the parlor.
owe both Of us loves the boy, and
you'd be bitter sorry if he was to take
You at your word and go away Aye,
and he loves us, too, though he has
chosen wife for himself, as a man
should do. And she's right good CELL,
never you doubt that; she'll make him
good wife, and he'll be happier man
and better man than if you and J.
had the shapin' O. his life for 'un.
He's all wen got, and we mus'n let 'uD
60"
We are strange creatures, and our
lives and characters are full of contra
dlctions. The quiet tone of authority.
which any time during the previous
quarter OF century she would have re-
sented strenuously, was now grateful to
her feelings, and she allowed herself to
rest, with a sense of comfort and secur-
ity, on the practical common sense and
right feeling of the husband she had
Systematically moderated. "Leave me
alone, Penny" she said, "for half an
hour. Ny head is in whirl now, and
l want to be alone. Tell Jane to bring
me cup Of tea, and come back in half
an hour. Don't let the boy gotill you We
seen me again
When the allotted time had expired,
Penny went back again, and found her
looking ten years younger, her hair
brushed and smoothed, an old-fashioned
but exquisitely beautiful lace cap on her
head, and box of trinkets and whim-
whams by her side.
CuhSs OIlC S6llO OuCOs J. udNt
been an old fool, and blind to more
things than one. I don't say that if
what has been done could be undone I
wouldn't undo it; but can't, and / will
make the best of it. Tell the boy he
needn't go away for a week. [ am not
tossicated now. And tell him, too, that
If [ never give him occasion to remem-
Der that mad scene outside-as, so help
my heaven, never Wilt hope that
he will never recall it. See here" she
added with laugh, emptying the box of
trinkets on the table, Ct have never
worn these things since I was girl, but
Alice will look gay in Them
Twoyears and half laterthe old folks
sat by a blazing winter fire, and chubby
boy was fondling shaggy dog on the
heart-rug at their feet. The old lady
stopped down and smoothed the faxen
ringlets of the child.
James" she said, edo you mind my
telling you once that if could I would
undo what Gus had done? l do not