Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-05-16

" enough courage actually 10 pop tne
ion Others declared 1t was be-
cause he was Jealous of young fell
low from the city, who had boarded
with James aunt during the summer,
and used occasionally to see Jane home
from church or take her to a Sunday
school picnic. At any rate, time passed
without any formal declaration from
Alonzo; and in the meanwhile Jane
parents died, and she went TO live with
her widowed aunt.
Then her aunt died also, and Jane
was left alone in the world, save for a
brother who was a miner in tie far
West Jane converted the little prop
erty that lad been left her into money,
and bought a small cottage on The out
skirts of the village, where she now
lived in genuine old-maid fashion.
Alonzo, who, was AS years Did, still
lived with his, aged parents, and cared
for them For ten years he had driven
the stage between Gilead and Gilead
station where a remote corner of the
township was intersected by railroad
He had never been TO see Jane Par
meiee since she moved into her own
cottage, but they were still "'Lonzo"
and "Jane" to each other whenever
they met, and the memory of a faded
romance did not sCem TO embitter their
present friendship. Jane indeed some
times wondered, with a choking sensa
ton in her throat, why Alonzo Jackson
had never asked her TO be his wife. but
she had long since got over the keen
anguish of her girlnood dlsappoint-
ment. and schooled herself TO believe
that since God willed it so, it was "all
for the best"
On this stormy March day Jane Par
melee was going TO Gilcad station to
take the train for Lancaster. where
lived her lifelong friend Susan Rich,
/ III a pleasant home whose welcome
Jane had often gratefully tasted. The
day and train having been set, Jane
would as soon have thought of bctray-
ing her friends confidence as failing
to arrive at the precise hour named in
her letter Fidelity was the bed rock
OF her character 1t would seem as II
Alonzo Jackson might have known this.
as he sat doubling in the rain before
her gate.
Jane was the only passenger that
morning. She sat on the middle seat
under her big umbrella, and Alonzo
chatted Internationally with her over
his left shoulder as they logged along
through the storm. One would never
have suspected that these two sober.
middle-aged persons had been lovers in
the sweet days gone by.
When they reached the covered
bridge over the river, 1t seemed as II
all the clouds of heaven had opened
their sluice gates together A perfect
torrent of rain was falling.
Lonzo, can't you stop for a few
minutes in the b .idse, till the. worst of
this shower is o, err asked Jane. "My
new bunnit i, gittin awfully damp.
The rain drives right through this Unl-
brel"
"Lemme see" said Aionzo. consult
ing his watch. Yes, guess so. We've
got twenty minutes 10 spare and II
does rain mlddIing hard. My, but tie
\ -
and it would b. over the floor boards
of the bridge.
Alonzo drove 10 the middle OF the
gloomy covered bridge aud stopped his
horses. Their he and Jane sat listen
ing to the Thunder Of the storm over
their heads
''rhC bridge kind OF GIivers, doesn't
it," said Jane.
Yes, it does seem to ioggle some,
replied Alonzo. The waters up to
the foorbeams and pushes Kind Of
hard against EN- But don't be-
lieve---"
Just then the steady vibration Of the
bridge increased to sort Of convul-
siye shudder. Tie structure suddenly
lurched, gave a grinding slide. grated
of It's stone piers, and went wiJrling
dowp stream vita the current.