River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-07-26

/ brother whom | had not seen for ter
1 years, and then ne was boy. | remem
bered his extreme beauty, and my sou
grew sick. Impending evil like horri
bic vulture tapped Its wings over my
head He wrote me that he had become
| a prosperous merchant; that he was com
/ ing soon to see me. Ii was a warm, glow
/ ing, impulsive letter, but, strange TO say
crumpled il in my hand, aud threw il in
/ the fire.
1t was a singular coincidence, but the
/ day he came-as in the case of Alice
was called away. When | returned
caught the sound of a manly voice. Hate
entered and received a welcome in my
heart | went into the parlor; my broth
er ran up. his handsome face all aglow,
to greet me, and then returned to his
seat by the side of Alice. He must have
noticed my GOODNESS, my constrained de
meanOr. my abstraction, from which |
was called by Alice's musical voice
why, guardy, why didn't you tell me
you had younger brotherl"
II thought you would meet him soon,
and the pleasure would be all the great
err answered, bitterly. 1t stung me to
madness 10 behold him sitting so near
her; to hear them talk together like old
and confidential friends. All manner Of
demon thoughts crowded to my brain.
Among them came murder. | felt that
nv countensnce must be awful, and
kept myself busily turned away. Still
they chatted; tliey laughed--oh, how no
bly beautiful they looked together! That
evening we were all together in the nlu-
sic room, Alice at the piano; W liking,
filed with horrible thoughts; Fred, my
brother leaning over Alice. How free
she seemed with him. Much too free, it
seemed to my jealous eyes. What bust
boss had she TO sing my songs TO himf
Oh, if they had seen me look at them
To be sure she always prefaced her mu-
sic with This IS gGardy's favorite," or, II
often sing this for your brother" but
what sort of balm was that to such a
heart as mine. At last / said good
night abruptly. Alice came to me all
anxiety; she asked me timidly if / was
not well. / could have howled "NO, hyp-
Ocrite,n but l said, with as calm a man
ner as / could assume: Il have business
10 attend to-"
For d mOnient noted that she looked
perplexed. unhappy-but | was still
blinded by jealousy.
Look here, Harry, don't so to bed 50
early again said my brother the next
morning, lit deprives me ofgood society;
both that OF yours and your charming
ward She did not stav ten minutes after
YOU had gone You should not leave the
young folks alone, especially when one is
a shy as kitten"
Did Alice leave you, them" l asked,
suddenly relieved of a great weight.
''Of course she did. What modest
young girl could sit with a stranger alone.
am surprised at you for leaving rs
Oh, why did | not disclose to my
brother the great secret of my
heart, ItwO,ild have saved me torture be-
vond estimation. But / would not. The
evil one was in tne-=held absolute sway
over my every facility.
The next day Fred asked hie TO walk
with Tim TO tile cliff. We went away to-
gether.
Il have something wish To say to you
Harry" said Fred.
Nv heart leaped; my blood was on fire
| made as IL had not understood. Are
your nerves steady." l asked. "Can you
stand like this upon the edge ofthe bankl"
He paused. looked at me earnestly
moment. and went forward TO try. His
foot was on the very edge; nearer than
mite; his brain might have reeled; mine
did not-until | jostlej against him in
STOPPING. Nv God, he was over, / sprang
back as if | had been shot. Not for a
thousand worlds would have ventured
near the edge of the accursed hill.
The day, the week passed. l forgot to
say that Alice on that very day had gone
to spend a week with a schoOlmate.
When she returned she asked after Fred.
l said, watching her steadily; He is
gone Are you sOrrya"
"Why, yes; think he might have told
me and said goodbye" she replied,
rather petulantly.
"If he had stayed longer we might
have had a wedding" l said, with a
harsh AID almost cOnvulsive laugh.
She looked at ME earnestly for q mo-
ment, as she said, inIiocently: "WhH
who would have been married!'
You and he, perhaps" / ventured.
She turned as pale as ashes; her lips
auivered, she cried out passionately:
= You are erueli - and almost ran from
the room.
What was / to infer from this! The
glance, the tone had struck me as being,
TO say the least, very peculiar. Good
heavens could il have been that all the
time she loved mel Ny brain throbbed !:
nv guilty soul swayed between ttm1lts
of delight and terror. # so, dared |
marry her in nv blood-guiltines !
Yes, | dared do any deed now; dared
and would.
Alice became my wife, but horror hung
around me. / could take pleasure In
nothing. I surrounded her with Injuries
and called her my queen. She was an
idol; worshipped her. One day she
said:
why do we not hear from Fredf'
Nv heart stood still, but l ventured
some nOn-cOmmittal reply.
did he ever ask your advice about any
thing in particular" she inquired with a
smile.
No" replied with my old fierce
ness. why do you ask such ques-
tom"
.Oh. Harry she said, reproyingly,
YOU carried your prejudice too fsF-I
know she must have been lovely girl by
his description.
Before. / was hot; now grew icy.
BY his description lovely girl what
do Won mean." | asked. in wild astonish-
ment.
why, You knew lac loved one of the
EdgemOnts. didn't yOul He said the
father once did ven an injustice and YOU
never forgave him. lie being dependent
! on You in some way for assistance, did
not like to marry her without your con-
F sent, and vet he had the strangest fear
about il, / never saw a brother So
her words changed to shrieks. l had
fallen apparently dead at her feet
made awful revelations in the sickness
that followed. When ! came 10 myself,
l thought saw my brother continually
beside me- I besOught the vision &c
leave me. Human tones answered.
was Fred, kind, generous, forgiving, who
bent above his guilty brother. When he
+ IL, -, 49, - ha1 hen chafsara1 nv .