River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-10-30

thing about them. And should she
speak of Rays visit? Yes, she would
surely tell that-but not now-after din
ner. Charlie was always just tribe
patient-cross--w he was hungry.
She would wait until after dinner. But
before the dessert was brought on, while
she was eating her salad, her husband
asked to be excused.
There was an interesting article IN
the Eutning Spotacr on the Chinese
question, which he had commenced IN
the omnibus on his Way home and be-
came deeply interested In.
And off he went, and when the dainty
cup custards, fragrant mocha and ius-
cious f,uit were brought in, there was
a troublesome lump IN the white throat
and a suspicious moisture in the blue
ewes of the wife, and the custard was
tTIfied with for moment, and spoon
ful or two of the mocha swallowed, for
we're not the watchful eyes of "Jeemes"
upon hei? And then she fastened from
the room, her mind fully made up.
she would go to Charlie, tell
him everything--just how she miss
ed the old caresses and delicate
little attentions; how lonesome it was
to sit there night after night. gazing at
the back of his newspaper or at the top
OF his sleek brown head, as it peeped
above the top of the paper. She would
tell him of Rays visit, and about the
hidden flowers, and with this resolve in
her heart s@e opened the door of the
sitting room.
Charlie, dear"-she would not give
herself moment for fear her courage
might fail-"Charlie, dear, will you put
your paper aside moment | want to
tell you something"
"Now, Lou, don't bother me; l never
was more interested in my life. BY
jingol this fellow writes well. Where's
Leila or Bjou? What is the use of hav-
ing pets if you never notice them. Now
sis down, that's good girl, and dress
Leila up in pink ribbons or something.
You ought to be fond of that cOnfound-
ed cat; it cost enough"
How quickly the moisture leaves the
blue eyes! What sudden firm tight
ering there is of the pretty red lips, and
what hard, cold heart this of hers has
suddenly becomel And the Tempter
whispers in her heart: 'Not so would
Ray Remington have looked or spo-
KEN" And, remembering the tender
Voice and the love in Rays eyes, she
feels a sudden tenderness springing up
in her heart for the owner of the bold,
black eyes, and a glad though guilty
pleasure in the thought of the hidden
violets.
And Charles Thornton, Esq, returns
to his paper with a most self satisfied
\ air, which, by the way is the expression
generally to be found on the masculine
/ ccuntenance when the owner thereof
/ has been making a most egregious ass
/ of himself.
! An hour later he throws down the
/ SpouteT and asks what she has to say to
him.
Il really have forgotten. 1t was of
p consequence"
Ike care, Charles Thornton! Your
first falsehood. Who is to blame
And to what will it lead?
Three months later. Ray Reming-
tou and Mrs. Thornton have met many
tunes since that sad day on which he
sent her the violets. They have lunched
/ together, rode together, and attended |
! the mattinees together, and tonight it |
/ is ali arranged that she will leave her
/ husbands protection for that OF Ray.
Is she happy at the thought of leav-
| ing her husbands home? Happy? No! |
wfetchedly unhappy. But that which |
seemed only slight grievance at first |
/ has become now an unhappiness too |
| great 10 be borne.
/ OF course she cOnfided her sorrows |
1 to Ray, and his indignation was intense. |
I THAT any one could so neglect her !
/ She, whom he would have cherished so
tenderly," and so forth, in the usual
/ strain.
! OF course, all this only made her lot |
| seem the harder. And now she is going |
to escape from it all. But the treacher- |
Gus little heart in her bosom, that she
had thought so cold and dead to Char
| lie, now begins to plead for him.
/ How he haunted the corridor outside |
/ her bedroom door that time when she |
WAS SO i'll. and he was forbidden to en-
ter. And when at last she was well |
enough 20 see him, how shocked she |
WAS at the alteration in the dear face
| Why, it was worn as thin and white as
/ her own, and when she first saw her
own face in the glass, the great hOllows |
! in the pale cheeks he used to praise for
| their plumpness and bloom. and saw in
place of the luxuriant brown tresses he !
was so proud of, the boys shock of
| curly brown hair, ana threw himself
weeping on her pillow, sobbng how
/ could he-could he love her now? How |
! teuderly he took her in his arms, laid |
! her head on his breast and kissed the |
| sh0rn locks and sunken cheeks. And, |
though she lived to be cid and gray,
could she ever forget his words?
My dear one, my wife, | am so
thankful that hold you here on this
( heart, where at one time | feared you
/ never would rest again. | love you, my
dazzling, for yourself, your warm heart
your pure soul, not for the bloom that
eau fade or the bonny brown tresses
that are gone.
All with sudden sharp catching of
the breath. Could any other man ever
/ be the same to her as Charlie Oh! she
must not think of this.
/ What is this? A bracelet he gave her
on the first anniversary of their mar
rage. No, she cannot take that. And
her wedding ring! Yes, that must be
/ left with the rest. On she had not
dreamed it would be 50 hard to part
with the old tokens. Even the despised
Leila is caught up and kissed, and
cried over. And-what was she about
to do? Yes, she was actually going to
kiss the little white tidy on the back of
the sleepy hollow where Charles head
rested every night when he read the
Spouter.
When Charlie returns to his deserted
home The left for Washington that
morning), what will he say? Will he
care very much?
Hank One-two-three-sh counts
nine. Then the strokes cease,
rhe hour has come. She starts for
the door, stops, with her hand pressed
to her heart, gazes wildly around, and
dashes out blindly into the night. A
tail form is standing at the foot of the
steps; it is Ray. He draws the little
cold hand through his arm. They turn
the corner, carriage is waiting, the
steps are down, the wife has entered,
Ray is about to follow, when-ah great
heaven !whst Is this? Her husband
stands there before him. There is the
flash and report of pistol, and Ray
Remington falls. She shriei,s wilily,s
springs from the carriage, and