Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-11-05
After
Many
Years.
BY FRA DIX S. MILLS

5151515I5EG15I5151 11515I1E5151SI5E
Poor Sidney Warde! His great
struggle in life, his years Of hardship
and weary toll, inspired by one soil
tary hope, brought him nothing but
bitter disappointment, after all.
Ten years before, with youth
strength and energy upon his side,
he had entered upon life's battle. He
was successful. The world called him
lucky" That success bred of I'M
deviating will is always attributed to
good fortune. He amassed great
wealth, and ne was envied upon every
side.
Yet, all of his successes in life, all
OF his wealth of gold, were nothing
to him. The desire of his early life,
which had girded his loins and led
him onward to victory-the one
thought and darling wish of his soul
through all these years of battle, lay
dead at the bottom of his heart.
Ten years before-how we'll he re-
membered the day-he had parted
from the playmate of his earlier days.
She was the daughter of the squire,
and she lived at the "big house yon-
der" where young Sidney, although
far beneath her in the social scale,
had free entry because his ready wit
and youthful enthusiasm had touched
the fancy of little Katie's parents.
Added to this, he had some claim
upon their good Willie had saved
Katie's life at the risk of his own
one day when she fell from the light
wooden bridge-now replaced by a
massive iron structure-into the river
which ran through the estate
So the two grew together, the one
a strong, impetuous boy, and the
other an open hearted, generous girl,
and the squire watched their progress
contentedly and never said Nay to
their familiar intercourse.
But when the time came that Sid
ney was no longer boy, and he en-
tered upon the duties of clerkship at
the city bank, post which the squire,
his patron, had procured for him,
came also the beginning Of his trou-
Bile.
He was taking an affectionate fare
well of Katie, making numberless
rash promises for her sake; while
she. listening to them wonderingly
and nothing loath to hear, bent her
face down upon his shoulder, and his
army stole around her waist.
In this position they were discov-
cred by her father, and for the first
time the truth dawned upon his mind
He gently led her away, and, re
turning speedily tc the room where
Sidney remained, wondering what was
next to come, the proud mans fury
burst forth in torrent OF fierce in
vective.
migrate, upstart!" were the words
he used-words that went deep into
the soul of Sidney Warde and rusted
there; "mean, dishonorable villain!
Pauper! See that you never dare to
set foot within these doors again"
Sidney Warde pursed his lips proud
ly to stife the ready answer. Was il
not her father? and what could he not
bear for Katie's sake?
He endeavored to reason with the
enraged parent, but in vain.
"Truly we love each other" ne
said, "and our position is unequal
what of that? Time, which works SC
many changes, may yet span the so
cial chasm that separates us. ! can
wait"
Vain was his appeal to the reason OF
the enraged and passionate squire.
He was in an unreasonable mood just
then, and Sidney was thrust from the
threshold he had so often crossed
with light and careless step-out
upon a new life of sad reality.
He met Katie once again. 1t was
hard by the little bridge where he
had once rescued her from death, and
here he told her of his love for hel
without interruption, and her heart
responded word for word as his whis
pers fell upon her ear. He was go
ing out into the world, he said-he
would bind her to him by no promise
he was not mean enough for that
but he would return in year or two
maybe-never, however, until HI
could count dollar for dollar with TIT
squire, who was once his friend.
In these ten years he had succeeded