Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-10-14

| H'NA 49, Veil. 4HdL Is announcer
way that Nature has of preparing the
young, For these the roses have fallen
ana only the thorns remain. They
are not lured; they seem to be driven
10 their tasks, but for all, soon or
late, her method changes.
On beautiful morning of June.
1884, John Mcneil left the village.
Abe Lincoln and Harry and Samson
ana Sarah and Jack Kelso and his
wife stood with the Rutledges in the
dooryard of the tavern when he rode
away He was going back to his
nome in the East to return in the au-
tumn and make Ann his bride. The
girl wept as If her heart would break
when he turned far down the read
and waved his hand to her.
"oh, my pretty lass! Do you not
hear the birds singing in the mead
oWsP said Jack Kelso. "Think of
the happiness all around you and of
the greater happiness that is coming
when he returns. Shanlc on you'll"
I'm afraid he'll never come back"
Ann sobbed
Nonsense Don't get a maggot in
your brain and let the crows go walk
ing over your face. Come, wen take
ride in the meadows and If don't
bring you back laughing you may call
me no prophet"
So the event passed
Harry travelled about with Abe
good deal that summer, "electioneer-
ing" as they called it, from farm to
farm. Abe used to go into the fields.
with the men whose favor he sought.
and bend his long back over a scythe
or a cradle and race them playfuIlv
across the field of grain cutting a
wider swath than any other and al
ways holding the lead. Every man
was out Of breath at the end of his
swath and needed few minutes for
recuperation. That gave Abe a chance
for his statement of the county's needs
and his plan of satisfying them. He
had met and talked with a majority
of the voters before the campaign
ended in his election in August.
AT odd times that summer he had
been surveying a new road with Har-
ry Needles for his helper. In Sep
TENDER they resumed their work upon
it in the vicinity Of New Salem and
Abe began to carry the letters in his
hat again. Every day Ann was look
ing for him as he came by In the dim
light of the early morning on his way
to work.
Anything for me?" she would ask.
mo mail in since saw you, Ann"
was the usual answer.
Often he would say: "Tm afraid
not, but here-you take these letters
and look through EN- and make sure"
Ann would take them in her hands,
trembling with eagerness, and run in
doors to the candlelight, and look them
over. Always she came back with the
little bundle of letters very slowly
as if her disappointment were heavy
burden
''There'n be one next mail IL have
to write 1t myself" Abe said one
morning in October as he went on.
To Harry Needles, who was with
him that morning, he said:
Il wonder why that fellow don't
write to Ann. l couldn't believe that
he has been fooling her, but now
don't know what to think of him.
wonder what has happened to the
fellow"
The mail stage was late that eve
ming. AS it had not come at nine Mr..
Hill went home and left Abe in the
store to wait for his mail. The stage
arrived few minutes later. Abe ex-
amined the little bundle Of letters and
newspapers which the driver had left
with him. Then he took paper and
sat down to read IL the freight
While he was thus engaged the door
opened softly and Ann Rutledge en-
tered. The postmaster was not aware
of her presence until she touched his
arm. Il
"Please give me a letter." she said. |
"Sit down, Ann" said he, very gent
ly. as he placed chair In the fire
glow.
She took 1t, turning toward him |
with a look Of fear and hope. Then |
he added:
I'm sorry, but the truth is IT didn't |
come. 1t is terrible, Ann, that I have
to help in this breaking Of your heart |
that is going on. / seem to be the
head of the hammer that hits you so
hard. but the handle is in other hands.
Honestly, Ann, I wish I could do the
suffering for you--every bit of it-and |
give your poor heart a rest. Hasn't
he written you this summer"
"Not since July TENTH" she an
swered. Then she confded to Abe
that her lover told her before he went
away that his name was not Mcneil
but McNamar; that ne had changed
his name to keep clear Of his family
until he had made success; that
he had gone East to get his father
and mother and bring them back with
him; lastly she came to the thing
that worried her most-the suspicion