Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-09-25
THE OLD MANS ROMANCE,

Going west, are you, Bobp" asked
the old man quietly, AS he added .
fresh stick to the already glowing fire.
Yes; | leave for Texas on the early
train tomorrow, Cousin Tom the
young man answered firmly, almost
solemnly.
DO YOU fnd-have you heard that
there is IA good opening for II physician
out there where you are goingg' said
the old man as he lighted his pipe and
reseated himself in his comfortable
leathern chair.
II don't care a continental whether
there is an opening for "A physician OF
not; | am going west to 90 to work,
said Bob quickly. Il may end by be-
Ing cowboy or something worse, per-
haps,' he added with laugh that it
was not pleasant to hear.
And how does the little Alice like
the idea of your going?" asked Cousin
Tom carelessly it seemed, but his
half-closed eyes under his shaggy
brows were fixed very intently upon
the young fellow NJ he spoke.
Bob WINGED. II have not considered
it necesSa. e to notify Miss Ames of my
Intentions he snid stillly.
Perhaps | may as well tell YOU"
he continued after II moment, that it
will be through no voluntary act OF
mine that she ever hears Of me again;
so, ii you please, we will leave her out
of the conversation. But come. Cousin
Tom. you have been ont west yourself
Tell me something abort the country
The old man pulled away SLOWLY 10
his pipe. The young fellows indillor-
ence did not deceive him. There we're
good many thoughts in his mind. He
had been sitting long while alpne
with only the dim freight and his
memories for company. The coming
of his young cousin had hardly dis
PEELED the visions he had been ~.
ing, and he waited IL long time b. we
replying
Yes" he said, ut length, between
the pulls II have seen a good deal of
the west, and very different country
il is from this, | can assure you There
is hardly a square mile of ground in
the whole state of Texas that | have
not been over; aud Mexico aud the
territories, and California. too | know
pretty well. was IA considerably
younger man than | am now when |
went to the frontier. | little thought
then of becoming the decrepit old
bookworm that ] am now, with hardly
strength enough to light my pipe. 1t
has been II good long time since the
Mexican war though, hasn't it? was
hardly ms old rs YOU when | enlisted.
Did | ever tell you Bob said tho
old man suddenly, chow | came to 20
TO the warp"
No said Bob, "and | have often
been curious to know why you threw
up everything aud spent so many years
OF your life in wandering about"
"Well,' said the old man. leaning
forward 10 empty his pipe upon the
hearth. Il may make pretty long
story of it, and if you get tired you
must let me know. After left school
| settled down in the village to prac-
tice law | was never very wild fell
low, only quick aud hot-tempered-.
quick and hot-tempered. Ave, there's
" here the trouble came, said the old
man musngly, The freight tlickered
urou his bald head aud sunkeu cheeks
and his ewes were very sad.
Here, boy he said, as he fumbled
in his pocket and produced little,
worn velvet case, "that has been with
me everywhere through all that west
ern wild. Look at it rs talk to vou.n
why, this is Alice sir" SAID Bob
eagerly rs he opened the case.
Ave, Alice. - said the old man, hut
not YOUR Alice. NV Alice | used to
call her in the old days she was
Alice Ames' aunt. can see her now,
boy. rs saw her the day She sat lis
tenng to me as told my love TO her
She Kept her ewes bent down upon the
grass 1T her feet all the time was
talking To her. We had walked down
the hll to the rustic seat under the old
beech tree, hut that. too. is gone now.
forgot Her hat had slipped oil,
remember. and her rough rings OF
hair seemed to have caught the ravS of
the sun himself and shuue and glinted
round her head She lifted her sweet