Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-05-30

tDut Eifbb uhiti AIAN ~ va" ~'f'' ~
the littlA gate, her trembling hand
ghelter.ug her dim old eyes as she
peered down the stretch Of yellow
roadway II was memorial day and
she WAS watching for the procession,
which, on its way from the village,
must perforce pass her tiny cottage,
She had risen early and hobbled about
feeding the chickens, watering old
Sandy In the pasture and preparing
her own breakfast Of milk and oat-
meal. Then she had exchanged the
faded calico wrapper for her best
gown-a rusty, much mended cash.
mcre-carofully combcd out her gray
locks tying their short, curly ends
with % black ribbon at the back Of
her neck, and now she had been wait
ing full hour
A lonely person with little human
society thinks more, feels more sor.
rows more and joys more than those
whose hours are full of the presence Of
others and whose thoughts are con
tlnualIy distracted by the happenings
about them. Melvna Sinclair had had
her birth in the great house on the
hill the chimneys Of which were
visibc from her windows, She had
been a quiet home body, with heart
and hands full for there were many
children and much sickness In the
family, and she, by virtue Of being the
oldest, had many cares; but she was
where she was planted and drinking
In the sunlight and dew as it was
vouehsafed, she was happy In her
quiet way.
She was pitlcd by some, respected
by al, but laughed mt by the girls of
her age and called an old maid. Yet
she had her love affair and It meant
as much, aye even more TO her than
all their nirtatIons and ro-
mancca TO them and the ending-ah!
that was what made memorial day n
memorial indeed to her, He had been
the son Of neighbour handsome
ioyial youth much sought after by
his companions. He had ridden
danced and llirtcd With all the gay
girls Of his acquaintance; but otttlmeS
late Of an evening, when he knew
that Mclyina SInclairs work was
done, he would so there for u quiet
hour, and in his serious moods hers
was the face that haunted him More
than once he asked her to go with
him to some merry making, but she
was too shy The girls would laugh
and then, though she did not put the
thought IN words even to herself, she
felt that she could not endure 1t to be
seen with him once and then have
him take another the next time; and
az to any real love making IN the com
mon acceptance of the term, there had
been none.
And so II came about that no one
knew of his quiet courtship outside
the family; nor did any Of the gay
girls guess, as ono by one he bado
them goodbye after he enlisted, and
they waited and hoped for some word
that would bind the young soldier to
them ON his return that that word
was whispered in the ear of "Molvto'
Sinclair the last night Of his stay, and
that the handsome ring adjoining his
little finger, that each In turn had
coveted, was suspended by n ribbon
about her white mock,
No, nobody knew, and she bore her
mingled joy and grief alone, though
some OF the girls thought her color
macccuntable MS they babhlcd of
Race Wardle' and what he had said
aud done.
81 can't imagine who It Is, but he rs
good as told me that last morning
that he is engaged Patty True, the
belle OF the countryside, pouted
"And his ring is gone, that lovely
ring, and il fitted my finger perfectly
1t must be that girl over at the Bond;
anyway It isn't Lola nor kit nor me-
The effect of this frank confession
TO Mclvma--no one Thought anything
of tcllug her secrets TO dear old
Mel" as the girls sad--wAs to tlush
her usually pale cheek and mako tn,
little circle of gold at her throat al
most burn her.
O, It was beyond the possibilities
of being true that handsome Rae,
Wardlc whom she had secretly
adorrd from childhood, had selected
her from all the girls of his ocQuain
lance to wear his ring now and bom
his name and share the nice house h,
was building when he came home,
nut 1t was the fashion in Delhi town
ship to keep engagements secret an,
she, of all others, would guard tn,