Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-11-14


days, then one morning on my way
into town | met him. He was on his
way from the doctors office, and !
knew | must have hurt him. He gave
me Il scowl burt said nothing. | I'M
delstoOd that we'll enough, lie
wanted TO keep the truth of it all
/ from his folks. Perhaps they
! guessed something of it. I often
thought as much, for not long after
wards his folks left town and when
they returned he was not with them,
nor did | see him again for two
years. l had forgotten about him.
and | guess Mary had, for she never
mentioned him.
1--WE had been married year and
months old. when one evening after
! sunset, while coming across our farm,
! saw Il man some distance away,
/ who made me think of Judson.
Whoever it was, he had passed very
near our house. | hurried on home
as usual, for homecoming was then
the sweetest part Of the day, and
thought nothing more of the man.
until three or four evenings after
i that, when | saw the same man hur-
/ rylng along, and, as | thought, look
! ing at me sideways from under his
, Lat. This time | WAS sure il was
! Judson. If it was, where was he
I coming from? Surely, not my home.
/ | looked after him a few minutes,
then east aside what thoughts had
/ entered my head, and went on.
mentioned him to my wife, who, be.
/ fore lnakiUg any reply, hurried out
in the Kitchen and | thought as she
/ did SO | saw her face flush. How
ever, she denied having seen anyone,
and | blamed myself f)r letting the
thoughts that made my blood chill
come into my brain. | did not see
him again, ana | knew. or felt
knew, that | had been mistaken.
But one day. some time afterwards,
| went home to find that my first
fears were we'll founded. TO find
Mary and little Mel gone my house
deSolatr, my life ruined
Little Mel was then learning to
walk. ana toddled to the gate every
evening ID meet ne. That evening
she was not there. God help me
what Il home coming that was. 7 had
never once during our married life
suspected for an instant that she
cared fer hin. He was strange
fellow. and could not help wonder
ing il he had net frightened Mary
into going away. 1t seemed to me he
was capable of doing anything low
and mean. And she was always so
honest | couldn't believe evil Of hrr.
| Thinking | might save her. and sure
she would come back with me, | went
right into town, trying to find her.
1t did not take me long to find ont
that IudSon was in town and living
alone ut the family house. He had
good share of wealth, and had doubt
less this to aid him in his plans. |
tried to see Mary, but couldn't. Per
hapS she was afraid to trust herself
in the presence of her faithful old
| husband. ! wrote to her, and she
answered only Il word or two, beg
SllS VI XIV clItSN lbI lbN liz ~ uNlNpIl,
| | went Oh home, or to my empty
house, It wasn't over to be a home,
and spent the night suffering as only
man can over such shock. !
lived on, ard worked harder than
ever, for had to keep busy, or !
would have gone crazy.
Il thought Of her and our little
Ncl constantly. and would have laid
down my life for both any day. |
never went to bed but that wished
before morning could hear her
knock on the door never looked at
our gate without wishing, praying |
might see her standing there with
little Mel. How l wished day aud
night that she would come back, and
the hope that she would. some day,
kept me alive But weeks, months
and years went by and without her
coming. | never saw her, never heard
from her, lost track of her entirely.
Three days ago | found her acciden-
tally, but too late to tell her | still
loved her; too late to do anything for
her She vas already gone. had died
that ,right, with only Mel in the room,
IIcy face showed she had led a hard,
unhappy life, as all women lead \
are rnticcd away from Gcd by dogs
# mon. .TudSnn had deserted l'er
months before. and she. ashamed 70
come back, had lived and died in
Naat l buried her over the hill,
where we used to be happy, ami now
li'tle Mel is gong home with lad.
'IhC mans eyes were wet, his Yrs
compressed. but Quiverin-, lie ~ y.
cred the child in his arms, kiSSol i.c1
pas>ionatcly ted her bonnet ua'I"r
her chin, lifted up the r, -. anil giy-
Ing me friendly nod, lr'H! out up
the crooked path.
The old wagon jo,ted III a9i Down.
the wheels credkcd and ma2"td rs
though telling over and over the woe
that was in the old mans heart. My
eyes followed them until the little
Sunhonnct tapping in the wind, ana