River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-02-05
the CRACK IN the DOOR.

The prettiest house, the prettiest gar
den, the best servants, and the largest
bank account in X. belonged to Mrs. Me-
hitable Armstrong, widow. Some people
also declared that she was the prettiest
woman in X, but these were not the
other women. They said she had red
hair and vas too fat, and what the gen.
tlemen saw to admire in her they could
not guess, ETC., ETC., but, say it as often
as they might, every man in the place
was Hetty Armstrong; devoted servant,
friend, and, dozen of them, her lovers,
also. A bright, dashing, warm-hearted
woman she was, as merry as though she
had never known care. Not that she
had forgotten the love Of her youth-the
gallant, black.eyed captain, whose ship
had gone down in mid-ocean five years be-
fore, and whose pictured face lay near
her heart night and day, sleeping and
waking: but she was too full of life and
hope to live entirely in the past, and
loved neither hours Of melancholy nor
what women call "a good cry" To for
get oil sorrow, if she could, and be as
happy as she might, were the two grand
rules of her life, and therefore people who
did not know Hetty Armstrong thought
her hesrtlcss, and made great mistake.
They called her firt. and that was
not true, either. She only hirted with
those who began the game first, and that
a woman had right to do. At K, if
gentleman called twice upon a lady, his
attentions were said to be ''very particu-
lar :" if he "saw her home from meet
ing" rumor declared that they were ten
gagged }" and ii he spent an evening with
her, they were "to be married next week,
for certainty but Hetty Armstrong was
somehow not included in the general rule.
She had determined to do as she chose.
She went everywhere with every unmar-
ried gentleman Of her set. She was friend.
ly when she chose to be and firted when
she liked. After setting gossip afloat a
dezen times, she gained her point and
people left her alone. 1t was Hetty
Armstrong; way, and no indication of
matrimonial intentions. For years gen.
tlemen haunted her parlors, escorted her
hither and thither, sung with her, danced
with her, confided in her, and adored her,
and village gossip had not married her,
until suddenly stranger made his debut
at X, and set the tongues a.going beyond
even Hetty Armstrong; power Of silenc-
ing.
He was tall, he was handsome, he was
comparatively young. He had just that
touch Of the exquisite about him which
is so charming when "a mans man for
a. that" faultless in toilet, faultless in
manner, educated, accomplished alto
gether, he openly fling himself at Hetty
Armstrong; feet and declared himself
her admirer. or course we do not mean
to say that he ruined the knees Of his
faultless habiliments by going down upon
them, or in any other way conducted him.
self as did the knights of old when heart
smitten, but, after the manner of the
nineteenth century, he declared his inten.
tions quite as openly.
He sang to and at the lady. He haunt.
cd her parlors like well dressed ghost.
He wrote poetry for the "Luminary," ad.
dressed to II. A. and signed g. X. lie
breathed deep signs and gave soft glances,
and said things that might have double
meanings. And this not for week, or a
month, but for a year, at the end Of
which time Hetty Armstrong began to
understand that she was expected by
everybody to accept Charles Rokewood
when he offered her his heart and hand.
Meanwhile, the soft eyes and sweet voice,
the delicate attentions, and the winning
songs Of her admirer werO not without
their effect upon betty Armstrong
heart. II began TO be conscious Of Ger.
tain tremors and flutterings in his pres.
ence. Her cheeks flushed as they had in
sirlhood. Her dreams we're not the
sober, practical dreams which nature at
five.and.twenty should alone indulge in
and as the days rolled on she felt more
conscious that the "Y.s" which was ex'
pected Of her would be easily uttered.
She tried 10 be prudent and Judge the