Dodge City times. [volume], March 13, 1880, Image 6

About Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
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1IELE.V CHUKCIHXL'S LOVEIt. has come into the place, and married a you said you had been long out of ' the stranger found himself lingering on
bonny wife, ,ho has.'V ' l
England. Well, I shall be glad-tost still, talking to sweet, placid-laced Mar-
Thoilvcry gray of a Fmniner.dawn "The old Squire had a daughter, had him backhand shako him by the hand, I gared Stisted
was sireadinir itself oicr the landscanc. "0 not?"
rendering soft ami indistinct all familiar ' " Two. You know them?"
objects; yet, even seen by its dim, un- " I knew of tbcm," the stranger re
certain light, lie looked more like one I plied, evasively. And then, pointing to
grown prematurely old by reason of I a small white house that was visible
hard work or withering care, than as if i through the trees " And to whom does
he had Mi-rely pascd from youth to age that belong?"
by the ordinary gentle gradations; ''That? Why, to Mrs. Sutton, poor
His brow was lined, his hair silvered, j body." . , fl
and there was a stoop in his shoulders' " And why do yon pity Jicr?" '1
which told of hard and continuous toil; I " You must be a stranger indeed, sir,
yet, notwithstanding the-e drawbacks. to ask why!"
there were the remains of youthful "Then, enlighten. me,, tTell me the
beauty in the well-shaped head and ' story."
clear gray ecs. I "Story! It is a queer story.
and bid him forget the past. If there He had half a mind to ask her about
is little else, there is still his mother to ' this village tragedy that was occupying
come back to. What was he doing I his mind this morainr: but "better
t . . ....
when you saw him, sir? "
" He had heard ho was frco."
"And what was he like? and was he
minded to forget the past, and return to
England?"
"He was a saddened, sobered man
when I knew him, with only one hope
left, out of the many life hail once
offered; and he was going home."
He had arrived at the nci'rhborin'r
town.too late the evening before to catch
the lst train to this lklle out-of-the way
hamlet, too late.to do .nuglit but seek, a
bed thorp; Jnt utter three or fourhonre,
the rcsXlingcraving to complete - his
journey mm crjKjwcrtd him that he rose
and pursued ins way on foots And now
with the ilelicaf o llght'of 'early morn sil
vering the birches,, and dimpling the
waters of the stream, he stood a length
where his feet had not rested for fifteen
years. Hut thecc fifteen years, awful as
they had been at the time, seemed but
not," he decided, " better wait now."
And ho had waited so long, that a little
longer could not make much difference.
So he just dawdled on about the farm
and the pleasant farm-garden long
enough for the day's work to be well in
hand, and then he wished his hostess
' Good-bye," and with quick, impatient
steps took hi3 way to the village.
Once there, he walked straight to the
footpath across the meadows that led np
" And what was the hone, if I mav
i make to bold as to ask? l'prhms he
Almoft , fcnr liie innttior Tifiil oT-rVujlirtt-fl Ihn from Hrtlinrnn Villlfrp tn Ttitlinrnn Min-
tool sad In r.lll hv Rtielt ;i n;tmit Slio :i .l :r .. i; i 1 ..... I... .!. ......J .7- i. l
was the doctor s wife, a sweet tpretty ' JIaybc; but he did not speak of her. I and gazed with tender eyes at the little
woman as ever I -aw, fifteen years ago,
with a fair, handsome boy, that she was
that nroud on, that it would have done
you good but to s-ee tho two together.
perhaps because he was so surq of her.
He told me that the last night before he
left England you know ?" tho
fflmiPf llOildoil tlifit Tin tiiil in intor.
He, the doctor him.clf, was a bit cross-1 view with "
graincd-lcastways, so I've heard say .. Yes, yes," interrupted Mr. Stisted,
au.iuuu.i.iimji-iiji.1 Hiij me uiuiuur sagely; "we heard all about it, though
and son should think so much of one , it was kept so dark. It was Miss Helen,
4UUIUC1.
"The father did not over-like it: still.
he was open-handed with tho young
man, cuucaien mm nnciv; fending mm
house on the opposite of the road, that
exactly faced him the little creepcr-
covereu cottage wlicre the Doctor's
widow lived.
He even made one half-step toward it:
but "So," he murmured, "sAe comes
first. We will go there together." But
Still hft linlrpil. n if lrimrinir tn ,iTri-rt
bless you, the little j cllow-haired Miss the mysteryof those drawn blinds; and
Uliurclnll. sixteen years ago nearly, so j eien as ne tnus paused there was tho
as a dream now, scarcely to'bc recalled I to cLo! anU, college, until it was easy
on wakjng, as he stood, thus looking at
eacn wcil-romemberetl sot.
