Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-06-10

Mr. Pearce that he was irretrievably in
love with Miss Moore. and that if she
refused to make him happy he should
be forever miserable. At Il critical stage
of this declaration, u raindrOp kissed the
girls cheek.
"Oh, it's going to rain.'' she cried.
The next instant the doWnpour began,
and both rushed through 4 breach in
the earthen wall of the fort to the tree,
whose branches, to which the leaves yet
chung, offered protection. There they
stood in silence for several minutes, she
busily brushing raindrops from her hat,
which she had taken Off, and he watch
ing her modify
The silence became oppressive, and she
glanced at him, curiously and appre-
hensively, from under her lashes. He
caught the glance, and, moving toward
her, said:
"Wen?"
"Oh, DON'T she exclaimed, starting
away, her eyes still fixed upon Il ribbon
with which she was working.
Why, katherine-er-Miss Moore"
Oh, you muslin t."
He walked to the edge of the circle
protected by the leaves and looked out
over the clay wall of the fort, down
which tiny rivers ran. She, having dried
her hat, placed it again on her head and
began brushing her skirt where, here and
there, rain had spotted it. She glanced
several times at his back, stubbornly
turned toward her. He evinced no in
tentiOn of moving. nor of speaking again,
and she became nervous. The situation
was unbearable and she exclaimed:
I'VE must get back to the others!'
1--WE can't very well go through the
rain" he said, without turning round.
Another prolonged silence, broken only
by the mOnOtOnOuS fall of the rain.
Finally, when she had almost made up
her mind to gather up her skirts and run
70 hot of "a V
he turned and came quickly toward her.
He put out his hand as though to take
hers, but she quickly put her hands be-
hind her and stepped back. He folded
his arms and stood before her, looking
earnestly into the eyes that she raised
to his, almost appealingly.
Katherine" be said, Il love you.
Will you be my wife,:
\ beautiful color stole slowly from
the ribbon at her throat, up. lup until it
tinted the edges of her small, perfectly
formed ears. His gaze held hers for
moment; then her eyelids fell and their
long lashes swept her cheeks.
Mr.. Pearceii' she said, slowly and
can't.
because you do not love me?''
She looked up quickly into his face;
then down again: but she did not reply.
katherine tell me-" he said. ''Why
is it that you cannot marry meE
Because" she was very. busy dislodg..
ing half-buried stone with the top of
her shoe-'because- are q Yankee.
Another swift glance met his steady
look Then she moved Il little further
away and stood half turned from him.
His first impulse was TO laugh. But
that passed almost as it came. The
gray. brass-buttoned riding habit, the
flushed cheeks and bright eyes with
which she had listened to Dixie,
flashed across his mental vision. The
Yankee might be an obstacle not TO
be laughed away.
But l am not a Yankee" he said,
with emphasis. Il am from Illinois.
1t seemed a long time to both that
they stood in silence. Again she was
the first to speak.
''This is an awful rain she said.
yes, very wet rain he replied:
''But | am not jesting," he answered,
walking rapidly to where she stood.
''What I mean is that you will get
wet The water is beginning to drip
from the leaves Here stripping off
his coat, ''let me put this around YOU
''Oh, no." she said. stepping back.
But you must. The air is chill, and
if YOU get wet you will catch cold
But yOu-yOu-'
''It won't hurt me bit. Come
He assumed a commanding tone, and
that, or something else, accomplished his
emu, LOT size ulduc no elOTl ~ Tree ucI-
self when he placed the coat about her
shoulders. 1t took a long time to get it
fixed just right, and his arm was still
around her when he looked into her
face and saw that she was looking up
into his. Something in her eyes prompt
ed him to draw here close to him and to
say. very tenderly:
Sweetheart | come from the North.
but [ love Southern girl: Don't you
think that she can love a Northern man
just little-if he is not a Yankee?"
She studied the arrangement of his
necktie closely, and thea transferred her
IDENTIFY she was not thinking of either,
for when she spoke she said:
illinois people aren't Yankees?"
Certainly notr' he replied with con-
victiOn. 'They are 4 long way from
Yankeedom. More than a thousand
miles
She examined the neckte again. looked
into his eyes for a moment, then over his
shoulder, off into the rain.
Katherine" he said, softly, ''do you
love me?"
She turned her head slowly until their
eyes met. a wave of color rushed into
her cheeks, and she murmured family
Yes
And you will be my wife,
With perhaps a sudden thought of her
surroundings, and of q stormy day thr-
ty years before, she replied, IL sur
render"
The rain, as if to hide the scene from
any possible observer, fell more heavily
for moment. Then it ceased alto
gether, and soon the sun shone through
from a blue sky where the gray clouds
had parted.-St Louis Republic.