Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-30

y
broken heart was in her pretty face,
as she went singing about the house,
or sat humming softly to herself, as
she sewed in the window recess; while
as for the doctor, he carried so much
sunshine among his patients that he
was successful as never before But
ne never dreamed that he was not per-
fectly true in allegiance to me. Bless
you, no l think the first inkling he
had of how affairs were tending, was
when he brought in q letter for Caryl
one day, as we were in the kitchen to-
gether. She opened it carelessly, still
laughing and making some gay speech
1T his expense-but the gay words
died on her lips, and her cheeks paled
as she drew out the contents Of the
envelope. Only an instant did she
change tone and color, then she looked
up into Johns eyes and held out the
cards-Laurie's wedding cards, which
he actually had the impudence to send
her.
"You don't care to see them ?" she
asked, her eyes still on his face as he
withdrew his hand with gesture of
scorn, as she proffered them to him.
'Look how shall serve them then"
She went over to the range and held
them suspended for a moment over
the glowing Goals, then they dropped,
and the greedy flames seized them.
"Poor LAUREL" in g. tone of mock
solemnlty. eff he only knew how
every thought of him had burned it.
self out and left notso much as hand
full of ashes, doubt whether he would
feel fiattered."
| What flash kindled in Johns eyes
at her words She turned her blushing
face quickly away, and pretended not
| to see it; but [ knew very we'll why
she commenced thrilling a gay little
Gitty to cover her confusion, and why
he went hastily out of the room, and
we did not see him again that day.
| Evidently the time had come for q
crisis, but how to bring it about did
not know At the slightest suspicion
of Johns disloyalty toward me, Caryl
would fly off-no one knew where. /
was not much versed in such matters,
to be sure; but had the idea that she
must somehow be surprised into a.
knowledge OF the state of her own
heart, and that | must at last take
him into my confidence. So I talked
the matter over in a friendly fashion
one day when Caryl was away At
first he was as obstinate as ever she
had been; but he could not deny that
his affection for her was unchanged,
and then persistently refused to mar
ry any man whose whole heart was
not absolutely mine. It took long
argument to bring him to see how in
earnest | was, and 1 almost feared he
would not give me up, SO great was his
sense OF honor. don't know, indeed,
that he would have relinquished his
claim on me to this day, had | not
absolutely given him back his freedom,
and left him no alternative but to &C
cept it. Then watched for denoue-
ment, but none came. They were both
childishly Indifferent to the real state
of their feelings toward each other
| judging by all outward appearances
and L could see no way to help mat
tiers along.
New Years eve came at last; a
snowy, clustering night, bitterly cold.
The doctor had been called away that
afternoon to visit q patient at some
! distance in the country, and, although
it was late, he had not returned Just
before he went out, [ saw him bend
down to Caryl ashe drew on his heavy
driving gloves, and ask her to fasten a
refractory button. She did so, lifting
her cheeks with a flush that was vast
ly becoming, and with a little culver
in her voice, as she said, ''good-bye"
when he lifted her hand to his lips for
thanks.
All the evening she had been unusu-
ally restless, g,ancing at the clock every
now and then, and lifting the curtains
to see if the snow was still falling. She
same over to my side after while.
Clancy, how Indifferent you are!"
she said, almost pettishly, putting her
head down on the arm of my chair
"Don't you think it strange the doctor
hasn't Gomez"
"Strange? O no. He's often out
later than this''-the clock had struck
eleven nearly half hour ago" Inever
worry"
'I couldn't help it not if I-cared
for a person as you care for John
Dakin." The culver was in her voice
again "You're so queer, Janey.
Sometimes [ think you don't care for
him at all, hardly mean as a-as a.
woman cares for the man she is going
to marry I knew she was trying
bravely to keep back the tears.
st don't care for him in that way,
Caryl," | said, speaking cautiously.
'sI never really cared for him in that
way, although l tried once to think
I did. But that was all over long
ago"
"Janey!" She sat up and looked
me full in the face. I returned her
gaze steadily. Ifthere was a moments
throb at my heart-strings, no one will
ever know. care you telling me the
TRUTH"
Certainly, Caryl would not jest
about such u matter for the world"
"And you don't truly-love him ~
"Not we'll enough to marry him."
There was long silence.
"Why didn't you tell me this be-
fore?" she asked, at length, almost
sobbing in her excitement.
sWhy should I have told your"
asked, composedly. GAS long as you
didn't like him-a cold blooded-"