Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS
BY EMMA A. OPPER.

It was very Jolly crowd which
stood waiting in the Breckenridge
depot for the z o'clock train, that
frosty November morning.
One might have thought that Z
was rather an early hour for so large
and exceptionally gay a gathering
especially as only one OF theparty was
to take the train, the remaining six
teen having assembled merely to 'see
her Off"
But for q better informed person the
fact that that one was Ida Terrill,
would have been sufficient explains
ton.
That young lady had come to
Breckenridge on a visit to her aunt,
four months previous; and Bracken-
bridge society had given her the
warmest welcome imaginable There
had been furious run of parties and
picnics all summer. Breckenridge
had never been so lively; for Miss
Terrill had ''taken" immensely and
society had exerted itself in her be-
half.
The heroine of the occasion stood
In the midst of the chattering throng,
entirely bewitching in her snug brown
suit. tossing back laughing replies to
the chorus OF sallies aimed at her.
Charley Whitlock was pretending to
cry into his pocket-handkerchi
George Becker, lolling across a seat
with his hair rubbed up wildly, was
Stimulating a fit of insanity brought
about by Miss Terrill's departure.
The train came putting up.
''You'll surely come back next sum-
mer?'' cried all the girls together.
There was q confusion of kisses and
hand shaking, the masculine portion
affecting violent Indignation that they
We're excluded from the former
Miss Terrill's uncle, who was to see
her safely to the junction at Crosby,
where she was to change cars, hurried
her into the train. And the futtering
of handkerchief from window was
all that was left to the group on the
platform
Charley Whitlock and Lizzie Cavins
walked away together, of course
They had been. engaged all summer,
and were to be married soon.
"Poor Arthur - said the girl, look
j ng after a tall form which had de-
tached itself from the group and was
taking a solitary course up the street.
eyes, poor Gifford" said her lover
compassionately "What made her
throw him over, anyhow? I've never
had the rights of the case; but [ sup
pose you know"
eyes; she told me all about it.
She's the most conscientious girl in
the worid-Ida Terrill. She refused
him simply because she wasn't quite
sure she liked him we'll enough to mar
ry him. She said she'd be doing him
q wrong if she married him without
being certain. So she rejected him."
Charley gave a musing whistle.
''She's rejected mighty nice fellow y
he declared.
Eyes, I told her so. I tried to make
her change her mind, but she wouldn't.
Do you Know oughn'U to say it
bat I've imagined two or three times
that she had come to care for him a
little? You see, the longer you know
Arthur Clifford the better you like him,
and it was two months ago that she
refused him Well, I don't knowp'
Lizzie concluded, obviously.
Ida Terrill, meanwhile, was spin.
ming toward Crosby. Her uncle had
taken from the train boy magazine
for her and newspaper for himself
and was already absorbed in the 20
litical aspect.
Ida turned the leaves of the pam
phlet listlessly, closing it at last and
allowing her eyes to wander among
her passengers rather an I'M
interesting set, she concluded. Their
she rested her elbow on the window
sill and her pretty chin on her hand
and looked out somewhat absently.
Had she made a mistake? she
thought. Was she sorry she had re
fused him?
No, surely not. How could she
have accepted him when she had not
cared for him? There were plenty O.
proofs that she had not cared fol
him.
According to the best authorities
she should have turned red and pale
by turns at his approach, and hel
heart should have substantially in
creased it's palpitations; she should
have been madly jealous at seeing him
with anybody else; she should have
thought of him by day and dreamed
of him by night-if she cared for him
But she had none of these symptoms
OF course, she reflected, as she sped