Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09


clock, and there was some excitement.
Camiola stood at the door awhile and
listened to the bidding Deacon Hick-
ory got the clock, Mrs. Amos Mole the
clawfoot sideboard. A Jewish lady from
the village bought the trunks of women's
clothing, sold unopened, for next to
nothing Ann Barnaby, the washer
woman, got the tubs and irons cheap in
a lot, and so on and SO forth.
To Camiola it all seemed tragic. She
went upstairs where people were polk
ing the beds and pillows, and examining
the toilet sets and curtains, and she be-
gan to mount the garnet stairs.
"Noth1n' up there" said well-mean-
ing person, who was descending.
I" Tain worth willie to lose breath a.
climbin''
Camiola did not answer.
Nothing up there! How little peo-
pie knew There was the window at
which two lovers had plighted their
vows. There, perhaps, fingered some
ghost of her dead past, and his who had
died elderly and bachelor.
AS her head rose above the floor she
gazed eagerly about her. From the
rafters hung some branches of withered
herbs and some ropes of onions. The
trunks had been carried down, and an
old bureau A coat hung upon peg;
over it a hat Camiola went to the
window. She would not cry, for she
must face those people down stairs
again; but she uttered little means of
anguish as she stood there She real
lied what life actually is at that mo-
ment, and it seemed very cruel to her
once young, beloved, pretty and hope
full; now old, unloved, wrinkled, and
with nothing to wish for. No wonder
that she suffered.
At last she turned her back on the
eternal mountains-unchange while
lives were lived, and while youth fed
and love departed, and graves were dug
and saw the coat upon the wall; Ben's
coat-an old mans coat worn long and
carelessly; and big, broad brimmed,
soft hat The woman went closer. She
nestled up against the coat, and talked
to it and caressed it, and she took the
hat in her hands and kissed it. 1t was
worth nothing. It had rain stains on it.
Its shape was odd Nobody wanted it.
But what q relic it would be to her of
Ben Only she could not ask for it,
She could take it, hide it under her
shawl-all folded fat, as it would be-
and keep it forever. Ben's hat-her
Ben's hat Why, she had right to it.
And Miss Camiola obeyed the impulse,
took the hat and hid it neatly away.
It seemed almost as though it were a
theft; still it would not be wrong to
take it.
When she came home Mrs. Black told
Miss Camiola the walk had done her
good; her cheeks were quite red; but she
went early to bed that evening. She
bolted her door and undressed in hur
IVY Che mt Tho linbt Tbop tho
felt for her shawl. in which the hat lay
folded, and took it in her arms. A GER
tain perfume which was always connect
ed with Ben's hair was family noticea-
ble-an odor of bergemot. 1t brought
the past back wildly. 1t almost seemed
as though Ben's head rested on her
heart. She clasped the old hat closely
and kissed it.
ooh, Ben," she whispered, 81 was al
ways ready to make up; but you were
rich and [ was poor; and j was proud.
Oh, Ben oh, Ben, Ben, my darling ~
And for hours she lay awake-the
Camiola of the past-in the darkness,
which blotted out the changes in her
face, and fell asleep at last and dreamed
of young Ben and his perfumed hair, and
heard him once more say that they would
be happy together
dawn, and came back to herself She
dressed herself, smoothed her prim
bands of hair, tied on her black apron
with pockets, pinned the cushion and
the sheath of scissors at her side, and
then looked at the hat. Of course it
must be hidden away, and she spread a
newspaper on the bed in which to wrap
it, and paused to look at it again
The inside of the hat presented itself.
The piece of leather which lines the
crown looked curiously thick She
touched it with her hand. Under it
was long paper folded into narrow
slip. She drew it out and saw that
something was written on the outside.
Taking the paper to the window she
saw that the words were these: "The
last will and testament of Benjamin
Barker"
At this Miss Camiola began to tremble
from head to foot, but she was daugh-
deed she opened the will; but she did
open it and read it through, and when
she had finished she crept into bed
again and lay there sobbing for a long
while; for in it she had found strange
things. Some of Benjamin Barker's
money had been left to the hospital,
some of his land to the church, and
there were legacies for many people;
but the homestead, with all its furniture,
garden and farm land, and an income
on which she could live luxuriously,
were bequeathed ''to Camiola Brown,
spinster, in memory of the love | bore
her all my lonely life"
No wonder poor Camiola wept.
But Mr.. Black soon found out the
cause of Camiola's agitation and Mr..
Black was lawyer. The will was cor
rectly made; the witnesses were found.
Why Benjamin Barker had put it in
his hat lining no one knew He often
carried papers there. Perhaps he
meant to leave it in safe keeping, but
he died very suddenly, with hat and
coat on, as he was. about to drive out.
But the will was found and was all right.
Nothing had vet been taken away. The
money was refunded to the purchasers
of the old furniture.
The young nephew had a tolerable
legacy and made no fuss whatever, and
one day Caniola entered the home
stead as its mistress. 1t was strange
ending to her love story, she thought.
She was here at last, but how? 1t
almost seemed to her as though some
To- AL lo