The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-09-08

VaSs that N where live"
"Ah," said May. adjusting her blue
glasses firmly upon her nose. swhat a
dear coy little placc-thc prettiest one
we've seen for miles"
Are you marricd?' she continued.
fearful that the generous impetus to
speech would dry up forever
Yes" Mr. Kramer replied, looking
back ut us with curious twinkle in
his eye. 81 was married sort of ucci-
dentally.'
Dear met" cried May, with vivacity.
II am certain from your manner that
there was something very odd about
your marriage. Would you mind tell
ing Us about the--incident or accident,
whichever il wasp
IF il will pass away the time for
you," Mr.. Kramer replied, II don't
mind telling you how won my WIFE"
IL would scarcely have surprised us
more II the town pump had suddenly
commenced a narrative.
81 was born in the little village we
passed through back yonder, and SO
was Fanny Davis. We went TO school
together, sat in the same seat at church,
rode in the same hay wagon. slated on
the same ice ponds, went to the same
husking bees but we didn't love each
other much for all that.
IL was one of the first Of the country
boys who enlisted. There wasn't more
awkward boy in the regiment.
"Tll skip the history of the war, and
only say that after more than three long
years spent in marching and counter
marching from battlefield to battlefield.
! came back to the village down there
a different man from the one who went
away
'Such time as they made over the
little fragment Of our regiment, when
we came home all ragged and weary
and worn. The folks got up a big re-
ception down in TIE old church.
They gave us more good things than
we could eat in month, and made
speeches that were good deal more
flowery than our path had been.
II had often dreamed of this home
coming, down under the southern stars,
and thought of the old familiar faces
that would brighten when they saw me.
|
like to take first, but in all my dreams
l had never thought of Fanny.
'By and by there was little pause.
| looked up and there. not more than
three yards off. with cheeks like roses
and eyes like stars, she stood looking
at me with such "a look as ! never
thought she could have for anyone,
much less for me
1T was SO unexpected my heart stood
still for moment She came forward,
and seized hold of both my hands and
said. in choked voice:
''Sam. you are brave man. i am not
worthy to unite your shoe; but want
to take your hand and tell you how
honor you, and how sorry am for all
the unkind things have done and said
in days gone by.
'You see the war had educated her,
too.
''All the long years of the war rolled
like flashing panorama before my
brain. Commonplace actions that had
before counted only as my duty grew
strangely heroic. was proud OF the
ba RS on my shoulders felt every inch
a hero.
"And yet it seemed as IL would
rather have her tear-flled eyes look at
me in that way than to have all the
honors the world could afford.
''Of course / went to see Fanny. No
distance would have been too great, no
storm too severe to hinder me. And
many a time when l have walked a
mile or more just to touch her little
soft hand or look into her eyes / would
think of the times upon times had
gone almost as far the other way SO
that | should not see her.
II followed Fanny like shadow. l
asked her to marry me over and over
again. From taciturn man grew to
be n great talker
''She must have inspired me. I think,
for when | was with her something
within me would speak by the hour with
an cloqucnce and force that | would
have been incapable Of in ordinary mo-
ments.
AT first she always said NO TO my
questions: not harshly. or with ridculc
but just little soft No, don't love
YOU that seemed as il it was so frail
and SO slight that could overcome i,
IL only pcrsevered.
80 things went on for over year
Everybody in the village got to know
our affair, IL il could be called by that
name. and some said was a fool u
think for moment that Fanny Davis
would have me; and some said she was
a fool not TO take me, II she could
get me.
Finally we had what thought was
the very last quarrel we should ever
have. Fanny. worn out by my persist
ency, had angrily told me never to
speak to her of love again; never ever
to come where she was.
"Then for the first time / think
gave up all hope Iavoided Fanny, as
she wished me to for long time. but
couldn't stop thinking of her for all
that.
zone day was walking up the street
thinking Tor the hundrcdth time of our
last interview, and trying to be man
again without her. ! said over and
over again that ! would conquer the
mad feeling that seemed to rush
through my veins, that would put hel