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

hat aside | wiped the moisture from
my brow, then dropped into an easy
posture Oh little mound Of dry
. leaves at the base Of the tree. Here
watching the wind-tossed leaves play
ing hide-and-seek, the butterflies,
/ catch-lf-you-can, and the sunshine
slyly peeping in through the moss.
! tangled branches trespaSSing upon
the shade, | listened and enjoyed all
only as one can on summer day.
While sitting thus | heard the creak-
! ing of wheels, and looking up saw a
wagon approaching slowly. 1t was a
dilapidated affair, drawn by one old
OK, whose color must have been at
one time white, but was now, owing
I to neglect and a liberal sprinkle Of
red clay dust, rather uncertain. The
harness was Of many knots and little
strength, and the driver equally worn.
! the trees. removed his br0ad-brimm I'd
! Slouch hat. and with red handker.
/ chief Of tablCcloth prop portions en-
| deayorpd to absorb the perspiration
| that was triclling loWn his led-
| brown face and neck, but finally gave
! it up as u useless task. He spread
/ out the kc""hicf . dry and remained
! for several moments quietly. dream
/ iHgly allowing the breeze TO fan him.
! Presently he glanced around him a
| little nervouSly | thought, but with
out seeing me, and reaching down in
! the bottom Of the wagon, he lifted up
n little child, whom he pressed
against his breast, then bending over.
! fOndly kissed her upturned face many
! times.
When he raised his face there was
lEe for the old red handkerchief
again, not from the heat Of the sun
this time, but from some heartache
which was partly expressed by great
tears that ran down and filled the
holloWs Of his cheeks. He straight
cned up, drew his sleeve across his
face two or three times, then lifted
a jug, a lineup and paper bag on
| the seat by him. And the two had
lunch of milk and tea cakes, after
which the man, with his face buried
between his hands seemed to have
drifted away into some thoughtful
doubtless sad channel, while the lit
tie girl made Il pretty picture sitting
beside him, one hand on his knee. the
! other clutching the seat, her wide
open eyes taking in the surroundings
with wondering interest, while the
breeze tossed 4 head of blonde curlS
about her fair. fresh little face.
watched them for several minutes.
ana being still unobServed by either,
| got up and went over to where they
wrrN. Both wern Startled, but the
man Sooh recovered and began talk
Ing to me. was much interested IN
him, and tried to lind out some thing
about HIM. At first he avoided per-
SonalitieS, and then suddenly, rs
though he was too full of woe to keep
it within him. he began to talk Of
himself.
This" said he, laying his hand on
the rhild's head, sis little Mel. She
is all dad has now, and I'm all she
has, poor little one. We used to live
oNci itfl I'M, hiIN' u'lu dHu Ntl,
but we don't any more; cyerythin2s
different now, and has been for wears
II is eight years ago this month since
Mary and | went over the Hill to
live. We were just married., and.
we'll those are always the best days.
from daylight to dark and never re
tired. You See | had her to work for
1t always helped me to think it was
for her; loved to make money for
Mary She had been Il poor girl with
hardly anything she needed, and
now she was mine it did me good to
give her what she wanted. Before
we were married | had a little trou-
bic about her, burt believe that's
generally the way when a girl is
pretty. rs she was, and has more
than one lover SO it was with Mary.
But all of them except one finally
gave away to me, for she showed she
liked me better than the others.
This one. however, hung on and
worried me Il good deal | was tired
of him, and hated him more than
hated a rattlc~nake. He knew H. too,
and In turn hated me-
"lle knew Mary before ! dill. and
pretended to care for her, but ia the
whole time he never asked her to
marry him. His folks Wee not the
ones to reach cut AMI Welct ne home
a poor country girl who had never
gone to school six months. They
rode in CARRIAGES and carried their
noses high, Mary Went bare footed
and worked, and had moro honesty
| in one second than those big bugs
ever had in their whole lives And
besides. she WAS the pretticSt girl in
the county. The boys all loved her:
they couldn't help Il, and all acted
fair 10y her except this dudsh fellow
IudSon. He carried high head
came to see her when he wanted to,
and took her walking. but never went
whore thrrr was any chance Of his
folks seeing him They never even
know that he ever went out ia the