Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-06-15
From Chambers Journal
ThGDay You'll do Without Me.
CHAPTER [.

l..
The day was full of sweetness and
light, the glory and warmth that only
summer can shed over and extract from
the land. Down to the left of the YER
dure covered old vicarage-house-
the chief action of the story [ am relat-
ing took place-broad meadow-lands lay
bathed in a purple haze-purple haze
that spoke of intense heat in the open,
and that made even the self-absorbed
young pair under the trees on the lawn
grateful for the shelter afforded them.
Any one who had seen them there would
have seen the naturalness of such self
absorption, and at the same time have
felt sorry for it. For though the dawn
ing liking between them was "natural, I"
it was not fit. The girl was the third
daughter OF a poor country parson, who
eked out slender professional income
by taking pupils. The boy was the
highly-prized son of a noble house. And
still they were allowed to be together!
The young fellow of seventeen, though
he had not come to his full heritage of
manly beauty yet, was a very worthy
idol, so far as appearance went, for a
young girl to set upon and worship.
cate form and features that belong to
the handsomest race In the world-the
English aristocracy. There was look
of ''breed" about him that was unmis-
takable-that look that is never seen
unless blood and culture have aided in
producing it. What wonder, then, that
May Baron contrasted him with the
well-to-do young farmers in her fathers
parish; and having done that, erected an
altar In her heart, whereon she worship
ped Lionel Hastings INCREASINGLY! She
was supremely happy this morning, for
her mother had given her half-hohday
to dispose of as she pleased. That ex-
cellent mother, on household cares in
tent, quite believed that she would 90
off in the woods for stroll with some
girl-friend, as it had been her wont to
do from her childhood. But Lionel
magnifcently ordered her to ''stay and
read poetry to him under the weeping
willow" and she was only too pleased
to obey him.
The sunbeams fell down like scattered
gold through the leaves, fell down flick
eringly on the two young heads-the
boys covered with crisp curls of dark
brown; the girls crowned with such
golden tresses as only fall to the lot of
one woman in a thousand. The mascu-
line head reposed comfortably on the
boys own folded arms. The feminine
one was bent down over volume
collection of miscellaneous poetry-from
which she was reading lines and verses
at random.
HThis is very jolly" Lionel said Ian
guidly, for the heat was subduing him.
His only reason for speaking at all was
that May had kept her violet eyes cast
down on her book for long time, and
he liked to look at them often.
He had his "taste's desire" at once
Without moments tantalizing delay
she lifted her silken fringes obediently,
and bent her honestly adoring gaze upon
him, as she said, alphabetically:
eyes, isn't it? No lessons, and such
s1nshine!'
'tAnd yet so jolly pretty" he cut in,
with vast increase of energy. Then he
withdrew one arm from under his head,
and flung it round her slender waist
slender certainly. for though May was
sixteen, she was symetrically and per-
fectly formed. CHOW, you may go on
reading the young sultan said, as May
acknowledged the caress by saying, "Oh,
dear Lionel!'' A rosy color flushed the
girls face. The thought that perhaps
she ought not to let Lionel Hastings
treat her as he might his sisters crossed
her mind and clouded her happiness for
an instant. Then, in her purity and in
nocence, she blamed herself for even
that thought, condemning it to herself
as "dreadful. Then in her confusion
she began reading at random, selecting
by chance the very poem she ought not
to have selected. 1t was an American
poem, written by an anonymous author,
and deserves to be more widely known
than 1t is. One verse ran thus:
"You call me true and tender names,
And gently Irvine my tresses;
And all the while my happy heart
Beats time to Your caresses.
You love me in your tender way!
answer you let me;
But oh {! there comes another day
The day that you'll forget me!'
Her voice had faltered more than once
In the reading, and he had watched her
confusion, and enjoyed it with half
laughing malice. Boy as he was, he
knew SO well what was in this young
girls heart. He thoroughly understood
her sudden shame, and perfectly realized
how keenly the dread that he might go
away aAo 1oISeG uef, cut May Baron.
Look at me, pet /" he said with sud-
den authority.
"I-l am looking for something else
to read" she stammered.
"Look at me, and confess Aren't
you sorry you read those lines, because
they describe your own situation and
feelings to certain degree !"
"Lionel, don't be so rude and cruel"
He had taken her chin in his hand.
and turned her face toward him. And