River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-01-04

anu Wnlcn you nave SAID could not De
matched in the city, decided the mat
ter. As my promised wife, / think
you have a right to tell me the truth.
| should not believe ON hearsay, but
how can / doubt the evidence of my
own eyes? 81
All the tender interest with which
she had approached him died out of
her face and manner. She stood back
from him with anger in her attitude
and flashing eyes. ''You seem to have
an exalted opinion of the woman you
have honOred with the offer of your
hand" she said, with keen sarcasm.
ri am glad you have shown your true
colors thus soon. twill save mistakes
in the future. Irepeat, j was not on
the street last evening. You have seen
some one who resembled me, no doubt.
As to the scarf, there are doubtless
also, in the false glare of gaslight you
may have been deceived, but for you
to attribute any such doubtful action
to me, and then disbelieve my denial
of it, is insulting. Henceforth we IRE
two. You cannot wish continuance of
this engagement when you have so low
an opinion of me and even if you did,
| assure you that shall brook no in
suit from any man. Here is your ring,
drawing it from her slender finger and
eXtendlngit with a naughty gesture.
Remember, have taken the. initiative
in this matter. You have not cast me
off.o ~ Nj AgAA aa& ssA&A eta AaAas@
lie was puzzled. Could it be posi-
BILE that he had made mistake! How
could he be deceived! But then she
had such an air of injured innocence,
and withal was so royal looking in her
burst of Indignation that she seemed
better worth having than ever, now
that he was on the eve of losing her.
He made a movement toward her with
the ring in his hand that he had taken
so mechanically from her moment
before. & Ba0IMAtt
''There must be some nistake," he
said, s'but could have sworn to your
Identity. i lose you, Millicent.a love
you, have loved you dearly
But the wound to Millicent's self-re-
spect was too Deep Shewas painfully
sensitive. That Stuart Lindley should
for moment suspect her Of anything
dishonorable, or disloyalty to him, was
too much Some natures VIII sacrifice
any feeling to pride. She was of this
sort. A lady by instinct and educa-
ton, through reyerses she had been
forced to earn her bread. She had
come to the city a stranger, and sought
employment as a teacher of music.
She had won her way with all with
whom she came in contact, but her
connections were unknown, because
there were painful circumstances sur
rounding her past life of which she
did not care to speak. .lo.0 sg
Stuart's appeal was without effect.
81 cannot overlook this in you," she
said, meeting his eye, and reading
there that it would be hard for him to
lose her. ''You have wounded me too
deeply. Never come again to me with
words of love-. They will be useless. "
~ go ~
Stuart Lindley took up a literary pa
per from the table of the sitting room
where he boarded. His pulse gave an
extra flutter, as he caught the heading
of the leading sketch.
STORY OF A PERSONALITY Una Meet me
at the corner of - and - streets at halt
There was the identical piece of
writing that he had read on the news
paper scrap which had futtered out of
Millicent's pocket, on that well remem-
bered afternoon in August, five weeks
ago. The words had burnt into his
memory. He recognized them in a
moment. He read the story. 1t was a
bright, witty, delightful sketch, and by
by the time lie had finished, a true So
luton of the case flashed upon him.
|. ''She wrote this story" hesolilo,
quized. 81 have heard it whispered
that She was inclined to be literary. l
have been a fool! She had, no doubt,
cut this from paper to use as the
foundation to this racy story. Strange
that | should see lady that evening.
don't think it was her, though it was
"A singular coincidence. / must try to
see her once more and explain how the
Personal misled me-
lie trod the familiar street and as
cended the steps of the house where
he used to be SO welcome, with lat
ent fear that he would not be able to
see her. lie did not give his name,
but sent word that a gentleman would
like to see Miss Silverthorne a few mo-
ments. She looked somewhat surpris.
ed when he entered the parlor where
sue sat reading, but received him with
cool politeness. Her manner did not
reassure him, but he put on as bold d
front as possible, and produced the pa
per which he had brought with him.
! "YOu are the author of this story
are you not?''
A faint CLEAN of color came into
her face as she took it from his hand
and glanced at the familiar words.
Yes" she answered, simply; "but
how did you recognize it. | was not
aware that my signature was generally
KNOWN ~ W Hee #
Nor is it, so far as l know. have
I been guided to the discovery by cir
cumstances. Listen, Millicent,' he
said, as he noticed dawning interest
/ in her eyes.
al saw the Personal that heads this
story the day that you and | were out
at Mrs. Raymond's. It dropped out OF
your pocket in such a position that
could not help reading it, whereupon
picked it up quietly, without comment
/ thought-'Can it be possible that il
is an appointment to meet some one :
The suspicion only took the form OF
conjecture until l saw, or at least
thought | saw, you at the place and
hour mentioned. You must allow that
the evidence seemed quite strong"
"You are on the right road now, she
said. 81 remember the day and the
circumstances distinctly. l little
guessed then that it was to be an cpl
sode in my life. Why did you not
speak of it then and have an eXplana
ton, instead of harboring such NEAR
suspicious g.
Il now see where l made the mis-
take. But, Millicent, am past for
giyeness 2 viii you not make some
allowance o, my darling, if could
only call you mine once more - and
he advanced to meet her with out