Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-07-13
DISENTANGLED,

DICK Powers dropped his letter with 4
groan. 1t fell by the side of its long,
slim envelope on the table. The envel-
ope bore upon it's back the faint impress
sion of a dove holding in its bill float
ing ribbon, upon the ends OF which was
written, in a quaint and fine little hand,
the direction to Mr.. Richard Powers.
Again that man groaned, throwing his
arms on the table, and hiding his dis
tressed face in his sleeve.
The other occupant OF the room sat
with his heels on the window-sill, and
his chair tilted back at a fearful angle.
He smoked, raised his eyebrows, looked
at his miserable companion, and went on
smoking.
The letter, half folded upon its pre-
else and lady-like creases, lay face up
ward, and the lines betrayed the same
quantity girlish handwriting, all the
down strokes primly shaded, each capt.
tai fancifully twirled. 'sDear Richard"
it began, quakerishly, and then it said,
tearfully, 81 haven't heard from you
for SO long" There was touch of ten
derness In every sentence, and a some
thing that told how simple the little
writer must have been. Somehow it all
gave rise to a picture of sun-bonnet,
and calico dress, pair of timidly affec-
tionate eyes, and peaked chin with
dimple IN it. On the next page the let
ter went on, plaintively: Grandpa
isn't very well since he has had that
sickness last winter, and when he coughs
SO. It shakes him all over. And oh!
Richard, I'm afraid he never is going to
be well again. Wouldn't it be dreadful
to have him die and me here all alone
without you?" Then followed wealth
OF confidence In the words: "But if
grandpa should die, [ should come
straight to you, and oh, how happy we
would be then, wouldn't we ?" Wander
ing on in this loving strain till the end
of the third page, the letter closed with,
''Afectionately, your own Martha"
By-and-by the young man in the
tilted chair, cycling his friend medita-
lively, said:
"Your letter don't seem to make you
happy, somehow, Dick
''Oh, Al! If you could only know
what villain am = was the reloinder,
in muf1ed tone from the folds of the
sleeve.
At last one eyebrow went up and one
came down. "Well, it's very likely"
He looked lazily through the window at
a group of loungers before the hotel OPP
posite, and then continued, Indifferent
ly: whats it all about, anyhow ?''
''Just read that - was the reply, as
Dick passed "affectionately, your own
Martha's letter toward him. i"
Fisher read the letter through care
fully. 81 should say this was a very
sweet little girl, " he remarked, musingly.
$50 she is, so she is - said Dick.
Strengthening up. "She's just the
sweetest and most confding little thing
In the world, is Marthy. That's what
hurts me so. She hasn't a doubt that
I'm AS true as true blue, because she's
truth all the way through herself And
I'm worse than brute, I am, Al p
eff the state of affairs which now
davns upon me dimly is as it seems, I
rather think you are myself. :"
''Confound it You're so hanged cool
it riles me-" said Dick, blushing. "Just
imagine yourself in my place for an in
slant. Six years ago, when [ was nine
team. first fell in love, and I've been
doing 1t ever since, with decent intervals
between. Little Marthy was fifteen
then, little, wild-rose Vermont girl,
just as shy, and as sweet, and unsophis-
tcated as that letter and all her other
letters seem to say she Is; yet [ feel like
boy of nineteen in love with her again,
to talk about it to you. Like the great
calf that l was, with not dollar in my
pocket, and no prospects ahead of me, I
up and told her how felt one day in
the spring, when the grass was so green
and the birds were singing so loud-I
had to tell something to somebody. She
looked up at me for moment with such
q smile; full of tears, coming into her
eyes, and such a milk and rose blush
glowing upon her cheeks, and just took
her right up in my arms then, and kissed
her as I'd been longing to do ever since
/ first met her, six weeks before. Ever
since that she has considered herself en-
gagged to me-"
"a precocious youngster you were at
nineteen, must say, and ripe acquaint-
ance it must have been that rooted,
blossomed and fruited in six weeks
"Well, make fun as you please, %
answered Dick, gloomily; "you have
the whole story now, and you can t
think worse of me than [ think OF my
self"
g No, Dick, haven't by any means
all of the story yet AS you are Is,
suppose this little girl, now q, has been
hoping and trusting in you for six years.
Very likely she's never permitted her.
self another lover. Why, it's pathetic
Every year she has thought, maybe, you
would come back; she has never had a
suspicion of you; she has dreamed about
you and prayed for you. It's burning
shame! And look at you. violently at
tached to every pretty girl you see, rid
ing with them, two at time, dancing
with them, making love to them and
dressing like dandy, when you ought