With a sigh, the wayfarer brought
back his sinning thoughts from past to
present, and" became aware that the
sun had risen, the birds were chirping
forth an early sngf and the dewdrops
wcrofrlitlcring all anSi'rid '-on tho ro.e
crowned hedge by which he stood, on
the sprays of eglantine, and on the far
awayjCTcen.nM.'adowathat lay between
tho village of Ilythropo aqd" Hythrope
Manor, V alf-way up Uio wooded slopes
opposite.
"At length lam homo again," then
ho muttered; "at length," throwing
his bend back with a certain Joyful ges
ture, ami stretching out a rough, toil
wonrhnnd, as if in token of greeting
at length the years are over the work
is accomplished the punishment
wrought 'but andl am back to rlaim
my prize! Ah!" tarting slightly,
as a voice addressed him with u brief
" Good-morning."
" Good-morning sir." Something in
the stranger's appearance apparently
brought lorth that "sir," which had
not formeil part of the original sentence,
but was hastily added on as lie turned
bis head to see who had addre.-ed him.
" You are about lictimcs," the new
comer went on. " It is not many of the
gentry as troubles 1heml ves with the
.sight of a summer sunrise."
'Thcymi.s much," said the gran
ger, unelly. ; i hougli perliaps tn ns.
seeing that the boy, who was fine-look
ing enough, was beginning to think no
small things of himself. Tis said he
even lifted his eyes to one of Squire
no harm in speaking of it now and all
so changed since! Well, she saw him
to say Hood-by.' "
" Yes, so this man told me; and that
they parted, she saying that, let her
people say or do what they might, she
woniu await ins return in perfect trust
OnurchUrs. daughters leastways, at ' and patience.
mo ia.it. jsut I am not telling it you , "A pity he did not give his love to
straight on ! ou should como and see , the other sister," remarked Mr. Stisted,
my wife, if you wish to hear the story " if -ill stories are to be believed."
well told." . I it Whv?"
" Because she was in love with him
always ; and plain though she was. Miss
.lane was a good, true woman, and has
never lifted her head or looked at an
other man since those sad days."
"Is that really true?"
" Xo call to misdoubt it, sir; any one
in the village will tell vou the same
"Hut was there such presumption ?" i
quired the listener. " You say this vour
lii-
ivthis vmrnff
man was well educated and good-look- '
ing, and perhaps" after a second's '
hesitation " the lady liked him."
"He should havo known his place
better," said Mr. Stisted. sturdilv:
" leastways, he should have learnt it.
"V - -f, -.'"""n" i'""t "--. came out auout tins poor young Sutton
Mho possibly have seen, nncarly ,-very keeping company with Miss Churchill;
morning of our In cs, it is a commoaaJ- for t sScms-the foolish young thin-, not
fairenONgh!" .' being able to see him elsewhere: had
What is a young lady's fancy worth? stoiy; and, as I said before, 'twas a
She was but sixteen. Squire Church- pity, seeing as everv thing has worked
ill s daughters were not for such as he. I round right, that'it was not on Miss
However, this love-makin'r. or what- ' .Innn n h ur i.u fri;nne. f.,,. i.:
ever thev mav chose to r.ill it. ms nnlr ert ..!:.. ;-i. -..'- t"
discovered aftcrwanl, when every thing there would not have been such a great
a urongiii in ngnt. aim in me mean objection to his bavin" her."
.";,'.".',. . . 1"u stranger maue no reply, ap-
Vnll3il .id-Ail I IA HHtlMI. lnn:n ., . . . .. . J?
" , -" -i. isji, uauuij; parenuy oeing lost in thought over
forward with interest on his face. . Farmer Stisted's last words. And he
"A murder was committed here. , continued:
Yes, you may start. In this quiet vil-1 " He would not have been such a bad
lagc, where nothing was heard out of i mateh in those days, for her, at least;
the common from one year's end to ( for he was a fine, gallant-lookim' young
another; in this ullagc-in that lane . chap, with a pleasant word forevery
whero it joins Squire Churchill's I one."
grounds Squire Churchill's second son " You remember him?"
was found dead." ) "Yes, weU. I never thought very ill
!, iTT-' . .. , , . .,! of him, myself. A hasty word, a blow,
"Ana then, as I said before, it all these come over-milel-ln- w).n tli M.
came out about this poor young Sutton J is youn"."
