Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
BEN'S OLD HAT.
From the New York Ledger.


yellow farmhouse on the hill. Bache-
lor Barker was dead, and his heir, a
young nephew he had never seen since
the boy was years old, had come down
to sell things off, Rumor said that he
intended to tear down the old house aft
erward, and take the money from the
bank and build a fine new residence
with mansard roof.
ct is a shame" said one or two.
"Such pity Barker did not make awill.
He must have had some intentions
about such a property. He never could
have intended all that wealth to go to a
boy he did not like enough to ask him
over for the summer"
The doctor felt sure he would have
founded a hospital. and placed him in it
as resident physician for life, if the will
had been made.
The clergyman knew he meant to do
something for the church. The profess
sor had heard him speak of free library
and reading-room. Everyone knew
something, and all the far-away cousins
had expected legacies.
Everyone thought the arrangements
all wrong but the heir and the auc-
tioneer, who had made an inventory of
the old furniture-the tall clock, the
andirons, the solid tables with leaves,
the spinning wheels, big and little; the
fiddle-back chairs, and all those other
possessions adored by the fashionable
to-day, but utterly despised twenty
years ago as cold things not worth keep
ing"
The young heir would, if he built his
villa, furnish it with ''sets" of the latest
style, with brussels carpets with white
grounds and bright wreaths of roses
scattered over them.
Cant get much for the old sticks"
he said, ''but I'd like to clear up and be
done with it,
Miss Camiola Brown, sitting at the
front up-chamber window cutting out
calico short waists for Mrs. Blacks five
little boys, laid down her shears for
once in her life, and with her elbows on
the sill watched the people as they
walked or drove past and entered in at
the gates of the late Mr.. Barkers prem
ises.
"Poor Benjamin. she sighed. 81
wonder whether up in heaven he re,
members the day when he took me and
walked me all over the house ?"
g The things are old-fashioned,
Camiola, be said to me; but they were
mother sand before that they were
grandmother's. [ like them, but say
the word and I'll new furnish No,
Ben,' says I, what your ma liked to
have l don't want to alter. I like it all;
it's good stuff and then he kissed me-"
Miss Camiola felt for her handkerchief
as she said this to herself. "And we
stood at the grand window and looked
off toward the mountains. We're going
to be happy as ever folks were said he;;"
here the tears began to fall. ooh,
Ben" she sobbed, Ito think we quar-
relied after that and didn't speak when
we met. But you never married, and I
refused two otfers-good ones. Ben, [
guess we'll meet up there some time
and make up"
Poor old Camiola put her head down
on her arms and cried softly amidst the
purple blossoms of the wisteria that
yelled the window No one could see
her from the road. But her tears dried
soon, and she came back to the present
They were selling the old furniture at
auction. The claw-footed sideboard,
the settle, the big mahogany cradle in
which four generations of babies had
been rocked-all these dear old things
that once we're to have been hers as
Benjamin Barker's wife; and she was a
poor seamstress, an old maid going from
house to house for her board and fifty
cents a day; looking forward to feeble
old age, and with an awful dread in her
soul of becoming '9town poor" at last.
If she had married Ben how differ
ent it would have been.
''Why, Miss Camiola you've been a
cryin' - said Mrs Blacks loud voice
Just then in her ear. Camiola started
guilty., but she was too candid to COM
plain Of cold or the sun in her eyes.
"Well, [ have cried little, Mrs.
Black" said she. "You see we used to
be friends, Mr.. Barker and I, and L
knew his ma, and [ remember all that
furniture, and it seems a sin to sell it
and tear down the old house, and may
be root UP the Elacs and strawberry
shrubs, and perhaps cut down the trees.
1t was almost like home to me in Mrs
Bankers day"
"Well, it must seem sin to anyone,
and more SO to you, Miss Camiola, !" said
Mrs Black. "But don't you want to go
over and see the place and what is GO
ing on? You might just as we'll take
day, or the Test of it. Pm in no hurry,
AMI you look tuckered out"
Mrs. Black was kind in her way and
felt certain pity for Camiola. She had
heard that Camiola was once engaged to
Mr. Barker, and might to-day have been
a rich and important widow instead of
poor, lonely seanstress.
t'Go along, Miss Camiola," she added
"I know you want to"
Ibid she want to-" Camiola asked
herself, and her heart answered ''Y es."
She would see the old home once
more, see the old furniture, and when
she could get chance she would 60 up
garrett and stand where she stood with
Ben that day Her old elbows would
lean where her young ones had pressed;
she would look out over the mountains,
and fancy herself girl again, with Ben
beside her, and his engagement ring on
her finger
And Miss Camiola thanked Mrs Black,
put on her show bonnet with the washed
ribbons, and the shawl that had been SO
good once, but was faded, and even
mended now, and walked up the road,
and turned into the lane, and entered
the Barker garden.
The smell of the shrub came to her;
the lilac flowers were gone, but the will