River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-05-15


the main street lost its most graceful
promenador; no more little billets-dou'
went into the vest pocket nearest hl'
heart, or lay in the perfumed recesses o.
Mollie's battered writing-desk. The
brokers office where Dolph was employ
cd opened late and closed early, for there
was very little business doing those times
If commercial depression, but he haunted
the busy streets of the financial center
with SO haggard and distracted an all
that he passed for youth who had ven
tured his all upon some rotten security
and lost it. Which, indeed, was the truth
in more ways than one.
Mollie. who had not looked for this
frmness of resolve upon his part, began
10 grow pale and listless; she also forsook
the familiar haunts that love had made
80 delightful, and busted herself more
than ever with patching up the outward
appearances of her toilet and the shabby
surroundings at home. She grew less
plump, less rosy; faint lines of thought
traced her fair white brow; her eyes took
s shade of melancholy in their depth that
Glade them IA deeper softer, darker blue.
"Shes losing her health" sighed poor
Mrs MuldoOn.
1t was midsummer, and Babbleton was
at its loyliest and best, and il became nee
cssary for fashionable people to leave il
st once Among the arrivals at a popular
watering place might have been noticed
the names of Mrs. Cinqbar and her niece
Mss MoIlie Muldoon. and within month
letters began to reach Babbeton that made
the heart of poor Mrs. MuldoOn beat with
alternate hope and fear.
"MOlie behaves like an angel, wrote
Mrs. Cinqbar land if YOU show the least
discretion and sense in following up this
providential opportunity of hers, it will
be the luckiest thing in the world for you
all Mr. Fithian is man of distinction
and influence as well as wealth, and will
lie able to give Jack push in life. We
should all of us he exceeding grateful
E,r Mollie's success; and do hope you'll
manage to get that moldy dining room
of yours repapered and painted before
Mollie's return. Jack might help in these
things during his holidays, and I'll see
that you have presentable linen and china
for the table. If you lived within the
pale of civilization, Mr.. Fithian needn't
Of course, stay to meal; but no one can
tell what may happen i'll that miserable
Babbeton, in the way of a flood or hur-
ricane, or something.
Mrs. Muldoon did her feeble best, aid
"a by some abOrtive efforts of Jack,
y hose invention far outran his executive
ability; hut when Mollie came back the
whole domestic menace began to wear an
air of comfortable serenity. Mollie sooth-
r,l the fear and tiuster of her mamma, al
I, red her old black silk to the newest
,fylc, coaXcd and hullied Jack into semi
of the inevitable, and every
thing went merry as a marrlage-bell.
Aunt Cinqbar was astonishingly generous
for one of her cautious proclivities; and
other relatives, who had hitherto been as
to the calls for relief, became
plastic as putty in the face of this joyful
extremity.
Mollie'S wedding rousseau far exceed
,d her widest ambition; and as she had
considerable versatility of soul, these
smooth expanses of silk and velvet took
some such shape to her as the lump of
r@ugh marble to the sculptor, or nicely
stretched canvas to an artist. Her eyes
Began to glow before the scissors shipped
nto the material; and when the whole
IDEAL conception was realized, and par
IicularIy rs the train hung well, and she
v as fitted to nicely, she was wildly hap
py.
Only once was there an open allusion
l.. Dolph. When it was proposed that
.Le bridal couple should kneel during the
1. LII.
men never kneel gracefully, at least there
ate very few-only one; but never mind"
Two or three hours after, her mother
came upon her unawarcs, and found her
with her face bowed upon her hands.
" hen it was lifted, it was wet with tears;
Int she would bear no caressing, and only
said she was tired, and 50 glad the storm
would prevent Mr.. Fithian from coming
lown In truth, it was a DAY in which
no man, beast or reptile would care to he
broad. Heavy black clouds hung over
the wind swept wildly through
IIe deserted streets, increasing at night
TALL to hurricane. bowling and shrieklng
like an Embossed demon about the dwell
ugs of that hapless suburb, tearing ruth
rssly the gimcracks of fiimsy architecture
from roofs and balconies, up-rooting trees
and shrubs, rocking Mollie's bedstead
like cradle. and at last sending brick
with direful accuracy straight down Mrs.
chimney through the kitchen
stuvepipe, blocking up the damper, and
the baking of a lovely meat
pie that Mollie had made for supper
Then the heavens opened, and the rain
fell; and such rain. A bucketful at
in0p. Jack said, when he came home
from town. tie was wet TO the knees,
and declared that, two blocks below, a
raft was plying from corner 10 corner; the
bows were getting out their boats, and if
tine storm continued, the city of Venice
would he nothing to Babbleton. As the
Kitchen fire had gone out, jacks clothes
were put to dry in the dinning- room; the
meat pi was still in lis dough casing, but
hr coffee was warm; and there was
plenty of cold ham in the harder. And
with ham and pickles." said Jack, ''we
an defy the clements
So they all sat down to supper, Mollic's
lair in one braid down her back, and the
b,b of her kitchen apron still tucked und
II her chin, when suddenly there was a
ing ut the bell.
IF that's Mr. Fithian. said MolIic, IL
,balI die DO run up and see, Jack
Then Mrs. Muldoon and Mollle waited
IL hrcathless silence. and, as the house
" A. small, and its acoustic properties ac-
pmmo,lating, the smoothly modulated
tones of Mr.. Fithian came distinctly to
Ibeir ears. is Miss Molic inl' Jack
r;thcr thought she wasn't out. Then the
parlor door opened and shut, and Jack
came below
Hes more like Mephistophelcs than
ever to night, said Jack He's always
tail and lean and cadaveros, hut he's u
,pccter now; and his eyes have all the
cleaning Of a demon in their dreaming"
is he very wet, Jack"
Wet, He's drowned But he's as
polite as mounseer; he's holding two
lIarts Of water at this present minute in
his high hat, and smiling blandly while
sic rain drops over his marble brow"
MoIlie went bravely up into the parlor.
Now there is this about the grace of
Youth that it is invincible, and Mr..
tithian had never found Molie 50 charm
ing as when she stood there before him
with her kitchen bib ON, and her hair in
one braid down her back; but, on the
other hand, gentleman of Mr.. Fithian's
IIsigue style aud age can he awtully
brought To- grief hv two hours wading in
a tempest. His devotion was supreme,
and m.rited a better Acknowledgement at
h, hands of MolIip. lint We all know the