Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-01-06

ODOt
downward glance.
hasn't asked, eh? Is it the old story
over again, the hard-hearted miser,
who, because he can't get a loving
glance from q pair of bright eyes,
threatens vengeance upon the pretty
orphan and her sick mother, and so
forth, ct cetera9 That the diagnosis,
eh?" said the doctor, with mis-
chievous smile Come, come in these
days that sort of wooing isn't the
thing. There's no romance in that,
as Tom Hood says. But your letter
was addressed in a masculine hand.
Haven't you a big brother, now, who
can set things right?"
"No, DOCTOR" this time with fiery
blush. "It-you see-well mother
cannot write without difficulty, and
she had friend of ours write for her. "
"Ah, yes; I see. Nothing more
proper. And now | am awfully in
quisitive, but I always insist upon
learning all the symptoms. In this
case allow me my preogative as doc
tor. In short, who is your young
friend?"
81 did not say he was young, doc
tor. Really you are too bad. He
well, his name is John Redwood, and
he owns small farm near ours. He
is not wealthy, but"
"But will be if he keeps on in the in
dustrious way he has started, OF
course; that is what you were going to
say" broke in the listener. 'Of course
hecould not raise the money, and equal
ly of course you could not ask him to
do So"
Certainly, we could not think oil
such thing, replied the school mis-
tress.
Both sat silent for q few minutes.
The doctor finally spoke in his CHEEKY
way:
"Well, my dear, I've been in brown
study-though this is an uncommonly
bright one to-day-and I think we will
dismiss the subject for the present.
Only let me say this-I think see a
way out of the woods. You have
finished those authors autographs, /
see. Have you indexed them all? Oh,
yes" as she passed him blank book,
"and very neatly written, too. You
found q Walter Scott | see," as he
ran his eye down the SIS, can A. N. S.;
wish it was an A. l.. S. felt sure l
had his autograph, but could not
place my hand upon it. That shows
how necessary it was that my col
lection should BECOME over thoroughly.
| never should have found time to do
it myself. Now, here is bundle of I
don't know what; odds and ends,
suppose. You will find, / think, some
congressional autographs among them,
some old deeds, perhaps, and l don't
know what not.
Perhaps shall find some nuggets
for you," said the school-mistress, as
she began asserting the papers.
Annie Lyster was the teacher of the
village school in Oldield, delightful
Connecticut hill town, and had be-
come so great favorite with the
eccentric, kind-hearted doctor that it
was now the regular thing for her to
spend her Saturdays and Sundays at
his home-a welcome relief from her
boarding-place. The doctor had given
up active practice, and enjoyed a life
of leisure at his quaint country man.
sion, INDUCING his antiquarian and
literary tastes. The bright young
school-mistress was ready assistant,
delighting to be of service to her kindly
host. She found this morning in the
miscellaneous lot OF letters and docu-
ments a rich mine. There was q page
OF John Randolph's plain and precise
hand, carefully punctuated, part Of
an article which he had published in
the National Intelligencer; then some
ancient copies of deeds, of small value
as autographs; anon a note in the
dainty hand of Edward Everett, &C.
ceptlng an invitation to dine; there
was letter from Edward Stanley to
Henry A. Wise, asking advice about g.
deed. This she had to read to the
doctor, who looked up from his manu-
script simply to say, "Good auto
index it" and resumed his quill. She
took up sheet, glanced at it, her
eyes widened, and she gave an ex-
clamation Of surprise.
The doctor resignedly laid down his
pen. "Found gem ?" he asked.
ssNot exactly, but isn't it strangel
Here's letter addressed to Col.
Holmes, of ROCKFORD. He was the
father of the Mr.. Holmes who holds
that fatal mortgage.
"Eh!" calculated the doctor, and
then, after moments reflection, he
said, "Not so strange, after all. You
see there is, or rather was, doctor
up there whom | knew years ago. He
is dead now, 1 believe-Dr. Merrill;
perhaps you remember him. We kept
up desultory sort of correspondence.
He knew my passion for old furniture,
and few years ago he sent me an old
secretary which he had picked up
somewhere. There were some old pa
pers in it, which I must have put in
that bundle of odds and ends. He
had glanced them over, and seeing two
or three old documents in the lot, sent
them along, writing that might find
an autograph or two. l have never
had time to look. The secretary, by
the way proved to be a nice antique.
/ think it tit came over in the May
hower'-at least, it will bear the say.
ing so. 1t is down in the Continental
Room. Perhaps you have seen it ?"
every likely; but you know
haven't the fcraZe' for old fr1rnit,,ro -