Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-02-20
ONE LOVE OF HIS LIFE.

An old gentleman, leaning forward
with his hands clasped over a gold
headed cane, was seated in summer
house situated upon the grounds of {
hotel at a fashionable watering-place
He was in corner, hidden by,droopins
vines, and his face expressed deep anc
apparently painful thought. The re-
train of his sad musing was:
"Only one person in the whole world
to love me, and | shall lose even thai
love now !"
On the other side of the summer.
house, divided from the side the ole
gentleman occupied by rustic parti.
ton. two ladies, young and fair, rustled
in, and raking out some fancy work, set
tied down for chat.
One was tall, and dressed in pretty
costume that was at once youthful and
matronly; the other was petite, blonde
and not more than Is. Mrs. CORTLAND
spoke first
Embroidery, Alice?" she said. GA
handsome handkerchief corner. Fol
your rousseau"
"Yes," and the sweet voice taltered
while a burning blush crimsoned the
fair cheek. us it not pretty ?"
Every. | want to talk about your
prospects, child Your Aunt Marcia
tells me you are making splendid
match"
Ibid she? think so, Blanche. NAL
colin is SO noble and good, and true
Christian %
But your aunt tells me he is the IA
vorite nephew of the great oil merchant,
Hiram Bates, whose wealth is something
enormous. You have only to help him
,,Iov hiv r6o uo11 o,d no will
bly, be heir to magnificent fortune.
But what ais you? You look as if I
were telling you piece of news"
81 think Aunt Marcia has been misin-
formed, that is all"
"Then he is not Hiram Bates neph-
ew?''
Il never heard him speak of rich
uncle, and [ am quite sure he has no
hope of inheriting money. He has a
good salary, and my little fortune will
buy and furnish small house, SO we
can make comfortable, and, hope. a
happy home"
odd he never speak to you of his
uncle ?'
Never of rich uncle. He has told
me of a lame uncle, his mothers broth
er, who has been very kind to him, given
him an education and a start in bust
ness. He always talks of him with the
deepest love and pity
"Pity ~
'sHe suffers torture from the effects of
a fall that has famed him for life and
often causes him weeks of agonizing
pain. Malcolm tells me with tears in
his eyes of his fear of losing this dearest
friend and kind uncle, and / think he
hopes | may be useful in nursing him. :"
L wonder if he Is the same"
Ehe old man leaning upon his cane
was thinking.
"Can it be true? Does Malcolm think
so little of my money, that will be his,
that he has never even mentioned it to
his promised wife? Can it be that I
of losing my nephew. when Malcolm
marries?"
Loving his nephew SO deeply, Hiram
Bates had felt keen pain at the news
of his betrothal. He had never seen
Alice Hunter, but he knew that she had
been brought up in circle OF fashion,
and was the orphan niece of one of soci-
ety's gayest yotaries, Mrs. Marcia Hey
DON
He ascertained by inquiry that the
young girl had inherited $4,000 from
her rather and that her winters were
spent with her Aunt Marcia, her sum-
mers with maiden sister of her father.
She was quite belle, though only in So
ciety one season, pretty and accom-
plished, and the old man groaned in
spirit over his nephew's choice.
A belle, and with head full of fash
the girl had been won by the prospect of
Malcolm's heirship to his own fortune.
He had seen in the future his nephew
.estranged from him by the influence of
a dressy, empty-headed woman, or, still
more appalling. his niece-to- be making
false protestation of affection, with a
hone of winning golden favors.
While he unused upon the converse
ton b chad overheard, the sllvery voices
of his young neighbors still sounding be-
side him, there was a sudden crash,
something struck him upon the head
and he lost consciousness.
Cries from the summer-house, from
groups of people collected in the
grounds, brought party of men speed
lily to the spot. The rotten posts sup
porting the roofupon one side had given
way and the side and roof had fallen III.
Mrs. CORTLAND and Miss Hunter were
buried under the fallen timbers, but
were uninjured. Not so the old gen
tleman, who had been their unsuspect-
ed listener. He was taken out pallid
and senseless.
Nobody knew him. He had come on
the morning train, had taken breakfast,
but no room, and asked the hour for the
return train. A surgeon, summoned as
speedily as possible, announced brok-
EN- arm and an injury to the head, max
ing likelihood of a long, tedious illness.
There was some animated discussion,
some suggestions of hospital, search
through the pockets of the unconscious
victim, resulting in the discovery of a
small sum of money, but no letters, pa
spers or cards. and finally desertion OF