The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-02-24


offered you what now would be- your high
est bliss to own? Do you remember how
you laughed my words TO scorn, and
scoffed at me as a silly boy, who had
mistaken himself and you? Ay, | was
a boy in years, Helen Reade; but a
mans understanding, mans experience,
a mans passionate strength of purpose,
had made me old before my time, and |
loved you with as perfecta love as ever
grew up in human heart. Twas proud
and your Indifference, gay, hcartless, cut
ting indifference, CALLED me, and made dis
appointment doubly bitter. l said then
as | left you with that dead hope making
discord in my breast, that some day your
heart would bleed as mine did then that
some day I would mock your anguish
with contempt as Illuminating as that you
heaped on me. Has not my hour of
triumph come? Have [ not won you
carefully, proudly, as best became the
worthy object l was striving for? And
did | not know just now, when my blood
tingled beneath the pressure of your arm,
half shy, half confident and felt the
warmth Of yodr clinging lips upon my
brow, that never before had you been
SO completely, SO unreservedly mine?-
Oh, Helen, Helen. am | not gloriously
avenged now that I can toss back our
heart as lightly as I have won it, and
know all the while that YOU love me, in
spite of yourself and your mighty
pride"
''Richard Whey" I began as he ceased
speaking; but the torrent Of fierce words
that leaped up hotly for utterance cho-
ked me; my lips burned as though bis
tered by the touch of flame, and | was
forced to stop and steady my wild rage,
before l could proceed.
AT length in hoarse, angry whisper.
l said:
ayes, remember the fine of which
you speak; although, but for your deli
cate reminding, might never have call
ed it to mind again. | was young.
thoughtlcss, ignorant girl; l did not I'M
derstand you, or the nature of the feel
ings you proposed to bear me: l answer
ed you as any other inconsiderate child
would have done; but Heaven knows |
meant no harm, no contempt. no cxulta-
ton. You have achieved noble, man
ly revenge = you have cherished the
slight of a needless girl, forgotten by her
as soon as it was given, and kept it ran
king in your memory till it has grown
strong enough to crush by its rebounding
a heart that would have shed its last drop
of blood to serve YOU. Love you yes
so well that I could strike you dead here
at my feet, and trample on your lifeless
body in very loathing of the mean soul
it contained $50 well that if your false
heart lay bare before me, Icould snap the
cords apart with as little pity as would
threads of flax so we'll that when you
die l hope l may be beside you to show
YOU how fit you are for Heaven; to con-
sole you by recalling the magnanimous
aims that have inspired your life, and to
revive you at the last moment by whis-
pering in your ear of the honorable victo-
ry YOU have achieved over defenseless
weak-hearted woman. paused, out of
breath.
600 on-please go on. Anger i'm
proves the style of your beauty, and | am
a gratifed listener" said my tormentor
drily.
81 have nothing more TO say | re-
Piled, save that I pray l may never look
upon your face again, unless the sight of
me becomes torment, and then | will
risk wealth, ay, everything, for the sake
of passing once more before your eye
sight,
He caught one of my hands that was
lying idly in my lap, and when I would
have snatched it from him, he closed his
fingers about it ike vice. The look of
bitterness softened away from his features
and one of almost tender expectation took
its place. l saw in the change only new
revelation of hypocrisy cunning and far
seeing, treacherous malignity; so wal
ted for him to speak. Isit any wonder I
hated him.
"HeIen," he said, and the cutting tone
was all gone from his voice, "will you
marry me!"
hequestion did not startle me half as
much as ii would have done an hour be-
fore; it was like hin-strange, abrupt,
contradictory. | sprang up and spurncd