" Do you think I am like hnn?" The
speaker drew himself ud. and stood look-
ing with something almost like anxiety
1 into Farmer Stistpd's rn,l vimilr f.in
agreeil to meet him in that lane on that ! into Farmer StisiP.l's nl rvm.lt- f.,n
very night ; for one of the farm lalwrers ' " When I knew him," he added. " we
said
The farmer looked at tho speaker in
some surprise, and he added immedi-
,,,anv;rZ:i VwCnrf 'KiT. i S?? h"P th.rouSh . usel to be often thought tQ resemble one
ii7tl. 7 ii-i " .: . " i " meauows nome, only a lew minutes I another."
r'Vi',"'T --i;u,ii.auiuu before he heard a cry, and ran forward ' "Icannot'ce it mvseii sir" sa
'1 1 1 TCatlon ,rora arrer- to find poor MasteAlarry lying there , Mr. Stisled. slowly' " mfuh'en sir.
"Man and 'boy. I have lived here lnf m, c . ., . ' &"?3. Paon' U is."ot casJ-to 4"
these fifty j ears. That h my farm," , up ?"
pointing with a proud, possessu e air in o
tne uircction whence he had come,
"Manor Farm."
"Then vou ar
Sutton was
' Of course, sir. But now comes the
taken , comparisons between thn vnnnrr mil tho
old."
The man addressed unfolded his arms.
, queer part of the story. For though he and leant once more against the stile!
' half escaped the tifully that he had killed Sir. Harry for
heaving a uick impatient sih as hedid
so. "It is fortunate, 13 it not, Mr.
" 7 1 "" .,. u . U4U.M HJrtkUVIiaUAUICUilU, Jlilili
II lilt dlf Mill lllini . I mi tli ik ti'nn.1. .n 3.1. ..1 1 all! 1 I I a.1 I. i. . "
..,.,.. ...v...v., .. .,ulUs ( . ituing uui wnai ne inoogiu 01 dh con-1 Stisted. that hearts do not alter .15 niiift-.
sound of horses' feet, and there came in
view, down the narrow street, a carriage
drawn by two fine chestnuts.
Before it the village children fell
hastily back, and, standing on one side,
gazed with mingled awe and admira
tion. And assuredly it was a sight to
call forth admiration, for every thing
seemed so perfect; the carriage itself,
the prancing horses, the fair-haired girl,
so like the young, lovely mother by
whoe side she sat, the two little golden
headed children opposite. There was
surely no fault to be found anywhere.
Only, to a wayfarer standing by the
roadside gazing at them, the sun seemed
of a sudden to be darkened in heaven,
the earth to have lost the beauty of a
summer's morn.
"Helen!" he cried, in tones of an
guish wrung from a breaking heart, but
she did not near.
She saw him,' of course, for she was
looking at him, wondering, maybe, who
this stranger was in familiar little By
thorpe. But that was all.
The dust from the carriage wheels
made thick the air for a moment, and
when it cleared away the vision had
vanished.
" Who is it?" he questioned, when he
could command his voice, turning to a
villager standing by his side.
" Yon lady? Ladv Edmcadc. She's
goin' to I.unnon. She was daughter of
the old Squire's," he added, " and mar
ried Sir Wilfred Edmcadc."
" Has she been married long?"
" Let us sec.now. Twill be fourteen
years come August, for it was the same
dav, I mind well, as my voungest was
born. Eh, but she has bonnie chil
dren," he murmured as he turned away.
And Itobcrt Sutton found himself
alone in the bright early sun, scarcely
four hours since be saw it rise for what
was to have been the happiest day of
his life, and already the end had come.
He waited thus, reviewingthis ending
to his romance, fora few seconds; think
ing of the sunny-haired, broken-hearted
girl, who had clung to him those long,
iong
r years a?o. tho tears streaming down
her checks.
