The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-10-24

at that period, and / took in at glance
her costly India muslin robe, with its
| frilis of Mechlin lace, the splendor, of her
bracelets, necklace aud car drops, and the
exquisitely wrought golden comb, which
Topped up the rici tresscs. Why was it
that my face wandered from her to the
pale, calm governess, with her bands of
raven hair and her great eloquent eyes,
and dress that fell about her like a
dunmist."
"3anche," said my host, "allow me
to present an old and valued friend
Richard Nincentw s.e at
The blonde beauty eolored, sinpered,
aud with an inclination she intended to
be like that ofa prima donna to an ar
plaude6 crowd, acknowledged my bow
"Miss Marguerite, f" resumed Cuthbort,
"ihis is the guest we have been expect
ingr She bowed with the grace of a
queen, and I as respectfully as if she had
indeed been one, as / said. e.
1--WE have had the pleasure of meet
ing before Cuthbertr'
cas- 1 told you" murmurcd the-govor-
ness, 81 went down to telI.hnn you were
absent"
The ceremonies of dinner now began,
and as seat had been assigned me be-
side Blanche, l tried to play the agreea-
BILE, but l often found my thoughts wand
| dering to the pale, silent girl opposite
When the meal was over and the ladies'
Lad left the room, we fingered at our
wine.
"What do you think of my sister,
asked Cuthbort.
"She is very beautiful" / replied.
"And you have fallen in love at first
sight"
"If have 1 shall not tell your | ex.
claimed, and then we went on chatting
in merry strain.
When we adjourned to tho great, cool,
luxurious pnrlor, found Mrs. Cuthbert
and her sister, but the goyerness was
walking to and fro on the terrace, appar-
entity absorbed in thought. The usua
small talk ensued, and at last, at my re-
quest the heiress sat down ut the piano
and played and sang with much Skill
had observed harp in the boudoir nd
jacent, and begged her to sweep its strings
for me.
II calnot," she said ''but Miss Mar
guerite can Twill call her." And NOV
ing to the window she exclaimed, i'm
perioussy;
"Come, Marguerite, we wish you to
play some airs on the harp"
The gosornes hesitated q moment
came in and took seat at the harp
AS she sat there I noticed for the first
time tho superb proportion of her fingers,
the graceful poise of her head on the
stately neck-But l forgot those when
she smote tile chords of the harp and be-
gan to sing. Was she an improvisatrce
I thought she must be, SO full ofsoul was
the music she pour ed forth, and when she
concluded asked Mrs. Cuthbest whose
composition it was.
"Her, ewn," she replied; and sh new
CT knows what she was going to sing
when she commences"
uttered no fulsome words of common
dation to Marguerite, but my eyes must
have spoken volumes of approval.
That night when I retired to rest, my
dreams were not haunted by the heiress,
but by the pale face l had seen by the
window-the face Of Marguerite the gov
erness.
The next morning was awake Ell an
early hour, and glancing out, saw Mar.
! guerite gliding across the lawn hast
ened to join her--her cheek wore rich
glow, her dark, lustrous eyes were full o.
light, her lips tremulous with smiles heI
white apron was f, Of snowy blossoms
and she had wrenthed spray of jassa
mine amid the blackness of her hair
How we began to talk scarcely know,
/ but Ineser was so entertained by any
woman, as by her. | could touch upon
no subject in literature or art, with which
| she Yves not familiar, and Madam de Stae
might have coveted her Conversations
powers. On the lawn we separated. buI
when we met at breakfast in the presence
Eof the Cuthberts and the superciliouG
heiress, l saw that the old go,erness
look had come back to her face, and she
was more reticent than ever. Nv friend
proposed horseback excursion to &
boiling spring in the neighbophood, ani
/ ,ghen our party assembled on the vernnda
/ I noticed With the keenest disappointment
that the govcrness had been excluded.
Il