Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-12-01

She was very cool and contempt
uous. She tied her bonnet on BIT the
glass; threw her little mantle over her
shoulders; and went out. Next day
she broke our engagement and sent me
back my ring.
The next week [ left home and went
away to sea. Some one had told me
that Dolly was going to marry Ike
Robins.
Mother wroteto me often; and never
mentioned Dolly and / never asked
about her. lived with men, general
~ on the sea, and had no thought OF
liking or caring for any woman. | al
ways intended to go home and see the
old folks. but they died of fever with
in two days of each other, and O.
stranger sent me the news.
Lawyer Dredgers saw to the estate,
and did what l asked him to do with
the money. ! did not need it then,
but it would keep me from being
beggar in my old age. And still Isailed
the sea, until when 40 years old
an accident happened to me which
came near being my death. 1t did
not kill me or cripple me, but
[ was no longer fit for q sail
or's life, and there was nothing
left for me but to settle down on land
and live on my money; and SO [ went
home at last to talk to Lawyer
Dredgers, and get his advice.
| felt very sad as | walked through
the village. My parents were dead, no
one remembered me; had not a friend
in the place.
The lawyer had done his best to
make my money proitableto me, and
I was richer than I dreamed When
all the business was over I took
moonlight stroll through the street.
It was twenty years since the night |
kissed Sally Gray, and lost my love by
it; but nothing had altered In the out
ward aspect Of the place.
People were sitting on their porches
as of yore; the same flowers seemed
to bloom in the gardens; the same
loungers to stand about the tavern
door; the same young men and girls to
hang upon the garden gates. It was
odd to think that the girls might be
the daughters of those l knew.
There! stood the church; there the
parsonage. walked toward it. The
windows of the sitting room were
open. | drew softly near and peeped
in.
The old clock licked in the corner.
The old rag carpet was either the
same or another just like it. There
was only one blue vase on the mantel;
| suppose the other one had been brok-
en-, but there were the profiles of
Grandpa and Grandma Wheeler over
the escrltOire.
There was Dom ME Wheeler, looking
very much older, sitting exactly as he
used to sit beside the table, his red
handkerchief over his knee, a cup of
tea in his hands.
ODDLY" he said.
And from an inner room came wo-
man, large, handsome and high-col.
ored, who said:
swell, father?"
Could it be my slim, young Dolly?
"Yes, it was. She was very fine
looking now, and she looked SO ma
tronly that [ Immediately concluded
that she was Mrs. Isaac Robins.
Still | could not leave the window.
cit was my one glimpse of her,"
said to myself, 'for years past and for
years to come"
"Weli, father?" she said.
And turned smiling toward him.
GIVE been thinking it over, Dolly"
he said. 81 think it would be best for
you to marry. am 80. | cannot
live long. You had better marry Mr..
Braham. He is very fond of you.
You like him, | am sure. Is it for my
sake you say MOP"
She bent over him and put her hands
on his shoulders.
Father" she said, 'I am going to
tell the truth, a thing a woman seldom
does In these matters. [ should not
have to leave you; so it is not for
your sake, much as [ love you. But
do not care for Mr.. Braham. have
only cared for one man in my life-my
first love, James Gardener. | sent
him away from me, and he had done
very wrong; but I think now that we
both loved each other. / know that,
even now, I cannot forget him, and
that | never shall forget him while
live"
There were tears in her eyes, she
brushed them away. In another mo-
ment I was at the door; she opened it.
L held out both my hands. Those
we're Dolly's girlish eyes that looked at
me, and caught her in my arms.
'I have come back to be forgiven,
Dolly" I said, and saw that [ had