Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-12-15
HER FATHER.

sort OF 9lant-tall, -shouldered, and
| strong armed.
There was something peculiar about
the man, something dark and gloomy in
| his face, and something dark and gloomy
in his manner. l never saw him smile
that winter but once, and then I'd rather
not have seen it. He never sang, or told
a story, or joined in any of our rather
rude sports. He worked like a tiger all
day, then at night he would lie down.
with his pipe in his mouth.
Once in while he would go into one
OF the other camps of an evening, but
not often. 1t was on one of these occa-
sions that | asked about him.
oh! don't you know?'' asked John
Ford. I'VE call him Gloomy Ben The
poor fellows been badly cut up"
Ford went to the door of the camp. and
looked out. to be sure that Ben Lane had
gone away; then he came back and told
me the mans story.
Ben Lane" he began, used to be a
| different sort of man. and | remember
the time when he was the life of the
camp. In those days, Ben had a daugh-
ter down river, the only thing he had in
the word; and a pretty girl she was.
never saw Ben's wife, who died when the
girl was born; but Bessie must have
looked like her.
1t would have done you good to see
them together, she dancing around him.
or hanging on his arm, her face all
smiles and dimples, and her auburn hair
hanging in curls down her neck They
boarded since there were but two of
| them; and Ben didn't want Bessie to
| have any care. Besides she was going
to school, and he always said he was 60
| ing to give her the education of a lady.
| When Bessie was IS years old young
! sgd Fales went to board in the house
with them"
sgd Fales!" 1 said. why, is that
| the"
Yes" John Ford answered, cutting me
short THE same sgd that's up here in
the other camp. If I'd been in his place
| would have had the decency to keep out
of Ben Lanes sight. But Ben don't seem
| to mind him. I should think he didn't
| know he is here
'Well, sgd was a gay, vain fellow, and
he soon took a notion to Bessie. and she
to him. Ben didn't like it at all. sgd
was called a firt. But he was a hand
some fellow, and it was no use to stand
in his way.
14C AttCl SdlI tildt ne WduI6Q 10 marry
Bessie, but he acted as if he meant to,
and she trusted him.
IF Ben said anything, sgd answered
that he didn't mean to do any harm
that he liked Bessie, but didn't want to
enter into any hasty engagements. and
that if Bessie was a mind not to speak
to him, he couldn't help it. But / guess
he talked in a different strain to Bessie.
hn nab 70 L
she wasn't in love with sgd, nor he with
her, but that they We're good friends, and
she thought it too bad her father should
make such fuss and deny her pleasant
acquaintance Just out of jealousy
ut made it look as though she couldn't
be trusted to speak to a young man, she
said. And then she would burst into
tears, and Ben would only coax and
soothe her, and let her have her way.
Things went on so for a few months,
and then. after being as happy as a bird
and, as everybody thought, engaged to
sgd. Bessie began to droop. sgd was
little less attentive to ner. and while
pretending the same friendship, began to
pay attention to another girl. You should
have seen Ben! By heaven! he looked
like tiger robbed of her young ones. But
he couldn't say a word
Bessie pretended that there was moth
ing the matter with her and that they
were just the same friends as ever.
What could Ben say to that. even if he
didn't believe it And he didn't believe
1t, nor did anybody else. Everybody
knew that the faithless fellow had made
love to her and that she was breaking
her heart for him.
Il never saw anything so pitiful as
that girl trying to appear as if nothing
was the matter unless it was her father
doing the same thing. She grew pale
and thin. and her dimples all disappeared.
but she would try to laugh and be cav.
And her father would try to make be-
lleye he saw nothing unusual; but if ever
there was misery in n mans face it was
in his. He couldn't stay away from
Bessie an hour. and if you spoke to him.
half the time he didn't know what YOU
said.
by and by Bessie was down sick but
long before that sgd had quit boarding
with them, and now he never came there
at all. Ben was angry. He got doctors
far and near: he watched over the moor
little thing; he bought everything he
could think Of &c please hey. and at last
he went to sgd and humbled himself TO
the fellow. begging him to 90 and see
Bessie and marry her. He said he would
give them three-quarters of everything he
5 earned. sgd said he was willing TO 90
and see Bessie if it would do any GOOD.
but that he was engaged to marry an
other girl.
Ben took him by the throat at that
and had nearly strangled him when some
t one parted them. Then Ben went home
+ to his little girl and sat down bv her.
and he never left her again till she died.
For She did die, People say that no one
ever dies of heartbreak. but | know bet
ter Bessie Lane did. if no one else ever
did. All the doctors said that was what
i was the matter with her and thas thew
could do nothing for her.