Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-08-24

and she had once or twice spoken to me
of her admiration Of Spencer while he,
for his part, had seemed more at ease in
her company than in that of most wO-
men. But I should as soon have thought
of his marrying her as of her marrying
the Shah of Persia. However, they were
together at her uncle the Colonels, and
in the course of the week they became
engaged. Wonders will never cease, es-
pecially when there is woman in the
case, and probably thi did not seem to
Spencer so very wonderful, though he
regarded himself as the most blessed of
mankind.
"It was in the little chalet that it
happened" he said, drawing in his
breath after sharp fit of coughing.
Gle had been tramping up and down the
room, showing the chairs about and talk
ing rapidly.) You know the chalet p
in that clump of trees at the further end
of the lawn, about quarter of a mile
from the house. [ had been rambling
about the grounds and came in there
quite by chance supposing it to be emp
ty. But she was there, sitting at the
western window, with book at her lap.
She looked round, and when she saw it
was 7, an expression came in her eyes that
it made me feel the time had come [
had hardly realized how it was with me be-
fore but then, everything explained it
self / began by remarking what a
pretty little house it was, and how hap
ply one might live in it and SO one thing
led to another. At last--oh she was so
heavenly sweet she said the world
might laugh at us, but that was worth
a thousand worlds to her. We walked
home with her arm resting on mine and
the new moon just above the tops of the
trees"
"What did the colonel say to it," [
inquired.
cob! he behaved just as might have
been expected" answered Spencer,
throwing back the hair from his fore
head. Sat first he took me to taskvery
severely, and talked about my having
abused his confidence and all that. But
I would not allow him to hold that tone
with me, and after awhile we got to talk
ing more reasonably. He said he was
Kate's guardian as long as she was under
age, and that he could not conscientious
~ let her marry me until she was be-
yond his control. Of course that won't
be until year from now. [ said / was
prepared to wait and that I desired the
property should be settled on her. Then
he wanted me not to see or correspond
with her while the period of probation
lasted, but neither / nor Kate would
agree to that; and at last it was arranged
that there are to be no letters, but that
we are to meet once every month. In
the end he and [ parted very politely. [
fancy, though, that he calculates on
Kate's changing her mind. If SO, he is
making great mistake. I trust in her
constancy as I trust in heaven"
Now, although I would not for the
admit that [ was a good deal of the
colonels way Of thinking as I regarded
Miss Masters. [ knew something of
her. She was fine, handsome, whole
some girl, with an aristocratic nose, and
complexion like warm rose leaf; her
white teeth sparkled when she laughed,
and she had more hair growing on her
head than she knew what to do with.
Her voice was pleasant, though rather
loud; she rode dashingly to hounds and
was champion lawn tennis player. But
she was not, so far as I was aware, a
student of any kind of literature, and
the only philosophy that concerned her
was how to get the most fun out of the
passing moment. [ could imagine her
enjoying a bit of romance and playing
her part in it very well, but that she
would made an imprudent match and
stick to it did not seem so likely. Her
father and mother, whose only child she
was, had been dead some years, and she
inherited the whole of the large property,
her uncle being her guardian during her
minority. 1t was in her power to make
the most brilliant match of the season,
and [ knew it for fact that Captain
and Hon. Arthur Taverney had made
her an offer not three months before. She
must have refused him, for he went off
to the Ashantee war in despair. But
that was no reason why she should fall
In love with a man like poor Spencer
| Curtis, and / had serious doubts whether
she intended anything more than a vaca-
| ton pastime
Ny misgivings were not received by
| the discovery that the engagement was,
for the present, to be kept a secret.
| Spencer had stipulated with the colonel
to be allowed to tell me, because I had
his most intimate friend; but the rest OF
the world was to remain uninformed un-
til the day of the wedding was fixed.
Miss Masters herself did not seem to
have objected to this arrangement, and
as for Spencer, he declared he preferred
it. If all the world had been as in
genious as Spencer no harm would have
been done, but as it was, some miscar-
riage was at least conceivable. How.
ever, I held my peace and hoped for the
best, and when Spencer left me he was
in very good spirits.
For a couple of months all went well
but with the advent of winter Spencer
cough grew worse, and his physician
told him he had better 60 to Madeira il
he intended to live. After some hesita-
ton he decided to go. He was allowed
to write to Kate once a month, and tic
receive letters from her since they would
not meet until his return.
cit won't be for long, after ALL" saio