Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-07-12


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
low branches kissed her bonnet as she
passed under them.
The neighbors who saw her nodded or
spoke, but they were selling the tall
clock, and there was some excitement.
Camiola stood at the door awhile and
listened to the bidding. Deacon HEX
ory got the clock, Mrs. Amos Mole the
cIawfoot 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 garrett stairs.
"Nothln' up there said well-mean-
ing person, who was descending.
" 'Tain't worth willie to lose breath a
climbin'."
Camiola did not answer
Nothing up there! How little peo-
which two lovers had plighted their
VOWS. There, perhaps, fingered some
ghost Of her dead past, and his who had
died elderly and a 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 a 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
with nothing to wish for No wonder
that she suffered.
At last she turned her back on the
eternal mountains-unchanged while
lives were lived, and while youth fled
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, adbrimmed,
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. 1t had rain stains on it.
It's shape was odd Nobody wanted it,
But what a 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 fiat, 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
1t seemed almost as though it were
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 a hur-
ry. She put out the light. Then she
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, II was al
ways ready to make up; but you were
rich and | was poor; and / was proud.
Oh, Ben oh, Ben, Ben, my darlingp'
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 atlast and dreamed
of young Ben and his perfumed hair, and
heard him once more say that they would
be happy together
She awakened suddenly in the early
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
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-
for Of Eva Softly anJ t1u