Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-02-08


No one knew the ms and outs of San
Francisco trade better than he; and
Vandor managed to steer clear of Pine
street, and locked his money into the
walls of a big bonded warehouse:
From being enumored of our state and
our climate, it was easy enough to fall
in love with one of our loveliest girls;
and before their knowledge of each
other had lasted year, Agnes made
herself believe that she loved HIM well
enough to become his wife; and all
this with full contents of grutf Rich
ard Earle.
At the point on line of stairs on
the lowest shelf of the Berkely foot
hills, about mid way between the
south hall of the university and the
grounds of the State Institute for the
Deaf, Dumb and Blind, is a covered
cistern, in which is guarded the out
flow of dozen mountain springs.
This point is the vantage ground OF
superb outlook. To the south the
farthest visible horizon is marked by
the round shoulders of Iona Prieta,
ten miles southwest of San Jose. 10
the north, in the farthest dlscernlble
distance, are the low hills between
Petalnma and Santa Rosa, wasting
line of deepest indigo at the base Of
the blue sky. There are three even
ings in October and three in April,
when looking from Berkely, the sun
sets directly behind the Farallones,
and against its exaggerated and
distorted disk the curious clusters of
black rocks stand out like silhout-
ties.
1t lacked less than an hour of sun
set when Agnes climbed to the little
knoll and stood beside the queer,
cone-shaped istern roof. The far
scape of land and sea and sky unroll-
ed like a scroll from her very feet,
west and south and north.
4 little path meandered at an up
ward angle around a southerly curve
i'll the broad hillside. Along this
path came a..youug man with dog
at his heels aud gun under his arm.
Il was John Naudor ,rudging home
from contraband sally after unlaw-
ful wing shots. Agnes did not heed
his appruach, and lac leaned against
the fench scarcely a rod away, with
the dog at his feet and cigar in his
mouth.
Il is idle TO try and attain the i'm
po>Slb le-to put into accurate think
lng and tangible words the loveliness
of that evening scene Looking due
south, over the apparently periert
level of Oakland and Alameda, ~
south arm of the bay, which gleau~
under the morning sun like a narrow
silver ribbon that boy might jump
across. was a river of indigo, with
scarcely visible ripple on all its sur
face. A wall of smoke arose above
the houses of the city; its base is
gloom, its coping lighted with yellow
flame.
II like it, Agnes, do you
Agnes turned at the sound of his
voice, and there was trace of dissat-
islied surprise in her tones OF wei
come.
The young man would have been
duh indeed, if he had not noticed, and
spiritless indeed if he had not been
piqued. you surely don't wish to
keep the picture quite to yourself, dc
you5"
mo, it was the Immediate fore
ground only that | cared to monopo-
| lie
Cared is past tense, Agnes"
Care, then"
"Care then isn't grammar"
! She looked at him disdainfully fol
an instant, and then looked another
way.
You will be sorry for this some
but very grayeIy. eff [ have offend
ed you, let me know how; I'm al
ways ready enough to apologize, am
not2'
'Too ready"
''Too ready?"
eyes. am as tired of this inter
mnable scene making as you can pos
sibly De-this kiss and make up con
dition of affairs. We are engaged
we have exchanged VOWS and ring.
and sophistres-".
''Sophistries!'
'Yes; have we not declared ovel
other above all else2 1t is Am er
ror Each of US loves bis own way
better than sweetheart or lover. Is i
not soa'
"For you, possibly; not for me"
If she had looked more closely al
HIM as she spoke she would have no
ticed that his face wore an expression
she had never before seen. John Van
doris forehead carried frown as BLACK
us the shadows Of the forest hil'sides
above San Pablo, and there was the
precise sort of glitter in his brown
eyes that the usual fictionist describes
as "baleful." But she did not notice
and when he said, slowly and painful
ly, as If every word cost him Il mo
mcnt OF physical pain, do you want
your freedom back again, Agnes2'
she answered him, with defiant ring
of assured proprietorship in her lark
like voice;
Why, yes, for while, if you
please"
1t shall be until you please to tire
of il, was all he said.
lie strobe down by the hillside slope
without single good bye, and she
continued to stand with scornfu}
smile, while the after glow faded ont
of the sky. But the smile faded with
the waning flush in the western sk,e
and with the darkness came sudden
dread-a dread she had not known or
dreamed of. will he ever come
back?' she thought. will her she
said aloud. An obtrusive hoot-owl
screechcd shrill reply, and the
proud girl found it anything but reas-
surfing.
She had been so sure of John Van
doris love, had taken i; 50 for granted
that no daring seemed too great She
had thought it did not greatly matter
how courtship Jared since marriage
would be the master on the morrow
She was prepared to be to her husband
all that a wife ought to be; but not to
abate one jot of her freedom in com
phance to her betrothed-that was an
other matter.
The morrow came, and the to NOR
rows moro 8; but John Nandor did
not come with them. One day Agnes
went to her fathers study. In her
eyes we've uuwouted tears. She told
him everything. He waited until she
stopped crying; then he said--and,
though the words were those of Rich
ard the bear, the tones of the voice
had in them all the tenderness of the