River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-11-23

istion, and though his tenderness to.
ward Clare might amount to love, he
would never dare to marry an actress.
Clare's foot got better, and she
could get about little and get out,
but her arm still hung useless. What
could she do for livingf She could
not go onthe stage with her arm in a
sling. She could not sew with one
hand. When she applied for stu.
alton as teacher, she received the an.
swer !: ''We hire no broken-down ac.
tresses here"
She went about like Sne under ban,
and what she had earned her living at
by hard, honest labor, stood out against
her like crime. When Clare's health
had been good, she had always been
such happy, courageous, aggressive lit
tie mortal but now pain and weakness
made her timid and shrinking, and all
her hopes and happiness began to be
centered on Colonel Leslie's smile.
1t had got to be October. and Clare
was just where she had been weeks be-
fore her health no better, the money
she saved nearly gone but very happy
to-day, for had not Colonel Leslie been
gone three weeks ON visit to some
friends, and was coming home to-
night!
All day Glare had been on the qui
vive, restless, wandering about in her
feeble fashion. She had taken the
best part of her dinner into the ar
lists room, and set it down slyly on
his table while he was out. She had
divided most of her supper with the
drunkard's children, for why shonld
she care to eat to-day Children and
timid people and grabbed people, and
all nervous and sick and sorry folks
loved Glare, who had a sympathetic
corner in her keart for everybody s
woes.
think God must have looked down
with a pitiful, tender smile upon
Clare girlish preparations, upon Clare
musing over her ribbon.box. over her
braiding and unbraiding her brown
hair, and tying knots of ribbons in it
oh the dire extravaganza of Clare
this summer in pink ribbons such a
longing in her to be bright and pretty
she had never felt before.
"IIe will be here to-night'" and her
heart began to beat and her feet to tap
a joyful little threnody upon the pine
floor.
The evening darkened and darkened
IA close, sultry night--the hall-door
swung, and Clare's heart was in her
mouth--only old maid Granton, with
her heavy bundle and heavier signs.
1t swung again. Clare's face grew
hot and her eyes brilliant. Not Col.
onel Leslie, but a post-boy with let
ter. Clare knew the concise, aristo-
cratic hand.
81 have always kept my promises be.
fore, Clare, but this one did not think
was best, so l cannot come tonight, as
tomorrow is my wedding-day- You
may think with some reason, as have
visited you SO often that l ought to
marry you. But my family are OPP.
posed to my marrying an actress
Clare's nerveless fingers dropped the
letter; some bank bills fell from its
folds; she counted them over mechan.
ically; enough to last her alive for two
months more, with close economy.
Glare closed her eyes. Far off she
seemed TO hear the merry clang OF
wedding bells; down the street the old
violin-player was prolonging the notes,
plaintive and sad.
"a rosebud in full blooming,
So lovely, smiling, fresh and gay;
found q canlSer i'll it,
And now throw it far away"
All, surely!
A few weeks later, one soft, October
afternoon, there was solemn hush in
the little actresses room.
Peaceful Clare was lying back upon
the pillows breathing family, her brok-
en- arm outside the coverlet, her soft
eyes. open, watching.
"Fretted herself to death, poor lamb.
for fear of being cripple and left a
burden" said the drunkard swife who
had come in.
The laundress stood in the door,
wiping the suds from her elbows; the
hungry-eyed artist stood al the foot of
the bed.
The window was open, and the old
musician was playing sweet and low,
the air about the rose and the canker,
and Glare soul floated off with it, from
her life down here in the shadow, into
Gods eternal sunshine