Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16

by houses, and fences, and fields, she
had appreciated him. She chad known
as who did not?-that he was very
pleasant, very gentlemanly, very en-.
pertaining. And his behavior, after
his rejection, had been nothing less
than sublime. He had as it were, ig
nored it, continuing to devote himself
to her with the same genial Willingness,
and never again referring to the en-
barrassing topic.
She should miss him-she owned
that. She should think of him in the
mazes of the german-there was no.
body at home who could dance quite
SO well; she should think of him on
cool, bright mornings-he had driven
her out so often on such days-and on
warm afternoons, like those they had
spent together in his row boat, or on
the leafy porch; she should certainly
think OF him on moonlight evenings
Ida stopped herself half angrily, and
gave a. determined attention to her
book. Perhaps the words were OBJ
scured for moment by q slight mist
which had somehow risen in her soft
eyes; but it was only for q moment.
1t was 9 when they drew up in Cros-
by's large, covered depot.
you'll take the next train back,
won't you, Uncle Harvey?" said Ida,
as they crossed the severalintervening
tracks to the waiting-room. "I've a
good while to wait for my train, you
know. You won't need to wait with
me-"
"Wen, I don't know" said Uncle
Harvey, irresolutely. mo hurry"
He was dreamy little man, with a
scholarly face and big, near sighted
eyes. He wasSvague and impractical
to the last degree. To be sure, a per.
son of his ample means could afford
to be impractical.
"Pll just see when your train leaves, .
said Uncle Harvey, presently, putting
Ida into q seat and disappearing to,
ward the ticket window.
He came back hastily.
cit leaves in ten minutes" he an
nounced. "I'll put you on it now"
"Ten minutes?" Ida repeated, fol.
lowing him wonderingly.
According to the time table, which
she had studied before starting, she
should have waited an hour and half
for her train.
She mentioned the fact to her uncle.
ooh, it's all right" he assured her,
easily. cts the train for Chiffon. |
inquired"
He found seat for her, chatted un-
til the warning Cali aboard" sounded,
and bade her gOod-by.
IDA leaned back and watched the
slowly receding depot rather YEARLY.
She was not especially fond Of travel
ing-certainly not of travelling alone.
She wished the day were done with,
and she were at home.
She was not sure that she did not
wish she had never come. OF course,
she had had charming time. But
that had made the coming away all
the harder.
She had so hated to leave it all /!
She did not ask herself what, or whom
1t was that she most regretted leav-
ing.
The conductors demand for her
ticket broke up these lugubrious rev.
cries. He gave it a glance and then
said, with q solemnitv beftting the
occasion:
You're on the wrong road, miss.
This ticket is for the B. l.. & G.
Road"
Ida returned his half amused lc ok
with a gaze Of dismayed bewilder-
ment.
"What shall l do?" she said, faint
ly:
The conductor was young, and by
no means proof against perfect face
and pleading gray eyes. He leaned
toward her sympathetically
'Your train" he said. ''won't leave
Crosby till 1870 o'clock. You can get
off at the next station and take the 10
O'Clock express back there in time to
get it /"
He passed on, with a reassuring
nod.
Ida resigned herself, with sigh.
How exactly like Uncle Harvey the
blunder had been! If she had been
alone, she would never have made the
mistake. She would have held fast
to the time table, and there would
have been no such dreadful balk. She
felt something of evaporation.
The conductor assisted her from the
car at the next station.
s'You've only a half an hour to
wait" he said, encouragingly.
Half an hour-yes; but half an hour
in a dreadful little station, with dusty
benches, splintery floor and grimy
windows, was not so amusing.
Ida was the sole occupant of the
small room. She could hardly have
told afterward, how she passed the
time.
She sat down in one of the uncom-
Portable seats and counted the boards
in the floor; she scratched her name
on the window with hesmall diamond
in her ring-a proceeding which, under
any other circumstances, she would
have condemned as highly ill-bred;
and she went out and paced up and
down the little platform.
A house just visible down the road
reminded her family of Uncle Harvey's
and her thoughts roved back over the
past summer, and naturally to Arthur
Clifford.
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