The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-03-16

light upon his arduous, tiresome duties /;
the warm hearted girl who had grown
| nearer and dearer to him as the dull win
try days went by till he had dared hope,
silently, yet earnestly, that some time
he might be more to her than any on else
| in the world, even she, if she came be-
tween him and his duties, must be
sacrificed. 1t was miserable thought,
and he greeted it with long, deep drawn
sigh.
Not once during the forenoon did he
venture to look towards Annals seat, or
allow himself to pause anywhere in her
vicinity, for fear his ears might be greet
ed bya provoking, odious whisper. Not
once, l say, but | must except the long
recess, during which he watched her Gag
erly, as she bent over her slate, working
out her algebraic problems, apparently
lost to everything about her. Two or
three times he half started from his seat
to 90 to her assistance as h. knit her
white brows perplexedly, but a strange
new feeling like pride, kept him back.
He thought he had never seen her look
half as pretty Or loyeable as then: as she
sat there bending thorghtfully over her
book, with one white hand running rap
idly and gracefully over her slate. Her
dress of dark crimson cloth with its full
sleeves confined at the wrist by black vel
vet bands, fashioned high in the neck,
but in such manner as to display her
full, white throat, was strangely bece m NO
to her. He hadnever thought of it be-
fore, but there was certain refinement
in her taste that was truly pleasing. 1t
was visible in everything she wore-the
dainty cambria collar confined at the
throat by a small cameo breast-pin, the
knots of black velvet ribbon fastened
about her luxuriant soft brown braids;
the petite black silk apron, with its girdle
of silk cord, and full, larger, dropping
tassels, and even the slender, shining lit
tie kid boots that peeped daringly out
from the folds of her ample skirt. In all
his life Arthur Stone had never looked
upon a face or figure so pleasant or capt.
waiting. But as he watched her, she rails
ed her eyes to his face, In moment
the pretty seriousness which had rested
SO bocomingly upon her features was
gone. A provoking smile curlesl up her
rosy mouth, and went with a sudden
rush Of triumph over her whole face,
diating her finely curved nostrils and
sweeping ever like sunshine over the blue
of her eyes, making such rare dilnples
about her chin, as one might have suppos-
ed to have been fitted by cunning fore
finger of Cupid himself. ss ef ea'
Arthur Stone was vexed, but he was
too much man of the world to allow
theyoung girl to know how much she
was capable Of annoying him, and 50
after the first flame of pretty anger had
died out from his checks and forehead, h.
said, in voice, the GOODNESS of which sur
prisod even himself: -
Co.,, L. oP 70 x-or Me-,
Hawkes.?
None, sir, thank YOU. | have quite
conquered my exercises alone oday.
Foolish fellow! The very GOODNESS of
his manner betrayed the secret which he
strove to hide. There was little need of
eoverts if there was nothing to conceal
And so it was that the forenoon passed
away. The teachers rule was so far q
o. cd one. The school was remarkable
for its quietude If Anna Hawkes. had
not been present, Mr.. Stone would have
counted it Success, but as it was he W; S
in constant tremor of fear.
4 raised hand in the neighborhood of
her seat and a timid application for as
sstance was met by something like an ua-
reasonable frowu. Ina hurried, nervous
way he proceeded to explain away the
difficulty to the tinnid applicant, anxious
to be free from such DANGEROUS surroun-
dings. Just as he was congratulating
himself upon his success, and about turn
ing away, rapid. whispered yo.ley of
words ratified past his ears. There was
no avoiding it. He knew the source
from whence they came as well as { d
every scholar which heard them. He
could not pass thoughtlessiy along. The
dread alarm had come With such sud
den distinetness as to surprise him into
an involuntary start. Every pair Of eyes
in the school 70 ,m were turned inqui'-
in sly and curiously to his face. He was
o ced into doing his duty. The heavy
heard about his mouth was friendly to
him then, for it covered suspicious pal
lor that settled there as he turned about
and rested his eyes sternly upon the blush
inc, piouant face of Anna Halves. She
! was the picture Of innocence then, with