Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-04-08
DON CARLOS.

was dog-an odd mixture of bul
and terrier-whom / had trained from
early puppyhood and made the con
slant companion of my frequent arts
rambles in the country.
Not that | was an artist by profes
sion-only in an amateur sort of way
when happened to have little leisure
on hand. On these occasions it wal
NV custom to run down to certain
picturesque village in that prettiest 0
the South Of England counties, Surrey
and there, accompanied by Don Carlos
indulge my taste for sketching the
beauties Of nature.
had with much pains and Labor
taught the pup TO keep watch over my
sketch-book and otEer paraphanalla
while moving my camp-stool about
He was, / must confess, rather dull
and slow in learning; but an accom-
piishment once acquired, he never for
got, and l firmly believe would have
died ut his post rather than desert the
least scrap Of paper Entrusted to his
care
Ii was on one of these Bohemian cx-
cursions that | became acquainted
with my first love-my beautiful Inez
She was the only daughter and heiress
Of the late Honorable J. Poythess, and
ward of his brother n-law, Squire
Wingfeld, Of Wingfeld Manor, in the
neighborhood Of which ] was sojourn-
ing.
she was barely seventeen, just eman-
cipated from the jurisdiction Of gov
erness and tutors, and ovcrflowing with
poetry What wonder that we two q
was myself just turned of one-and-
twenty should have recognized each
other as congenial spirits, and spra nc
nj once into that magnetic sympathy
of soul and heart-communlon which
only natures such us ours could know!
On my first visit to the manor, the
old squire received me politely enough
but as my calls became frequent ]
could not be blind 10 the fact that he
pcrceptibly cooled, and at length be
came barely civil.
The cause of this | soon discovered
to be the marked attention paid Irez
by n certain middle-aged and wealthy
widower, the prospective heir to a
| bar0netcy.
Ii view Of this desirable alliance, the
squire took every means Of discourag-
! ing my attachment to his niece; and
| finding this useless, ut length plainly
| desired me to discontinue my visits to
her, since he could never consent to
| her marrying me, and, moreover, had
other views i'll regard to her.
Under these cruel circumstances,
what was left us but to meet in secret?
Attached to the manor was small
park, and here lnez and myself con-
trivcd to occasionally see each other,
until, my holiday coming to an eud, |
was compelled to return to the city.
In these interviews, Don Carlos had
invariably been present, and Inez, in
consistency with the old adage. Glove
me, love me dog" had noticed and ca
ressed him, until the dog appeared to
attach himself more to her than to me.
So, when compelled to tear myself
away, | made her present of the
creature, to be reminder Of ME in
my absence, and faithful companion
III her henccforth solitary ran.bles III
the park. And then, with innumera-
bile vows, we parted, | promising to re-
turn in as short Il time as possible, and
by fair means or foul secure ner for
my wife.
Unfortunately, | was, Immediately
on my return to the city, dispatched
70 America on some business connect
cd with the affairs Of our firm, and it
was nearly year ere | had an oppor-
tunity Of revisiting Lynham and keep
ing my promise to Inez
| found that though she had not
dared venture upon correspondence,
she had been true to me. In our first
delicious Interview, eontrived after
much scheming, she told me how I'M
uttcrably wretched she was, how her
cruel and unfeeling uncle wished her to
marry Colonel Grishy-the afore-men-
toned heir to he baronetcy-a how
she was certain that if this state Of
things were to continue much longer
her heart would break, and she would
be doomed to fill an early grave.
And, in despair at the thought of los
ing my beloved, proposed an mined
late elopement, to which she, without
hesitation, assented. observing, with
sweet disinterestedness, that, though
she wo ldn't claim her fortune until
she were eighteen, yet that We could
meantime live blissiullv happy in d
cottage upon bread and cheese. and
water
Unfortunately upon our plans, our
interview had been discovered, and
thenceforth | i'll vain sought Il meeting
with her. | succeeded. however in
sending her note, in which
| implered her to let me know
when she would be ready for an elope
ment. and ut what hour and place to
meet her with a travelling carriage.
In reply, she babe me go each day
toa certain ancient oak tree in the park.
IN the hollow of which, about six feet
from the ground, | would some time
tnd note informing me of the exact
time and spot for the meeting.
And, lest my visits to the tree should
be observed and excite suspicion. / was
not 70 approach to closely unless saw
! sprig Of holly projecting from the
aperture in the trunk This would be
a token of the presence of the note.
Ihenceforth each evening saw me on
4 pilgrimage TO the tree In question.
Disguised As a sportsman: with bag and
gun. | wandered about the adjacent
fields until satisfied that the coast was
clear for secret entrance into the park.
when ! would hasten within sight of the
fateful oak, only to retire, in disappoint-
ment on perceiying the absence Of the
token agreed upon.
Either Inez had not matured her
plans, or else was too closely watched
to permit OF her depositing her letter
IN the appointed place.
And thus, on each evening, I return
ed to my inn as / had left it, with gun
and bag but minus bird or rabbit. to be
greeted with the secre. ieers of the vul-
gar rabble, and to oyerhear low Jokes
passed upon the ''cockney sports
But at length-sh, what i tumultu-
Gus throb thrilled me at the sight,
diseerned projecting from the small
hollow Of the old oak tiny sprig of
holly.
Fastening my steps, I was somewhat
y