The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-11-12
LOST AND FOUND.


was at my house ON . visit I should
rather call him the friend Of my father.
as he belonged TO q generation previous
to my own. He took . great fancy to
me when was q boy and often told
me his story. One day, when he was in
q peculiarly communicative mood ]
persuaded him to write it out, which he
did, ON condition that 1t was not to be
published during his lifetime. Az he
has been dead now 20 years and all the
members Of his Immediate family have
passed away. there can be no impro-
priety in Offering IL to the public. II b
scarcely necessary for me 70 say that,
after lapse Of 80 years. It was neces-
sary to make copy Of It. a. the origi-
nal ink had faded very much.
/, John Williams. had just completed
my college career. which had been
neither better nor worse than that Of
thousands Of others. A slow, Flooding
mind was all that nature had given me
within, and red hair, q freckled face
and rather ungainly figure were what
abe had bestowed upon me without
"John will never set the river afre, I"
was what my father had once said Of
me. Dear. kind old man, he did not
know that I was within hearing dis
tance or he never would have said it,
But, although the remark was gall and
NORWOOD to me at the time, IL spurred
me on to exertion, and made much
better use Of my time at college than
| would otherwise have done.
Mary Mercer. @ daughter Of . near
neighbor and intimate friend Of my
father. had been my lifelong companion
and friend We were opposites in every
particular. She was beautiful, and
| was as has been described. She wa
| graceful, and was not; but, owing 70
| our secluded lives, we had been thrown
much together, and her charitable dis
| position had been accustomed to over
look many Of my imperfectiona An ad-
miration amounting almost 70 worship
had risen in my mind when I saw bez
after my four years. absence at college.
had left her u sweet attractive CHILD.
and found her on my return o woman
such as my fancy had never pictured
OF course there could be but one re-
mlt. II had never been in love before,
I certainly was now, and was not hong
in making known to Mary my feelings
Mary q conduct ON the occasion afforded
the first instance in which Had knowx
her TO swerve in the least from what
was the obvious truth. She was con,
fused, blushed slightly and deaia1et
that / had taken her 80 much BY sur
prise that she did not know what K
saw: she had never thought Of me IL
that light, and must really give her {
little time to think the matter over.
knew at the time that Mary was 40
bling
No woman was ever born with one
half of her sense without finding out such
things long before they were ever spokez
to her. But there was no help for Il
She had the game In her own HANDS SnS
evidently intended to play IL to suit her
self. She asked for q week to considel
the matter. I insisted that two day
were enough, but she was resolute, and
; with a wry face, I had to submit.
One stimulation was that I shuuid no
attempt to see her during that time !.
though this was rather hard and sait
20. but she was even more positive tha,
before. and I yielded with the bes
ernoe ! could.
In order TO give her no excuse 10
further delay set of the next day 4
, visit a college friend and staid at hf
, house Ave DAYS. II took day TO rcacl
his house and a day 70 return. Thus III
week passed away, slowly enough 70
me. and / am afraid my friend foun,
, me a dull companion. Promptly at tn
end Of the specified time I presenter
myself at Mary's house. 10 my dts
, may found il full Of company. ! ha'
been there only few minutes when
. learned that the friends had been Their
, ever since the day after l ieft Iscanne'
Mary's face, actions. manner and recep
) ton. but could make ont nothing, sh
. was kind and agreeable, but that ha'
1 been her ordinary manner, and no con
, illusions could be drawn thefefrom.
{ found no opportunity 70 say 9wor'
, 10 her in private until my VISIT wa
l over. Ash went to the front door on ~,
1 wav ont to nv horse, which was tied .
'front.' az the house. abe came out on th
porch with me, as had been her habi
, On nrevious occasiona A bade be