The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-01-05
A Chicago Romance.

time were beginning to show, marking
with an unerring certainty that was
almost painful the last milestones on
the rugged pathway of life-looked up
at her husband with an expression that
strove hard to be cheerful, but in spite
of all her strength of purpose there
was nervous quivering of the lips,
and into the brown eyes there came
look of mingled usefulness and sor-
row that was pitiful.
Thirty years ago, when Mehitable
Nonesuch had married Phoenix w.
Brown, there was no handsomer bride in
all the country round, and as Phoenix
knelt beside her at the altar of the little
chapel that stood in the dell beyond
the meadow, he felt that with this
woman, beautiful in form and feature
as the rose and pure in heart as the
lily, to guide and assist him, his life
should be forever peaceful and happy.
They had moved to the little farm that
his father had given them, and through
three decades of years, that seemed
when looked back upon from the sum-
NIT of prosperity and love as but so
many beautiful summer days, had lived
together in almost perfect happiness.
Two children, boy and girl, had
been born to them and were still alive.
Harold, strong, sturdy, and in the full
glow of manly health and vigor, had
come back from college three years
ago and was now the trusted cashier of
the Baldwinsville Bank. Gwendolen,
who had grown into fair, stately
| girl of twenty, was the light
of the household. Suitors by the
score had wooed her, but, while all were
received kindly, the pleadings of all
save one failed to move the girls heart.
BERWICK Hetherington had known
| Gwendolen from childhood, and be-
tween them there had long EXISTED a
pure, passionless love-a flame that
! burned with a clear, steady radiance, as
beams the soft light of the evening star
"a love that cast around their lives q
| golden halo in whose rays both seemed
TRANSPORTED and beautified. BERWICK
had told Gwendolen of his love as they
walked home one beautiful October
evening from the weekly meeting of
the Women's League for the Suppress
sion of Polygamy in South Africa,
and us he whispered in her ears the
words that seemed sweeter than ever
man had uttered and been answered
with one little word, bashfully spoken
in low, sweet tones, he had drawn her
to him in the full, mellow light of the
| glorious moon that hung in the sky like
q pail of motion gold and pressed on her
dewy lips the betrothal kiss.
"Our lives shall always be happy,
sweetheart" BERWICK had said that
| iobf ha ,No,to1 fpnI,, ft1,rnOlc IL Of
the gate, and she, as he held her for one
blissful moment to his breast, had
twined her arms around his neck and
answered him with 4 kiss.
Two weeks later Farmer Browns
favorite speckled COW got into the po-
tato-bin, and when the morning sun
leaped from behind the haystack its rays
fell on pallid corpse.
The potatoes had triumphed.
Like nearly every man who has tried
to lead a six-months' calf to water with
the rope tied around his waist, Farmer
Brown was superstitious, and the tragic
death of his favorite COW made a deep
impression on his mind. "Misfortunes
never come in single harness." he had
said to his wife the day after Bossy's
death, as he came into the wood-shed
and let the deceased's hide fall with q
dull, sickening thud in the corner. 'We
shall have more bad luck before we
have BETTER" he continued, and his
words had proven true. A succession
of reverses had come thick and fast
upon him. Neighbor Simpsons bay
steer had got into the huckleberry
patch one night, and in the morning
there was violet-colored steer, but no
huckleberries. Then the popcorn crop
had failed, and the mortgage placed
on the farm in the hope of retrieving
those losses had come due, with no
money to pay it, Jasper Knuckledown-
tight, who had loaned Farmer Brown
the money, was relentless creditor,
and unless payment was made on the
morrow would foreclose. 1t was this
knowledge that had caused Farmer
Brown to utter the words with which
this chapter opens. He had told his
wife and children the previous evening
how matters stood, and all had gone to
bed with weary hearts.
Eyes wife, we are ruined" repeated
the old man-''no, not ruined, y he con-
tinued, ''while we have these jewels, y
pointing as he spoke to Harold and
Gwendolen, who were entering the
house together. "We are rich in then
love--the greatest treasure life pos
sesses." .... ...
Father said Harold, speaking
slowly, evil nothing but the payment
of thousand dollars save our homep''
Nothing" replied the old man, sadly
Then here is the money" continued
Harold handing his father a roll OF
bills. That package contains a thou
sand dollars"
"Where did you get this money"
asked the father.
81 have robbed the bank"
, For an instant no word was spoken
Farmer Brown was the first to breal
the silence. sis this all you took?" he
! asked.
Eyes"
"Good Heavens, boy! We are
ruined. We must have at least another
thousand.
,, "Whyp"
"Topay lawyer for acquitting you.
Harold's face became ashen. "Grea
,, Heaven, he said, slowly, "why was l 81
, forgetful?"
, "Wait," exclaimed Gwendolen, VIII,
had remained silent, 'until | return,