Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-03-09

| IL e"ld the woman. Sud-
denly, with a rough movement sho 'I Iau,
out her hand for the cedar bo,, 'iie hei''
The poor old fellow tremblpd ao,;
nus gaAe was not gwen to the outstretcbed
hand, it was bent in gentle an GI',ieu
/ troubled regret upon the box Who's uli-
blended into those of his hand 80 hues
difficulty. "lthout
1T be that like" he said again
People We're passing on the naron,o,,4
behind him. He noticed them not a. III
Jerking his arm to keep the rolled 49, 49,
from falling, he pressed close to tho
wooden slab of the stall. The wonar
looked at him boldly. "Well?" she sa;d
with lmpatience After moment
Ialn't Tor sale,'' she said for the third
tlme A rough strand of hair fell across
nef lace; she twined it DEITY round q
niger and thrust it under her bonnn+,c
edge O0niie'
lie was not repulsed by her roughness
We're forty years ago if day, missis.''
he sad garrulously, when the box that
be tWln-brother to this were carven hv
me. l brought bit o. ivory in from the
| edge, and WI my nail / marked if o,t
on th' lid. I'd only finished maxim the
box that same day, and screwed on tbe
hInges-twere delicate bit that to do
l were 1eart to scrape the thing Well.
L marked it out, same's [ said an the
night after-Sunday night that were-it
were carven. Vida were to 90 on tho
Monday for Lunnon She were
bound. [ give it her on the way from
chapel tome, near by winnings HEDGE
| : Ere, my gel, it be a token T seq
when we be wed, twill hold thv needles,
likely or pins, or sech.' You amt never
KEEP needles in it, missis, 1 suppose?"
YES she said, roughly. Il did once.
But it was hard work getting them out.
they chung to the joins
Aye, they might; p'raps hers did,
too" he said, regretfully. For she KEEP
her needles in it right on from when |
give 1T her-so she wrote an said" He
tilted up the lid with loving hand, and
his eyes grew absent as he gazed
The woman with the bold eyes cleared
her throat. And when you was wed 90
she said
I'VE weren't never wed. Vida, she
were III Lunnon but couple o. year
when she were wed to man what she
loved dearer nor she loved me. For she
were that 'cute-Yilda--an as pretty
gel as you'd wish to see, and she were
many a year younger nor me- No. !
took up WI him. for I were but a simple
fellow and unblithesome, an wi no wits.
'Iweren't likely as she'd love me when
she knoWed Lunnon chaps, were it,
mlssis? | were no ekal o herr
No, you wasn't her equal" said the
stall-woman. She leaned against the
wooden post at her side, and laughed.
''Tother were a genelman. an rich
Shed have pretty things-she were allus
partial to pretty things. ] only give her
the cedar box-twere all [ had. an home
made too"
He sighed Il never card no more
from Vida, not after that letter; an |
missed her sore. 'Twere many year
after when | card as the man was dead.
Pike-he'd bin to Lunnon, an he told me
he related how folkSes said as the chap
weren't never mamid, and there were no
heir-that be another name for tn son
as takes on tn biznis, Pike seq. But
they wiz married secret. Vida and him,
and folkses, maylrke, never knoWed right
wei as he wis we'd"
And you wed-?''
He stared at her with a feeble indig5
nation, then he set the cedar box upon
the stall, and shook his head. Course
[ never marrid. How could | wed when
in every step as came to the door card
Vida, an wi every breath | breathed
[ thought O her? l be simple fellow,
missis, an I amt never had rnoren one
idea. Vida were my idea O. a gel; it
takes a cleverer fellow nor me to love
twice.
"When ole Sue-the dog-died | were
that shaken | wept, aye, did For,
MANY a time. when she pressed again
me close an warm, I'd think as 'twere
Vida; an her black coat weren't lndlt-
ferent like Yilda's hair
He rubbed a forefnger across his dim
eyes, and peered across the stall. You
amt never seen no one, missis, wi
cedar box like this here?'
Mo- she said She leant back from
him, her face falling into the shadow OF
the stall.
He was little discouraged by the
monosyllable. "YOu amt never seen no
one like Vida? You'd know her any
wheer wi her black hair an them brown
ewes as sweet an pure as babbys IS
NO. I amt never seen your Hllda-
faint likely as | would"
You'd a rec lected her if you'd seen
herr he said confidently She be me
gel. an as good as gold" r.
He tucked up the motto, and half
turned away. Good day, missis. | has
nv cart to find. It's over st. Stephens
is nv way. a tidy climb Now that her
man be dead, may like Iilda'll come
home. an leave Lunnon ways waits
for it," III
I'd keep on waitin','' said the dark TX
haired woman. Her voice was odoiy
hushed and gentle. ut be well to walt
and hurts nobody -
| He misunderstood her. NO, 1T aon
hurt now" he said. "Good-day, mlssls'
good day!" e4
He moved forward with lettering feet
His ewes were pensive; they held the
quiet grief of the aged, and the rellef OF
| tho saop who has told his tale out.