River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-10-11
NOT GROOMSMAN.

I I1ltCUgOch. CtIeIully 4JluALB ll4c SfSuAuS
paper, and placing il on the table.
The person addressed~-a tall, slender
woman about thirty looked ap from
her knitting, and answered with pleasant
smile:
about half-past eight, 1 believe, and,
rising. began to put her work away.
CATERS question had been for the last
six years the signal for retiring to rest. and
although it was foil an hour and half be-
fore the usual hour, Madeline never thought
for a moment Of hesitating to obey.
Something has occurred, she Thought,
! "and he will t3D me before long, for CAT
fer had looke2 at his watch at sight, and a
few minutes s24er, and at quarter past had
changed his c.tsll, and couged uneasily, and
now he asked:
| "What time IL it,"
Madeline was the orphan daughter of an
| old schoolmate; CATER had taken her home
| with him when she was only ten years old,
and his sister had cared for her with moth
| erly solicitude, until she was woOed and
| won By Frank Reynolds and went to dis
tant city to live. CATER had made terri
BILE TODD about her marrying, called her an
| urgrateful good for-nDthing, and declared
it was proper punishment for taking her in
the beginning; but, eVeriheless, spared no
expense on the wedding trosseau. And
| NucUs dDOut ulut years dANCis b4tG OAA4N
back to her old home, widowed and child
less, she was tenderly welcomed by the
lonely man, for the grass waved over the
grave of the good, true hearted sister.
For six years she had kept house for him,
cared for him, humored him, and made
everything bend to his comfort, as few
| daughters ever do. Lovers she had in
| plenty; those who would at any moment
have laid heart, fortune and hand at her
| feet; and when CATER heard that Madeline
had refused them, he chuckled at their dis
comfture and smoothed her SOFT brown
hair, telling her she was good girl, every
way worthy of their love, only he knew that
| she would never leave him.
He had grown so accustomed to seeing
her happy, contented face by the opposite
side of the fire, with some kind of work in
her hands, that occupied neither brain nor
| attention, but left her always free to listen
| to him when he spoke, or play chess when
| the whim seized him, that he felt no fear
at the attentions she received. He seldom
spent an evening from home unless Mad
cline was with him; and he had never left
| his native city since she came home. He
was thinking of all this tonight, as he
watched her folding her work SO carefully.
what are you going to do, Madeline?"
| he asked at last.
"G0ing to put away my work, she an
swered, simply.
what are you putting il away for?"
| you asked me the time, and that is
! equivalent to saying I am tired of you,
Madeline; go to bed p"
NO, it amt, said CATER, gruffly; come
| back here, I want to talk with you-there,
let that knitting work alone. What is it,
| that you are in such a hurry to finish it?"
! Stockings, answered Madeline, senten-
! - 60 III
Haven't You any more that you make
such fuss about this pairf"
| Yes, have pair on, believe, and in
case of emergency could borrow of you"
| CATER sat for few moments in perfect
silence; at last, with a violent effort and
| with very much the air of man who had
| Just made up his mind to have & tooth polled
| said:
"Maddy, I am going away"
Going away" she repeated. Where to,
pray?"
The tone of surprise in which the ques-
| ton was asked fully satisfied CATER of the
Importance Of the revelation.
| yes! 1 am going to New York; Bonne-
hue is going to be married on New Years
| Day, and wants rae to be groomsman.
! Who would have thought old Bonnehue
would nave got married at last; why, he's
at least ten years older than I, and I am
| most fifty. You see, Maddy, child, your
| old bachelor friend is not too old 10 get
married yet Dreadful pity leap year is
| most over; here / an, a hale, hearty man.
| in the prime of life, with plenty of money
| to support wife, and no wife fortheom-
| ing. But what makes you so quiet-don't
/ you want me TO COZ"
mo, said Madeline, gravely, 81 would
| rather YOU would not go; I had made diff
| C1,-,J la IN, g.,
rather think of getting married myself"
Madeline. are you crazy?" and Gaffer
| fairly bounded in his chair with astonish-
/ ment why, what will become of the
| house? what viii become of me2 I'll
starve, know I shall"
You might live with me, remarked
Maddy, in the same grave, business-like
tone.
You know very well, said CATER, testi-
| IL, that | never could live with another
man in the house; l should put hum out be-
| fore the honeymoon was over. And who
| may the happy man be? some blind old do
tard? some conceited dandy? some lame
! mendicant? some lazy yagabOnd who sings
| love ditties to carry away CATERS money?
| or-0r-"
CATER did rot stop for breath, but for
lack of sufficiently expre ssive words to con-
| vey his destation of the projected union.
No, said Madeline; che is not blind or
| lame, or seeking after your foltune." She
! hesitatsd for a moment and then contln-
| ued slowly, he is neither very young nor
| very old, very kind or very cross, very
good or very bad, very rich nor very poor
but think he likes me"
OF course he has told you so in most
affecting tones;" muttered CATER ironi-
callv.
NO. she said quietly, che has not"
| Madeline, are you crazy! or going into a
| dotage? Why did you not tell me that you
| were so anxious to get married? and /
| would have advertised IN all the daily pa
| pers for a suitable lover for widow not
| very far advanced in life, well preserved,
| and anxious to leave CRATER Hitchcock.
! Why did YOU not tell nae all this?" and his
| face clouded woefully. Its zoo bad Maddy.
| | would never have believed you would 60
| away again; 1t was bad enough to leave me
| when sister was here, but now, now, why
| Maddy! Maddy! think better of lido, and
! don't leave me alone, child"
Madeline's fingers worked nervouslyl how
| she longed for the knitting work! "Gaffer,
she said without looking up, perhaps to-
morrow you will not feel so badly about it.
! It is no sudden thing. my determination to
| get married; I have thought about 1t for
| over year. and yet last night ] would have
said there was no telling when the wedding
| would take place.
Poor CATER seemed perfectly undone at
| the news Madeline had impaired, but at
| her last words he started from his seat, and
| drawing up chair took seat IN front OF
| her. 1T is not too late then, he said his
face radiant with hope. You can yet re-
| treat; oh! by the memory of past days; by
| the solemn agreement / entered into with
| your father. to guard his little girl; by all
| the years have loved and striven TO serve
| you. do not leave me now; you know that
| it would be taking away my life to part
| with YOU. He took the two cold hand IN
| his. viii You leave me? Dare you leave
| me?r Still no answer. "If you would be
| happy away from me, my dear girl, say SO,
! and CATER will not say another word; speak,
| Maddy speak; don't mind me.
| The face OF the woman was averted, but
| the words, though soft and tremulous. were
| distinctly heard by the anxious man before
| her. 4 never said / was going to leav6
Won: If ever marry again, it will 30 to be
| forever near You.
| The lock OF anxiety on CATERS face gave
/ place to one Of bewilderment, and then ut
! ter astonishment. DO you mean what
! you say?" he asked.
! q do; and it is for you to Judge whether
he is a blind old dotard, coneeited dandy,
! or after CATERS money"
/ Then Gaffer rose, walked across the room
/ and took his old seat, picked up the even
| ing paper. and asked What time is it2"
@Half-pas nine. Good night.
| "Gogd night he answered, as if nothing