Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-12-21

my heart, for until now I've fought
against your dominion there. I fancied
myself divided between two opposite
types of woman-both supreme in her
sphere, but both incomplete. When [
find them united in one, all that is ex-
quisite and noble in mind and heart COM
bined, the love have to offer to her who
unltes them is the strongest and highest
man can give"
AS turned my eyes upon her when I
ceased to speak, every trace of hippancy
and Hghtness had passed from her face,
leaving it gentle, and tender, and
grave. AS she met my look, she rose az
if to go.
''Sit down, Miss Roland, "I said, put
ting out my hand to detain her, "you
must not go until you have answered me.
Perhaps this comes too suddenly, but [
can wait. can be patient. Oh what
could [ not endure, how long couldI not
wait for such contamination of all my
highest hopes and joys as this would be?
[ have loved you from the first. My
heart has never wavered in its'allegiance.
All the time that I was telling myself
you were worldly and light, was loving
you just the same-now that I find you
such an angel of goodness and mercy,
judge yourself how I adore your
Miss Roland was silent moment, and
then she breathed a little sigh.
"You ought not to surprise me so,
she said. 81 don't know what to say to
you; but the thing that amazes and per-
plexes me is that L do not Immediately
say no. / ought not to hesitate when I
think of what your estimate of me has
been-how you have withheld from me
all the noble purpose of your hfe-have
talked to me only of small and trivial
things, believing me to be myself too
small and trivial to comprehend any
others. [ thought it would be hard for
me ever to forgive you. When / first
went up to the mountain and saw the
wretchedness and misery there, and
learned that you had been all along in the
midst of it, and when you saw soreIy
woman's helping hand was needed, you
would not let me know. You believed
me only fit to amuse and entertain peo-
pie with music and light talk, and not to
work for the alienation of pain and the
| lessenlng OF sorrow as you yourself we're
doing"
Her voice had grown husky with
deep, indignant emotion, and her grave,
reproachaful eyes looked up at me
through tears which made her adorable.
81 own that I have sinned against
you," said, and I ventured to take her
dear hand in mine. "You must not
think that I regard my conduct lightly.
Still, to err is human -"
paused in my quotation and looked
| at her again. The tears had cleared
away and her eyes shone radiantly with
the light of love.
Later, a long while later, when great
deal had passed between us that you are
not to know, and we had risen from I'M
der the tree and walked on, through the
glad Christmas mildness, I asked Miss
Roland why she had kept me SO willful-
ly blind about Miss Carter
81 meant you never to know" she
| said. 81 wished you never to find out
the truth. But for the baby's illness
| you would not know now. / feared I
should meet you there, but could not
| let the poor lamb suffer for want of me. :"
"And are you sorry you did meet me
| there?"
I" 1 am sorry that you should not have
believed In me a little more without
proof"
felt myself the veriest scamp when
she said this, and would have liked to
| ask her to put her foot on my neck, but
before I had time to formulate the prop
osition, she put her hand on my arm
instead, and said gently that it didn't
matter now.
Not didn't matter now (! Nothing
in the past mattered much, now that we
were assured of each others love. And
as we walked forward together through
the sweet Christmas weather, I think
we were as happy as it is given to men
and women to be.