Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-08-17
Surely. a girls heart is not so

hard to win-if one knows the way"
And the trouble was that Joseph
did not know the way" He was
good, he was gentle and kind; he
! would flush and stammer when the
/ merry little maid asked him but to do
something for her; then he would
rush and stumble over his own feet a
dozen times in the effort to obey her
and Tessy would laugh at him
''Willst du mir NIGHT einen Kuss
gebengn I think, said Esther to her
self think if Joseph would say
/ that to her some day in earnest, and
claim kiss and take it as his right,
he might win my little Therese. "
But Just here the trouble was,
Joseph was afraid. His great love for
the young girl, the white flower" of
his song, made him a coward; but it
was noble cowardice, and might GO
far to help him some day to high,
heroic deeds.
1t was late when Tessy returned,
Miss Payne had been sitting gloomily
alone in the room where shaded lamp
light and flooding moonlight, pouring
through open window and door, made
the place bower of golden dusk.
Tossing aside her hat ana little
white shawl Tessy flung herself on
the floor at her sisters feet, Esther
placed loving hand on the soft,
brown, curling love-locks yelling that
bright head.
'Did you have Il happy day, my
TessyI"
"Oh, yes, was the answer, given
with magnificent Indifference.
"And-was Joseph there!'
"Josef-you mean old Josef, the
and-master-of course he was there.
How could there be a brass band
without old Josef to lead it," replied
again Miss Tessy.
Miss Esther Payne touched with a
finger of gentle reproof the naughty
lips of the naughty speaker.
did you think | should inquire
after such person as that"
80, then you mean our friend
Joseph-the one who makes quota
tons in German to show that he is
learned. Yes, certainly he was there,
but | did not see much of him
But whys" And now Miss Payne's
face grew grave, her voice fell, But
why, my Tessy? Surely"
20, | don't know" Tessy stretched
up two slender white hands, clasping
them indolently above herhead. You
see, Esther, when he first made his
appearance on the scene we had left
the grounds. Most of our girls were
IN the big pavilion getting our tea at
the tables. And that horrid Nelly
Marchmont was there, and Joseph
stopped at her table and stayed there
n long time.
We'll, what them" Tessy had
paused in her recital, and was lying
half kneeling, her soft flushed cheek
resting on her sisters arm She mil
ed little gravely when Esther spoke.
What them O, nothing but this a;
first, suppose l should not have
minded it, but j got hateful fancy
that it was only because of her dress
that he fingered by her; that he was
ashamed to be seen with me >
''TessyI"
90, / know it was mean of me; but
she was beautifully dressed. She is
dark. you know-dark; and she was
all in dark tissue, with broad bands of
gold on her arms and waist and III her
hair. 1t was very becoming to her,
and suppose Joseph paid her compli-
ments in German.
Child Miss Payne pinched
with a smile the little pearl pink ear.
"Well, at all events, he couldn't
call her his 'weisse Blume-his white
flower could he!" quoth Miss Therese
triumphantly. She sat up and rested
her chm on her arm to begin again.
"And SO when he at last began to
make his way acrosS-meanmg to
speak to mel was engaged to dance
with Henry Wister really hadn't
time to waste on Joseph. They-the
other Josef was playing my favorite
music
The witch stopped and began to
hum one of Gounod's delicious airs.
And really didn't see him.
90, Tessy. how could you do y
and Joseph is SO kind. There were
tears ready to break through the
trcmbIc of Esthcr's panied voice.
Kind" broke in Miss Tcssy, indig
nantIy. II don't know what your
IDEAS are; but call it far from kind
to snub me SO. And after all, | don't
think he would have minded it SO
much SO very much-but II slight
shower came up while we were dane
ing, and we all rushed back to the
Pavilion.
Here Miss TesSy paused again. a
dimpling smile stole into her round
rose cheek.
There was IA little spot of marshy
ground in the path and the rain had
made il worse So when we came to
that-vou see had ON my light shoes
Henry threw down his coat, and
nothing to do but | must walk over
it. And when looked up, just as we
entered the pavilion, what an express
sion there was on Joseph's face! do
believe he was swearing to himself
in German"
Esther was silent, with II panied
fear at her heart. What could she
say, How could she chide this beauti-
full young creature who was so dear,
SO winSome, SO worthy of love-of
good mans best love: How could she
help and not hurt!
Well" exclaimed ThereSc, author
itatively, growing tired of the 81
leucc.
My dear" said Esther timidly,
don't you think, with me, that Mr..
Wistcr'S attention was little out
of place; that it was conspicuous:'
Miss Tessv vouchsafed no reply to
this.
Don't YOU think, dear, you might
have reached the pavilion safely, as
the others did, simply by walking on
the bare ground
Il am tired and sleepy | must go
to bed. said Tcssy, suddenly getting
up.
Then she glanced at Esther's face
Smile" she commanded. DO
youthink am going to say good might
to such eyes as those! Smile at
once
The grievcd look melted swiftly into
tears. With loving arms twined around
each others neck, the two sisters cried
silently. But their goodnight kiss was
the Sweeter for those tears.
In the quiet days that followed
perhaps because they were living
nearer together, more i'll sympathy
with each other-theSe two sisters
noticed, Esther that TcSsy wasi more
than usually silent, that under her
;o,-aus IauUh Shoup the ClimmcT. of