" I believe in vou. Robert. Whatever
the world may say, I believe in you
Only swear to me that you will credit
n.,.mi..i i. i,:j .,...:,. . i . , , " . . . . '-'""-" " ..n ts uu uui uult lis 0U1CK- ""ift .iuisi. luu iiiiki. uu may near,
mu ted b his companion. I duct, and was condemned to be hung h-as faces do?" for I trill be true fo vnn. An.loh. Rolw
be ,, ,!!S.?1 ?H. n 7 it J ' . " . a.,cr y let off rith " y. r, I cm not see asyou're right ert, directly you are free, come straight
410 repeated. 4,jiie now.as it was mv transnnrtRtinn fnr fifinn iik t- I i. . n.r n.. r . .. i . .. C
,. , , t i -ii r , v . -.-.. j..o jvuiuivic. iicuris irow ouicr aionc Willi " m wan, mouni ll oe lor
iathersl-oremv.andwnU.pleaseGof, ' now it seems-" the faces thev beW .n. pli.i.Vi vears!" mn wivr
Sfv;-;,.l Mm, "h llt.7Mnothe,aftcrall?" and wives would not get along as well And he hid kissed her and sworn it.
"A iiertect life, .Mr. Sti-teJ. A home. , "How did -von ninuth.it? Thottinr t ,1. t , .5i, .. , - .1 .u ..i,i., ,. .
, ,,i(.',i i:.,i , ,., ivi. , .,ii ; 1 .1. -1 TC .- , .,s mci uu. js bcotw uiuer ourselves, hj uun wjh luiuiieu ms pan
aife,ad little ones. What could a day there comes tho news as another , we do nnt mi thvntl, in ti.a f ' of it. it lMst. hn,;.l m i.v
"V?. .1 Tft in. . - ti..,s "lan.h1M.cn'f toke crime on his , posite ; leastways, 1 don't in Maggie's," i Then, th'oe few brief seconds over.
V, . 1 i l'os them?" deaih-lied, ,so that aftcr all, young Snt-1 said the farmer, suuply. BO he crosd the little dustr road, passed
??rit !p JSJn' .1 rL1 ' t0D I'asfsner?11 thJ 3 r wtat " Perhaps that is bemuse you see the I the village school, whence issued the
sup ri-e.1 at tho energj in the stranger's was no fault of his. Leastways, so the youth stiirthere; you remember it, you I und of many children's voices singing
"I in, not mirrip.1" 1,.. .1,p 1 f U,?R V 'k v ' f J?J"' , . H" ' Eee' " .von had grown old far ' the morning hymn, and entered the low
briP.L- -.P. A1 l' mother always believed in him," he apart, it would perhapslave been dif- cottage opposite, and knelt with a great
lnell. . ' but, ' ho hastcnel to add, went on after a moment's pause. "Itferent." tearless sob at the feet of in old blind
fearing ls reply imght have been wijl come right some day," she often j " Maybe," replied Mr. Stisted, doubt- woman, who, pnttin- out a w thered
abrupt, "you know the place, you say ; said to mo : Mr. Stistccf, it wiU come fully, apparent y a litUe out of his hand, and stroking softly tho curls so
then perhaps you can tell mo to whom ncht some dav. It is a misearrvino- of .wit,. .n. i :. .- :..?" .i.si.i .. ...Hi. ? ."
belongs yonder house," pointing to- juatice.' His' father died-could noi I tack li the fa"' Pp hi' "'"" , 13S " M UZ 7 1 Z'
wam tne UKtant towers of Hytliorjie lift up his head again; but hb mother like a bit of breakfast witn us sir
Manor. "Until maybe I am detaining has aye waited" There'll be but little doing fo Thcfll
J .x- ,, .-.x, c' , Something like la sob burst from his yet awhile, and my wife wUl be gladto
" Io, no," replied Mr. Stisted courte- companion, and Fanner Stisted looked see you "
ou.lv, "I'm not ..rested for time- up in surprise. The stranger acccptcl the proffered
ondpr housc.belongs to S.uire Church. "I have heard something of thu," hospitality, and he and the farmer
ill. The young squire we calls 'him 'he said, in a stammering fashion, in turned away together
mostly about here, seeing that his fath- answer to the look. "I knew this man Maggio provSl quito as hospitable as
er is dead l.ot so lonn siuce." that is, I have met him." her Imilnml ii1jijj ' .1 .u.
"Hois dead?" " Is that so, sir? " said the fanner, breakfast h.i.1 W4 nrt.vV .i 1
vith fresh interest. "Ay, I remember t Mr. Stisted had gone out to his Wort 1 1
' Ay, surely; and young Mr. Edward i
'My son, mv son! Havo vou come.
then, at last? Ah! it has-been weary
waiting; but I lived on, for I knew, the
truth must be known some day, and
that then you would come home."
Leisure Hours.
It is difficult to establish a charge of
vagrancy. So lonr as n vounr man
cats regularly at a free-lunch table ho
ha visible means of sunuort. Ar. o.
i wort, I Picayune.