River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-08-21

Waiting IOr neT.
There was no harm in going down.
1t was only right to go; but Satan,
they say, is always on the lookout for
ones weak moments and 1T seems
likely that he sent Mr.. Waldo in the
nick of time. Roses vanity had been
stung, and she was anxious to prove to
herself that she had not lost her power
of fascination. She proved it con-
clusively that evening.
Nothing was said, nothing was done
that Mrs. Grundy could object to but
there are smiles that make the heart of
a lady-killer ilutter, and other smiles
that put him at distance by their very
graciousness. Formerly Mrs. Winner
had given Mr.. Waldo these latter
smiles. Tonight she gave him the
former. So that he dared TO hold her
hand little longer than he had ever
done before in parting, and to say
softly:
MAY | call again very soon? /
hate to think of your being lonely"
For she had told him-yes, she had
indced-that "Mr. Winner was forever
shut mp in his study, and that she
fancied she should die of ennui some
day." Which was true enough, but an
unwise statement for Il pretty young
wife to make TO Waldo.
Then, flushed, and with a certain
sense of guilt upon her, she glided
past the study door, and was really
sound asleep, when weary looking
man opened it, and went, without his
81 Nha 81, al
over her, said to himself, Little
darling, little darling, may heaven
bless YOU and would not kiss her lest
he should disturb her slumber.
If he only had kissed her, it would
have been much better, after all. For,
as it was, she said nothing of Waldo's
call next morning.
Demonstrative people have credit for
all their emotions ; undemonstrative
people may feel as much, and no one
guesseS 1T.
Mr.. Winner seldom said much about
his affection for his wife, and now that
he had taken this odd way of shutting
himself up every evening, she doubted
its existence, and grew cold in her own
manner.
There was never any quarrel. She
never reproached him--pride forbade
that-but there seemed to be frost in
her smile arl ice in her words. She
maant that there should be. When ne
said, SO very soon after dinner, "And
now for my French, Rosy" she would
say nothing, but, somehow, find an ex-
cuse for eyading the kiss with which at
first he always left her. "What are
formal kisses worth p she said to her
self, If he dislikes my society ?" And
1t very soon came to pass that, after
this, she would put roses in her black
hair and in her bosom, and watch, with
flushed cheeks, at her window for Mr..
Waldo's coming.
She was not in love with him-she
was in love with her husband but her
husband had awakened her Jealous
wrath, and this young man tickled her
vanity.
lie came to her side so often, leaving
for hor sake darling girls who courted
him. He made her delicate compli-
ments, he looked at her so. In word,
he seemed to be in love with her, and
it was IA triumph.
All, if women quite und erstood the
vanities of men, and knew also that
when they have succeeded, or think
they have, in touching wife's heart,
they feel far more contempt than
love for SO weak creature, who forgets
honor so far that it no longer becomes
dishonorable for them to kiss and tell
The coolest salutation that honest hus-
band ever gave his wife is really worth
more than the finest hattery another
man can whisper to her.
And Winner did not guess at what
was going on. She wanted him to
know, that she might rack his heart
with jealous pangs but she dared not
let him know.
Maggie, the maid, had quite mys-
terious air now when she brought Wal
dos card, and once she had whispered /:
But heard thcmaster stir, ma am,
as if he was coming down"
And Rose had flushed and asked her
why she said that, but Maggie made no
answer.
II haven't lived with fashionable
ladies so long not to know. when hint
will get me present, she said to her
self as her mistress left the room. And
there were thoughts in her heart that
would haze made Rose Winner faint
with shame had she guessed them for
all her hope was that her husband might
know others then coveted the prize he
did MT value.
Still, night after night, that door was
locked. Still, in the small hours of the
morning, the husband crept 10 his brief
rest. Thedays were passedat business,
and though the man strove 10 be genial
when the pair were together, the woman
refused To meet him halfway. \ WON
an who considers herself inBulted has
no power over herself. 1t was not pos
siblc TO Rose to chat and laugh. She
was too much of a lady 10 quarrel, she
simply froze.
II was a bright day in spnng. The
fruit trees were all blossoming. II was
beautiful out of doors but in hci
suburban home, Rose Winner sat sadly
ut the window admiring nothing. Every
now and then vehicles passed down the
road. So many OF them holding two
pcuplo-man and woman-husband and
wife she made OF Thorn. But her nus.
band never took her To drive, much rs