River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-01-01

came acquainted with about year OF
two before you first saw her. | assure
you knew nothing Of your love affair
or proposed marriage. If had known
IN time, should certainly have consid-
cred 1t my duty to warn you OF the aw'
iul blunder you were making. When |
went abroad with my regiment, IL seems
she chose to go down and wriggle her
self into my family. What her motive
was, ! can't imagine. She is a most
artiul, dangerous person, that is clear,
She saw my return to England@n III"
papers yesterday, and sent me note
Inviting me to come and see her at this
address, which | did. | give you my
word OF honor had not been here ten
minutes when you made your appear
ance. She had just told me she was
married. and this was your house upon
which got up and wished her good
day.
by this time had found myself un'
able to stand, and vas sitting on the
sofa with my head between my hands.
When Capt. Ringwood left off speaking
| looked up, meaning to say something,
but forgot what it was, and only stared
at him silently.
ale was fair, slight young man
about thirty, with handsome, thin fea.
lures, and large, light brown whiskerS
He stood there looking at me with the
same good-natmed concern in his face
that he had expressed in words, in his
fashionable, affected way.
AT last | recolected what had been
going to say, and told him | wished to
be left alone. lie silently took out his.
card, laid it on the chimney piece, and
went out.
II don't know how many hours re.
manned lying on the sofa with my eyes
shut, in that strange torpor; but it was
night when | opened them and found
my wife standing by me. She had light.
ed the candles on the chimney piece,
and was STOPPING down over me- She
started upright as my eyes opened, but
she did not avoid them. She confront
ed me. arching back her nymph like
figure, and leaning one hand on a table
behind her. felt no emotion at sight
of her, but looked at her as if she had
been picture. Her beauty was SPLEEN
did. All her fair golden hair was turn
ed of her white face in sort Of gilt
tering aureola. Her great turquoise
blue eyes hared under slightly contract
ed brows; the nostrils of her delicate,
straight nose and her infantine mouth
expressed rage and pain"
Il am glad you are awake, said she;
] want you to hear me say hate youl'
~ don't care, said !, YEARLY. Go
away
"'IIer face famed out with the fury
that was burning her heart"
But you do care y she cried you
shall carel ! tell you always laughed
at you and despised you. only mar
ried you from pique-bccause he left
me. got into his family, and toadied
them, and made myself their servant,
only to hear of him, and to feel nearer
him, and be where he had been--I love
him so J love no one else in the
world never did. ] would kill you,
and dozen like you, to save him from
a fingcrache. would rather thou
sand times have blow from him than
kiss from you--a hundred times
When | think OF him, and thai you are
between us, | hate you--I abhor you!
How dare you smile at me! III kill
you
IL was quite unconscious Of smiling;
but she darted at me, and struck at my
throat. ! caught her hand; this time
she had a penknife in it. and felt that
she had pricked me. That instructive
act of sell-defensc reused me, and prob.
ably saved my wits as well as my life.
When | had mastered her and
thrown the knife away, held
her hands in mine till she put down
her face and bit them savagely. ! tied
her wrists with my pockethandker-
chief, and she sank painting on chair.
All of a sudden the unhappy creature
burst out crying as if her heart was
broken as well it might be. Probably
Ringwold's cool treatment of her
throughout the interview recently
passed was at the bottom Orthat frenzy
Of vituperation, that desperate beha-
vour toward me. She did not hate me,
but was simply mad with pain, and
raved and struck out in her delirium.
| think she really liked me when she
married me, Notwithstanding her as.
sertions to the contrary, and meant
and wished TO lead a new life but the
sight of Ringwood's name in the papers
and the knowledge of his nearness, in
my absence, revived her passion for
him, in which her good resolutions
burnt like straw released her hands
and brought water and put il on her
lips ; and when she was quiet through
advised her TO lie down,
and hoped she would 20 to sleep. As
was leaving the room she called me back
in low, broken voice, and when | stood
beside the sofa on which she
lay, she joined her hands, and ask ed
me, with streaming eyes, TO forgive her.
| did so, freely. OF course, Ringwood
was right. had no one but myself to
thank. My inlatuation had been so
monstrous. that | could no more com.
plain Of the consequences than a man,
sober, can complain of tho consequences
OF some drunken folly.
"ln the morning | took Fanny away
to a farm house in Kent, a place she
knew Of, and chose herself for a retreat.
She ives quiet and humble, and appar.
eEtly broken.spirited. But she did not