River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-12-07

| "IOm, she began. don De angry
Oh, do forgive meI' She paused, try
ing to think how she could tell him
softly but she went on bluntly, Il
want to end our engagement.
$50 do l." rejoined he, with difficult
ty suppressing whistle. Then both
burst into hearty laugh.
"You see, Mat" said Tom when he
could speak, 81 love some one else"
Matty appeared TO be taken quite by
surprise at his declaration.
"But / couldn't help it, indeed |
! couldn't. She is"
'sShe is a young lady whose name is
Kate, and her eyes are the blacklist,
and her cheeks the reddest, and she
sings Under the Stars with guitar ac-
compartment, ratified Matty all in a
| breath.
1t was Toms turn to stare, "Where
did you find all this out % he asked.
"My dear little bird, etc. l think
I'll 60 and write to my future cousin"
and off she ran glad to escape the queS-
tions which she feared he might pro-
| pound.
"But you haven't told me" he
called after her.
"And never SHALL" she returned,
whisking into her own room.
In less than an hour she had recon
ciled her mother to Fate's decree, and
written to Miss Kate Spencer, and per-
suaded Tom to write also, and had
done much towards informing the
whole village of her altered prospects.
In due time Tom was married, Matty
officiating as first bridesmaid.
Matty, after the excitement of
Toms wedding, bethought herself
what she should do. There were her
summer dresses to be made up, her
music scholars TO attend to, the sew
ing circle and the flowers; but these
occupied neither all her time nor
thoughts. There ought to have been
DR., Gibson, too, she could not help
thinking but that gentleman, instead
of falling at her feet as soon as he
heard she was free, paid her no more
attention than before. She waited for
him in growing wonder and worry, an
eternity, two weeks, and then took
measures to bring him to his senses.
She employed only recognized and
ladylike means, however. She began
by flirting little with different gen.
tlemen.
There was VIII Ellis. This young
gentleman had offered himself to our
heroine, on an average, four times a
year, ever since she was Is. She had
invariably refused him, decidedly and
emphatically but they were the best
of friends in the world. She now told
him in so many words, that she would
accept all the attention he would offer
her during the next week, taking care
to remember that this singular decla-
ration proceeded not from any special
regard for him, but was made in pur-
suance of some occult design on her
part. Forthwith the pair embarked
on what seemed to be the stormiest
Irritation Skinnersville ever saw. In
the long morning they drove or rowed
together I; they dined at Mrs. Kelli-
colts, and Immediately after sailed
forth on some other excursion. Both
were excellent equestrians, and Matty
gloried in galloping over hill and dale,
on one of Wills handsome horses.
will, by-the-by, was the son of rich
man, Then they drank an early tea
on the veranda and spent the evening
at the piano or in reading. At the
hour of o, Matty always sent Will
home, without q particle of ceremony
or regret at his departure. In short.
what appeared to Skinnersville as a
serious courtship was, in reality,
pure business matter, and so under
stood between the two parties to it.
This state of affairs continued for at
week or so during which time the
Doctor ignored Matty's existence,
except as she was the daughter of his
dear friend, Mrs. Kellicot. And all the
time the girl was raging inwardly at
her quondam sutton.
"Why can't he ask me at once
again 2" she queried, mentally; 81 am
sure he loves me, and any one might
see that | love him but cau't, and |
suppose | shall be an old maid"
But the Doctor was not to blame. A
man of the world would have seen
through Matty's stratagem, but he did
not he imagined that she was either
trying to drown her disappointment
at losing Tom, or had really decided to
marry the enamored viii.
The truth occurred to Matty at last.
She could hardly believe such stupidity
existed in the mind of man but she
determined to try what modest and
retiring behavior would effect. She
dismissed win, and became, to all out.
ward resemblance, a little nun. Still
no advance on the Doctors part. He
came and went constantly to the house,
however. Matty gave up all hope,
finally, of ever coming to better under
standing with him. when something
happened.
DR.. Gibson dropped in one morning
when Mrs. Kellicot sat sewing on the
pleasant veranda in the cool, refresh
ing breeze.
"You musn't come here" she called,
as he tied his horse to the hitching-
post. MY work requires my undivid-
ed attention f; besides, you'll step on
the ruf1les. You may so and help
Matty, if you like"
That young woman was making pies
in the kitchen. She saw the doctor
coming round the corner of the house,
gave a hurried glance at the bright
bottom of tin pan she was holding,
found herself presentable, and greeted
him compOsedly. She was very glad
to see him, she said. Wouldn't he
come in!
No, he wouldn't come in, the day
was so beautiful. He would just
stand on the little brick pavement
under the window, and lean over the
sill. So there he stood under the
grapevine trellis, with little golden
sunshine falling over his hair and
shoulders. Matty observed that he
looked thoroughly unloverlike, and
concluded that he didn't intend to pro-
pose. She also noticed rip in his
coat, and wondered who would mend
ii for him.
Someway the talk yeered round
from the weather to woman's rights.
Matty, on this, spoke up.
She didn't at all believe in the Sec
ond-hand influence which reached the
ballot box through the agency of hns-