Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-09-12
[From the Chicago Tribune.T
A SOCIETY ITEM.
BY NJ PHELIAI.

did ye see the Cyclops Courier,
Miss Abigail ?" queried old Simon
Sharpe, in quite tever of excitement.
He was leaning over the little green
painted gate, coatless and blue-shirted.
Just beyond Miss Abigail Byrnes paus-
ed in her task OF tying up heavy headed
August rOses-a tall, angular figure,
clad IN brown and white striped print
and big yellow sun bonnet, Very bony.
scant OF smiles, and hard of features was
Miss Abigail, but gentle and generous
as a child's was the heart under the ugly
calico gown.
mo-" she replied. ct haven't seen
it-what's the news ?"
He responded with a counter question.
.'You remember Roger Kearney ?"
ITO be sure. He went to the city to
start big store. What of him ?"
s'They have been a-saying down at
the Corner that just now when he had
got his big store built, S ocked. and
fourishin', he has gone and been burn
ed clean out; every yard Of silk-stuf and
ivory buttons. !" :
He paused, breathIess.
Miss Abigail clasped her thin hands
and elevated her pale brows In dismay-
not at the peculiar English and curious
rhetoric of her narrator, but &c the start
ling information impaired. " Land s
sakes she calculated, ''You don't say
so !"
Simon nodded vigorously.
Eyes" he affirmed, with the apparent
savage relish observable In even phlegm-
attic natures when the misfortune of an
other is the subject of discussion,
lost everything they say Hadn't no
insurance neither. Hahn t saved spool
O. thread. Not as much as HOOK, eye,
nor darnin' needle left /"
Miss Abigail promptly tied the Strings
of her sunbonnet afresh and let down
her gown, which had been pinned care
fully up. ''I'll just run over to Mrs.
Evans" she declared, "and borrow the
Courier. She takes it. News don't
taste good at secondhand, anyhow ! Z"
And she went.
Leaning out of picturesque, vine
wreathed window up at the rambling,
white country house of which Miss Abb
gail was mistress looked pretty Dorothy
Stratton.
Where on earth is aunt going ?" she
asked herself bewilderedly as she caught
sight Of the tall, flying figure. "Leav-
ing the roses only half tied up tool"
But Just then stray sunbeam lit the
stone on Dorothy's finger to dazzling
fame. She forgot all about Miss Abb
ga1's hurried exit as she turned it now
this way, now that, and ended by kiss
ing it IN burst of rapture.
f'You dear, dear little ring!' she said
You see it was quite novel to her yet
her engagement and her ring.
This was only August. In May she
had not dreamed of the existence of such
a person as Mr.. Paul Carlisle. e
He had come down to Blue Berry Hill
In June, popular and successful young
sculptor seeking rest, isolation and
country quiet. And the very first thing
he did-he who coulG have chosen last
year from dozen brilliant society bellies
was to fail head over ears in love with
Dorothy Stratton.
She captured his cratic artistic fancy.
and she pleased his instructive sense OF
refinement.
She was so 1.-THE and graceful, with
such round marvellous cuaves of throat
and arms. And she held her small, sloe-
back head with such charming dignity.
And what could be more winsOme than
the face with its clear, coIorless
skin and liquid gray eyes, and curved
black brows and grave, sweet, crimson
mouth?
Just how June and July passed neither