Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-03-07
ONE-MINUTE ROMANCE.


Cora Lacey of Galesburg, Ill, prided
herself on her utter freedom from SUI
perstition. Time after time on her
way downtown she had seen the sign
of fortune teller over a doorway.
and her pretty lips had curled in de-
rlslon. Then she lost her watch
one OF the last presents her father
had given her before he died-and
every one in the house where she
boarded was filled with sympathy.
Particularly the boy who swept the
nails; for he missed her bright smile
and CHEEKY greeting as she passed him
that first morning, and he was afraid
she thought he had stolen her pro-
perty. She never dreamed of such
thing, it is true, but the honest
country boy had representative ma
lure under the shy exterior, and was
miserable because he was placed in q
position where he might be suspected
Alter week of anxiety, of seeking
cleWs and abandoning them, and
hndlng new ones, Cora presented
bright face at the dinner table. and
all demanded the reason for it. The
girl began the story as though MAX
ing a confession:
Il never believed in it-not a hit,
Eut really, there is something in it!
Fortune-telling, l mean. Today
Nine leila told me all about nv
watch. What? Oh, everything. She
said | suspected the right one. and
that he would come and give me the
jewelry because dear fathers name
was inside, and father had befriended
him once -
Some one who had been standing
IN the door left suddenly, but no
one noticed him. The girl replied to
a question.
Whom did I suspect? Not a soul!
have no idea who took it. Maybe
| lost it myself know I am perfectly
irmilonal, but do feel happier about
it, anyway"
They all laughed and no more was
said about the missing trinket, but
the next morning Cora had it on her
waist.
She was right she said, but she
would say no more, and no one
noticed that the honest country boy
who swept the halls was gone.
Jacob Becker, able seaman and
machinist, went up on the white deck
and looked at the lights of Havana.
that hung like frefies- "a group here,
group there, and a few scattered
CLEANS as of winged stragglers lost in
the green mazes of palm and palmetto
trees about the city.
His hands were black with the
CRIME of the engine room, but his
bearded face was tender with mem
DRY.
"A year ago today" he said; zone
year old! And her daddy not there to
give her kiss and a blessing! Well,
the mother will do that, and / war
rant the little lass will hear of me,
for it's a great chap I am in my own
family, and Nan Becker thinks the
Maine could not keep the flag at her
masthead if it wasn't for mel"
He leaned his head down on his
hand and smiled in the dark water,
duu Uu0 uGdr races OIL The VIE ne
loved so we'll and the baby daughter
passed before his mental vision as
they lay asleep in the Little home in
Hoboken. Then, of a sudden, dull,
deep boom, as of a cannon, startled
him; only to be followed by another,
which burst beside the rail, and sent
pillar of flame and spray up from
the bay; wrapping him in it's pail as
he sank forever beneath it.
And at that same moment Nan
wakened from a dream with a cry SO
loud and terrible that the neighbors
ran to the door, inquiring the reason.
My husband screamed the wo-
man, My husband! I dreamed he had
gone down with the Maine at Havana!
I saw him as plainly as I now see
you! Oh, Jacob! jacob"
In vain the good people tried to
comfort her. She drew the child closer
and wept in grief and terror, and in
the morning when the wires brought
the awful news there was no need to
break it to poor broken-hearted
Nancy Becker, for she had known
and suffered it all before. Chicago
Journal.