Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-09-09

| ed n6r energies 10 Un0 uoSl0CUou garden,
and spent her mornings and evenings
| in waging war with the weeds which
| had taken possession Of the flower
| beds.
In the twilight she would seat her
self at the piano, and as her fingers
ran over the white keys John reveled
in the music that the evening breezes
waited to his window. Sometimes
sweet low melodies with a minor
strain underlying them, sometimes
brilliant fantasies, according to the
mood of TIE performer.
Then again she would sing, and the
rich contralto voice would make the
tender cleaning resonant with melo-
dy.
81 must know her." said John to
himself. ''But how can | possibly get
a chance to become acquainted with
her ?"
He thought of confding in his land
lady and begging her to get acquainted
with her new neighbors that she might
then introduce him, but he knew well
how garrulous she was, and he shrank
from letting her know how much he
was interested in them. No, he must
THINK OF some other way.
At last a thought struck him. Hob
bling over to his writing-desk as we'll
as he could with the aid Of a cane, he
drew out his writing materials and be-
gan to indite an epistle. 1t proved to
be q long afternoons work, for it
seemed to him that he had never be-
fore known how utterly inadequate
the vast resources of the English lam
guage are to express the thoughts of a
lover, or rather conceal them, for his
aim was to make his note merely
courteous and grateful.
He had determined to write and
thank her for the pleasure her music
afforded him, as he was at present an
invalid.
"That will touch her heart" thought
John. 81 guess I won't tellher what's
the matter with me. Thereisn' t much
romance about banana skin and q
sprained ankle"
At the end of theepistle he intimated
his great desire to make her acquain-
lance and begged that she would par
don him for his seeming presumption,
as he knew of no other way to become
acquainted with her.
'FI hope she won't be offended"
thought John, as he directed the en-
velope
~ will get the doctor to post this
note for me and thenno one here will be
the wiser for it,"
After his letter had been dispatched
he watched anxiously until he saw the
postman deliver it at the cottage;
then he sank back on his lounge in a
perfect fever Of suspense.
Suppose she should be angry at him
for his presumption in writing to her !
How should he ever make his peace
with her? He fancied that he was so
desperately in love with her that life
would scarcely be worth living without
her, and he longed to offer himself to
her and learn his fate.
He had not very long to wait for an
answer to his note. In somewhat less
than an hour the trim little maid
crossed the street and left at the door
letter directed to "Mr. John STAN
ton, in a pretty angular handwrit-
ing.
With trembling fingers John tore
open the envelope. What were the
contents of the letter? He soon knew,
for it ran thus:
'DEAR Mr.. STANToN-I am very much
fiattered at your kind communication of my
poor attempts, and [ am glad you enjoyed
them. [ shall be very happy to make your
acquaintance when you are able to be out
again. | have often noticed you at the
window and felt sorry for you, you looked
so pale and thin. | shall be glad to hear
from you again. Yours, very sincerely,
AMANDA VAUGHAN"
John read this note again and again
in a perfect transport of delight.
Could anything have been kinder and
more friendly? She had noticed him
and been sorry for him. What angel
ic pity!
Every afternoon the elder lady
practiced for an hour very sedulously
upon "Maiden's Prayer" and "Whis-
perings of Love-" and the next day it
seemed to John as if she would never
stop.
His headfairly ached, despite his hap
piness, with the monotonous sound,
varied only by occasional mistakes.
He was impatient to hear his fair
charmer play and sing again, for he
knew that she would be thinking of
him this evening.
When at last she took her seat at
the piano he enjoyed her music with a
keener pleasure than he had ever felt
| before; it was for him she was singing
and playing now.
Two or three mere notes passed be-
tween them, and at last John could no
longer restrain his love. Hepoured it all
out IN a long letter and begged her to end
his suspense speedily, assuring her of
his unalterable devotion to the end of
his life.
1t did not take Miss Vaughan long
to make pher mind apparently. The
little maid soon brought her answer,
and John read:
| DEAR DARLING john will be yours,
since you wish it. Can't you possibly come
over this evening about seven o'clock, that
we may hold sweet converse together ?
Yours, till death,
AMANDA"
1t was only a short note, but it
raised John to the seventh heaven OF
happiness. Ofcourse he would 60 over,
and he painfully hobbled around the
/