Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-10-26
What queer thing is human nature

LII ooIuc VI lGS plIdt5eS!
When we dispersed I walked to the
gate with pretty Grace and asked and
obtained permission to call on the morrow
and talk of old times.
But even at this early day the new was
so attractive that the old was forgotten.
cts case of love at first sight, I'm
afraid, said Gus, banteringly, as I re-
turned to the hotel the next night.
L looked at him with quick glance,
and hasty word ready for utterance,
but did not speak it.
Love is so sensitive to the least refer
ence. sa "#
"No offence, old boy" he said; "but
your mans Judgment is SO superior to
your boys" 30 $40 rs
And [ placed my head upon my pillow
with the remark ringing in my ears.
How forcibly and aptly he had put it /!
Let the boy indeed have his little sweet
hearts, and watt them away as a child
not as he crosses the threshold into man s
domain. ttl.57' ,..'+
So [ thought as / went to sleep.
What glorious dreams had A young
mans dreams will tell him he is in love
before he knows it himself. I dreamed
over the old scene in the school-house,
which appeared before me very wildly;
and the little Sue Wolcott, with gold
haxen hair, brown eyes, dimpled cheeks
and general fluffy appearance, was SO
winning that [ lost all my bashfulness
and, instead of crying because I was not
q sweet little girl, I deliberately put my
arms around her, when, 10 the boy and
the girl were gone, and [ clasped in my
arms-not Sue Wolcott, but her golden
haired cousin, Grace Morton. The
struggle awoke me, and [ was angry be-
cause, even In my dreams, the pet notion
OF my boyhood could not be realized.
Three times the same dream courted
my sleeping senses, and then it was just
daylight.
[ arose, dressed myself, and went out
for walk. The reader need not be in
formed that took the road leading past
Grace's house. A lover that would have
taken different road would have been q
rGra aUis, indeed.
But / had no adventure. [ have OBJ
served that adventure only takes place
In imaginative stories, and hence it
would be absurd to incorporate one in
this life sketch.
The nearest approach to an adventure
was in catching sight at Grace's win
dow of disheveled golden head for a
moment, and then having it hid by a
cruel cloud of curtain suddenly drawn.
Then [ was vexed again. What would
she think to see me there at that time In
the morning?
L walked till exhausted, and stopped
at farm house and partook of some
breakfast with the family. What they
thought of my being out at that early
hour in the morning / could Judge but
too well by the looks of curiosity with
which they regarded me. But, singu-
larly enough they askedm no questions.
1t was ten o'clock when [ reached
Grace Morton's gate ON my return. /
was going by with scarcely a glance,
when pleasant voice which sent a de.
Eghtful thrill through me, said
"Good morning Mr.. Martin. Have
you had a pleasant walk ?''
"Yes-no. Good morning Miss Grace,
if I may call you So"
Gas you please, only Miss sounds
SO formal"
"Why, you don't mean to say"
"That you may call me simply Grace ?
Why not? We're we not children to-
gether? Only"
At that instant Susan Wolcott's voice
was heard at the gate, and the remark
was not finished.
passed pleasant hour with Grace,
another in the afternoon, and two or
three In the evening, each time in differ
ent places.
Day after day passed thus, each one
repeating the other. I forgot Gus half
of the time, forgot that the day of our
forgot all but the dimpled, golden-haired
Grace that had bewitched me.
Once / became almost angry with
Gus.
cit is nearly two weeks since the best
friend [ have in the world told me how
faithful he was to the memory of little
angel in white named Susan Wolcott,
and now-O man, how inconstant art
thou! By the way, has the happy day
been set ?"
bent on him glance which I meant
to be whitening, but which made him
laugh the louder, and went out upon the
piazza.
Grace was neither shy nor bashful in
my presence, and never avoided me even
in pretense. I argued with myself that
this might be because she was so natu-
raj and honest, or it might be because
she was not in love with me. To a
lovers jealous fancies this latter seemed
the more natural inference, and the
doubts and delights of a lovers mind
ran continually riot in mine. Ill.
The evening before the day originally
set for our departure waSsat hand. had
asked and obtained leave of Grace to
spend it with her, and she met me at the
gate in true, oriental fashion. For the
| first time in our delightful intercourse I
noticed that she was i'll at ease. She
was ust as pleased to SCI me, just as
cordial, and the same half-laughing
look shone in her glorious brown eyes,
But they seemed a bit more restless.
And, above all, there was more Of that
haunting memory that carried me back
| to those school chiIdrer's DAYS when