River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-08-09
Wrecked in Port.
II mas the I'D midnirht

IL was the Wild midnight.
The tame midnight was off watch and
had gone to bed three hours before.
A storm brooded over the eastern
heavens It was q thoroughbred brood
storm. Hop brewed, for it was coming
from the yeast.
A little form covered in the garden
gate. Many manly form has been cow
ard al just such gates, ever since summer
nights and gnats and beauty and love and
June bugs were invented.
He does not come, she murmured
softly, as she peered into the darkness.
! cannot see him. | will call him.
She was wrong Ii she couldn't see
him, she certainly couldn't call him with
the same hand. A manly step came
sCraping down the sidewalk. 1t was
Desmond.
She threw open the gate and the next
instant he clasped in his great, strong
arms twenty-seven yards of foulard, three
yards of ruching, seven dozen Breton but
tons, and a pompadour panier as big as
dog-house. 1t was all his own.
All is lost" he exclaimed. Con
stance de Belyidere, the Russians have
crossed the Balkans. We must fly"
Constance was a noble girl. She only
said whittier shall we flyl'
He wanted to fly TO some lone desert
isle, but She submitted an amendment
providing that they should fly to the ice
cream saloon.
They flew.
/ In the crowded saloon, where the soft
light fell upon fair women and brave men,
and the insects Of summer night fell in
1 the ice-cream freezer. They spoke no
word. When two sentient human beings
arc engulfng spOonfuls of corn starch
and eggs and skim milk. language is a
mockery.
At length Desmond broke the tender
/ silence. He said:
/ More, dearestf
/ She smiled, and bowed her lovely head,
/ int did not speak. She was too full for
utteranee.
Desmond gloomily ordered more. And
more when that was gone. And sup
plement to that. And an addenda 10 that.
And an exhibit to that.
Gloom sat enthroned upon his brow.
! Constance saw it. She said:
"What is it, dearestl"
4 He spake not, but sighed.
\ A dreadful suspicion stabbed her heart
+ like a knife.
Desmond she said, you are not
tired Of me, dallingi"
No he said, and then he looked land
+ thought ulutterabe things.
/ Her brow lighteued up with ray OF
celestial intelligence.
see" she said, tapping the empty
/ plate with her spoon. Too cold. Signed.
+ {. Morbus.i
He denied it bitterly, and babe her re-
main where she was while he settled with
/ the man.
i She, guided by the unerring instinct Of
her sex, peepcd through the curtains OF
/ the saloon. She saw her Desmond hold
/ ing earnest discussion with the man She
Z saw the man shake his head resoluteiy in
answer TO Desmonds pleading looks and
/ appealing gestures. She saw him lock the
door, take out the key, put il in his
+ pocket, and lean up against the door. She
saw her own Desmond draw from his
pockets and pile upon the counter pearl
4 handled pocket knife, six nickels, four
+ green postage stamps, watch key, two
/ lead pencils, a memorandum book, q
/ thcater ticket, a pocket comb, an ivory
tooth-pick, shirt-stud, one sleeve-but-
ton, photograph Of herself, a package
trix, two street-car checks, a card with t
funny story on it, silk handkerchief
and pair Of gloves And then she knew
that Desmond was a bankrupt, and when
+ the man swept the assets of the concern
4 into q drawer and opened the door, she
/ sobbed, conyulsively: "And it was mine
! extravaganza which hath did this thing
! They did not talk much on their way
/ home Once she asked him if he was
rich and he only said:
] Enormously"
/ Such is life.-BurltagtOn Haek-Ege.