Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-01-21

heard or ner engagement t5- kh1tn-r he
had determined to forget her by gather
ing together the little property he had
and beginning life anew elsewhere. Il
was hardly year since the engagement
that bound them together had been
broken, and already, he thought bitterly.
she had fallen into the arms of another
Some said that when Mr.. Dunsmier.
the rich mine owner, had first exhibited
an interest in her, she had sought the
opportunity to discard Hawley. Much
as the latter may have felt his loss, out
wardly be appeared Indifferent BE
could not believe that she had simply
cast him aside for money, and when the
palmer spoken portion Of the community
in referring to the marriage intimated
that after all it had been merely mat
ter of bargain and sale, he would have
told them they lied had it not been for
showing how deeply the wound still
ranked. OF this woman he could never
think aught but good. Strive as he
would, he felt that he never could cease
to love her. He would not blame her
for what she had done. Who could tell
what her motives had been? Might she
not have loved Dunsmier as she had in
the past loved him-perhaps even more?
he only wished that she would be happy
As for Dunsmier himself, he had
never liked him. In fact, there were
very few who did. Selfish. overbearine
and inscriptions, Dunsmier loved
money as he iuyed nothing else on earth.
To him it was god, to be dei6ed and
worshiped above all else. 1t was his
boast that with money anything could
be obtained, and when he bad first be.
gun to visit Mamie Manning, during her
engagement to Hawley, his arrogant
display of wealth, as well as his ill con
cealed contempt of those of less means.
had incensed Hawley SO much that the
quarrel that broke the engagement en-
sued, and Mamie had been pleased to
charge it to his jealousy. After that it
was easy for her to defend Dunsmier.
and then the drifting apart had begun,
until she stood at the altar as Dunsmier's
bride
From that day Hawley had determined
to leave the country. He had gone for
the last time to look at the house which,
during their engagement, Mamie and
he had planned and OF which they had
superintended the building. AS he went
from room to room he thought of the
many times they had gone through them
together, planning for the future and
dreaming dreams that were never to be
realized. For the last time he had
locked the door, and, taking the key
from it, had cast it from him. Some
how he could not bear the thought of
giving it into the possession of another.
That had been months ago, and the
house still stood vacant. AS the buck
board passed it in the early morning he
unconsciously noted how the six months
had changed it, and he wondered if the
woman behind him had noticed it. Ii
was to have been their home. For near
ly two years it had been the one theme
of all others that pervaded their talk,
and now-he would not think of it,
though. After all it might be for the
best. He would leave it behind him as
she was leaving it, and in his old home
in the east he would strive to forget it.
In the company of the dear old mother,
whom he had not seen for years, the
memory of the woman who had entered
his life only to mar it would in no time
pass away. How, thongh, would he ex-
plain to his mother that this woman, of
whom he had written SO lovingly, who
herself had called her mother" in her
many letters during their engagement,
was now t., wife of another-that, after
all, she W / he had thought so true
had proved .,lse? He could hardly bear
to think Of it. Somehow her presence
this morning-her blue eyes and brown
hair, which he had so often kissed and
caressed-had opened afresh wounds
that he had thought healed, and try as
he would, he was unable to put from
him the thought of the love that had
once been theirs. He strove to think of
home. Would there be many changes
to be seen? How glad his mother would
be to see him! Thank God! after all the
years of absence, he was going back
with enough to make her last days ones
Of ease and plenty. He would never
leave her.
She was the one of all the world who
would understand what had befallen
him, and who would know how to sym
pathize with him in his sorrow How
good and true had this old mother been
to him-so different from the woman
who had given him up for che money of
the man whose name she bore. Through
all his thoughts, though, ran the mem
ory of their courtship. He could smell
above the sweet scent of the pine, so
heavy on the mountain air, the same
faint perfume that had always been her
favorite, and which he had grown to
love and regard as almost part of her
existence He wondered how, after all
that had passed, it could still find favor
with her. To him it brought only pain.
In vain he strove to forget it all by lis
tening to the objurgations hurled by Jose
at his horses whenever that individual
thought he detected any disposition to
shirk on the part of any of them.
ii.
"Mulas y vacas" (mules and cows,
would Jose exclaim, in his most wither
ing sarcasm at what he conceived to be
derelictions of his team; "will you not
return anything for the care and love
houo lavish on uo119S