River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-07-27

50 strenuous in this matter OF 0biliga.
Elton; but then. rs Mrs. Barnetta said,
ne would not have been Lucian Malyin,
and Lucian Malvin was very good
fellow, after I'll, and there are few of
us but has eur faults.
1t was among these people that he
happened 10 meet Rosa Mercier. She
had come froIn a distant place. and
WAS visiting his pleasantest acquaint.
ance, and certainly the house was
pleasanteT still after her sunshiny lit
tie presence dawned on it. IL seemed
as it,, for instance, there never had
been any flowers IN the house before,
although 1t had always been overflow.
ing; it seemed as If there had been no
music there, no light, or color, or
cheer; and now the place was too dan.
gerously delightful for a young man
who did not want to marry to frequent.
She was such lovely little thing not
| exactly beautiful. that is, she would
not have been beautiful in q picture,
hut beautiful in flesh and blood, and
In Lucian Nal, ms eyes, she was ex.
ceedingly beautiful, with her soft col.
or, her clear dark gaze. and her bright
hair that broke into u cloud of sunny
rings about her sweet face; such u
gentle gayety went with her where.
ever she did, such a tender grace Of
manner, too. in the intervals of her
| buOyant spirits, her voice was such q
warbling voice, her ways such win.
some was. Lucian Malvin felt that he
must fOrswear her presence unless he
wanted To make life burden to him
self and he ceased going to Mrs. Bar.
! netta 5, where she was staying, almost
rs suddenly as the day forsakes the
horizon in that dreary season when
twilghts are not.
But if he could shut himself out
from the Barnettas, he could not shut
Miss Rosa out from general society /;
go where he would, he met her almost
nightly, laughing gayly. singing sweet
ly, dancing lightly, till he declared to
himself that, il this was going to last,
he must indeed cease going ont at all.
But that was little too much (; edid
not know how positively to deny him
self the mere sight Of her. Yet things
were growing very precariOus when
he could not take book but he saw
that blushing, golden-ringed face slide
in between the pages, when he could
not make out Il writ withou. being in
danger of slipping her name into the
blanks, when he heard the delicious
voice murmHing in his ears when he
walked, and walked all night with the
little spirit when he slept.
lie made a compromise with himself
lit was all he could-and declared
that at any rate he would not dance
with her again. 1t was an idle effort.
lie might almost as well have danced
with her as have stood looking at her,
quite unconscious of his general mir,
and all the lover in his glance. Mrs.
Barnetta heckoned him to her side ; he
stood there just rs Rosa came up from
her promenade and left the arm of one
cavelier To be carried off by another.
You are not dancing, Mr.. Malyin q
she said. "Oh, would you hold my
fan and handkerchief lie followed
them with his eye again Us the music
crushed into a dancing galop.
What right had that other man with
his clasp about this darlingl why did
she suffer it what decency was there
in the society that commanded such
sacrifice ! In his embrace whirling
wildly to this wild music
"You do hate him, don't you !" said
Mrs. Barnetta in his ear. "lf look'
could shay" lie started, Was h
carrying his heart upon his sleeve TO
DAVIS 20 peck at ''Oh, don't pit,
you a bit, laughed Mrs. Barnetta, Low
toned. And, putting out her hand
she took Rosa's fan and opened it a
She talked. Anybody said she
with such power Of making misery
ought TO enjoy 1t.
!. III beg your pardon, Mrs. Barnet
Ia. but If you read me riddles. mus
! ask you also to be their sphinx. :
} "Oh no; il was the function of til
Sphinx to PROFOUND the riddles, not t
J solve them. And Mrs Barnett
! laughed her low, pleasant laugh. "Yo
J do not come TO as any more, sh
J said. "And, as ! used to be in you
] confidence before you deserted me,
I can imagine the reason. do not liz
20 say that IL Is very shabby treatmen
, of IN old friend. OF course ! canine
2 SAY that it is rude. But if you do ne
2 dance with Miss MERCER this evenin
shall be fearfully offended. al
: not going 10 have my little treasur
/ made unhappy for the sake of the SAT,
ty Of the Prince of all good fellow
r himself
lucien changed color so suddenl
: that Mrs. Birnctta put out her hand i
\ alright, half expecting to see him fal
! but in moment he was himself agaiI
: "Do you---ls Miss Mercier--" h
began, and paused half way.
"As II should say another wor,
: and had not already said altogethe
: too much said Mrs. Barnctta. "Ther,
she has left dancing and gone for 4
q ice. What do YOU think of roun
, dances on the whole Aud the
/ were, 10 all appearances, deep in
, discussion Of the subject when Ros
T returned and swept her late partner
/ courtesy, and took shelter on the othe
f. side of Mrs. Birnetta. Perhaps sh
, had seen the way Lucian 5 eyes had 70
{ lowed her, and IL had given her Gel
! tain illumination that made her shrinl
; just then the band began one Of tn
I hungarian waltEeS, q sweet and RAJ
b tWous measure tina set the bloc
5 itself % dancing In ones veins. VIII
! not one last dance. one last momer
I OF ecstacy, ere he went ont foreye
? into loneliness. Directly he crumple
, the bit of lace into his pocket, an
/ was bending before the little Ross
p who seemed suddenly TO have lost a
$ her light gayety, and who put out he
/ hand to him with a conscious bunin
= blush upon her face that his heart r,