Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-04-21

THE SECRET.

Iwish could tell you'll do wish |
could ! hate to have a secret; it burns
like money in my pocket. It's an UNI
natural thing, anyway. One wants
sympathy; if it's gloomy secret,
somebody to be gloomy with; and if
it's a glad one, somebody to be glad
with; somebody 10 talk it all
over with, to make much or little of it
with, to conjecture concerning it, its
beginning and its end, to dwell upon 1t
and gloat over it; how in the world IS
one going to enjoy anything all by
ones self, If I'm eating peach, !
want somebody to have part OF it, to
know now luscious it is; and | wouldn't
give n sixpence for a coach and four
unless there were somebody by to see
me driving. SO say to myself, what's
the use Of knowing it, if you're not to
speak, or look, or wink, if you're to be
no wiser than other people? And as
for me, am always blushing and my
tongue is tripping, and I'm sure TO be
on the point of betraying the whole
thing by something say, and clapping
my hand on my mouth like n silly
child.
Still, although it's nervous and anX-
ious work, ! can keep secret if try
or else when he--i mean she-at least,
| mean | shouldn't have been trusted
with it if couldn't. Some people are
so important with secret, and go
about as if they knew enough to hang
the rest of the world. But never am;
| only long to tell it; and do SO long
to tell YOU this one. But there
promised | wouldn't breathe it, and II
promise is a promise, you know.
! suppose | wouldn't care half so
much to tell if it were only common
place affair, if there was no romance
about it at all. But there is Some
people are SO fond of romance-our
Domaine Isl and ] don't believe that
anything could have pleased her half
SO much that happened in the regular,
expected way. Our Romano always
was full of fancies and ideals, and when
there's anything romantic it always falls
to her lot. Don't you think she's q
beauty? | DO; SO tall, SO beautifully
made, so gracious, such hair such
soft, fragrant hair such eyes like jew
els, and her skin so like a tea-rose, |
don't believe any of those famous beau
ties that you read about can hold Il
candle to her-that don't | always
wondered ow she didn't take some one
of her lovers, although | knew, too, or
thought | did; for she was Just rs love
~ ten years ago, when she came home
from school, Mt seventeeu-tne very
day those dreadful soldiers came, you
recollect--as she is to-day. She had
been gone SO long--four years-that
everything about the place was just rs
sweet and strange to her As if il were n
kingdom she had just come into; and
she was going around looking ut this
and eXclaiming Mt that CaresSing the
creatures, which knew her, every one
of them, even to the parrots-just re-
joicing In everything; and |. Il little six
year old worshippcr, was following her
in admiration, with the peacock fol-
lowing me, when all ut once the lawn
was crowded with soldiers, ana the
yard was full of foragers, and the
horses, Romaiue's own Guluarc, and
mammals, were being led away, and
all the COWS were lowing, and the pigs
were squealing, ana the fowls We're
cackling as those wretcheS took pos
session; and some were building fires
in the yard, and the rest were swarm
ing into the house. And they were in the
china closet, rayaging the store-roOm,
were in the bedrooms, in the ward
robes, and parcel of them had poor
mamma in corner, and had torn away
her shawl, and one was furnishing her
cap ON the top of his bayonet, and Ro-
maine had sprung into the midst of
them, threatening them with a wild
fury, when suddenly voice rang over
the uproar, a terrible commanding
voice, somebody strobe through the
throng, and Selling by the shoulder
first one and then another of the men
who had cornered mamma and Ro-
maine, flung them on this side and on
that, and IN one moment silence fell,
and man by man they SUNK away
and presently they were tumbling down
the stairs, and marching out oT the hall
in files; and the officer who had wrought