Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-05-21
BETWEEN TIE ACTS.

| alDelt an opera night. an other lace .
bewilderingly Lovely as that. Nor a
recherche toilet. She sat nearly oppo
site to us; creamy opera-cloak abou
her shoulders, robe Of royal purple
heavily embroidered, flowing over tn
velvet seat. One small hand In its deli
cate glove rested upon the cushion, tn,
diamonds on its wrist flashing and hemb
ling in the light, like dew npon q lily
the other swayed a curious fan slowly t
aud fro, every fuctuation stirring tn
soft hair upon her temples and the lac'
about her white throat.
"Whc is shea Do you know herr"
asked Melodius Sllverstring, who sat be
side me busy with his opera-glasses.
He nodded and laughed.
"You have heard me speak Of the beau
ty of Constance Wllling-have I exag
gerated, do you think3''
was silent. The admiration I fel
could not be put into words, least of al
to my companion.
"Who are those people with herr"
''The dowager on her left, in black sat
in and guipure, is her mother; the stou
gentleman to the right, with the; bale
head and dogberry nose, her--By Jove
what pretty facel'' cried the volatile
Melodius. distracted by fresh shoal o.
opera cloaks. =.
"Her father, I supposed" suggested L
as a gentle reminder.
"Ah beg pardon, the stout gentleman
that's her husband (don't cape it isn't
becoming), Ler husband, Ingersoll' Col.
decken, Esq, one of the richest brokers
on Third Street. Did you not hear Of
the weddings Miss Kilmansegg's wasn't
q circumstance to it."
"Beauty and the Beast" grumbled 1
"Why, she is mere child, he"
snake room, boys interrupted ia.
miliar voice, and our friend Captain Fred
Rivers dropped down among US.
CHOW are you. Sllverstringsa How
are you, Rufus9 Full house, this, fol
war times, eh2 The Germans make q
better fist at it than the Italians."
"When did you get up, Freda" said l.
cleft Washington yesterday, afte,
some deserters. Didn't expect to stop
this long, but I touched at your rooms AZ
I was passing, and Der Freischuz tempt.
ed me. Is Johannsen as fine Hold on r.
and Fred snatched at SilyerstDng' operai
glass. "Isnt that Constance Willing =
Jupiter Tonans! but she is glorious
and old Money is the foil. Well, well,'
said Fred, dropping the glass ana strok.
ing his moustache areamily, "what q
green world this is, after all. One, stiff
and cold in the squslid bed of q hospital
the either, Drawing it out, bright haired
and blooming, in diamonds and an opera.
cloak" ~ -:
{ "You rave, man," said I.
II wish I did. You remember Harry
Singleton, boys"
Of course we did.
i "He is dead" SAID Fred, looking gloom
lily at the stage.
. Melodius was annoyed. He was a
fippant butterfly, darling up and down
only the gay gardens Of life. There
might be deserts, there might be sombre
spots, there might be restitution and
misery, and even death. somewhere, but
he didn't want to hear, it. What was il
to hims What, 1ndeed9 He shivered and
fell of to the companionship of an opera
cloak close by VI
:: Fred was too preoccupied to notice Ills
departure. Fl 49,, t.
Eyes, Harry Singleton is dead" he re.
peated, slowly, land that woman over
there glancing st the beautiful, smil-
ing face-"C Constance Willing, Mrs. Gold
,decken, il she likes that better, Is his
in the sight If Godi'
Those arc harsh words, Fred" Il
."Not harsher than she deserves, Heav-
en- knowsi" he calculated, Wsrmly. !;
"What 90 you know about her7' TX,
e7F "This much: that Singleton trusted
her and she deceived him; that be had
as noble q heart as ever beat in a mans
breast, and she tossed It aside when IT
suited hex, - I il had been q solIed
sgloveor 3 broken fan. It was she who
drove him into the army" - .zss J..
~ Was. surprised, I must confess, when
i heard Of his commission. - !.
EverJbodY1wa surprised. Singleton
was an artist, Bohemian; no more fitted
for military life than an angel Is ct for i
:scayenger. It was the death Of him.
They called it brain fever. I call it q
broken heart. What more could she DOR
.s Might you not have misunde rst6ode
She is 90 fair, young, innncent- king
'sWhited sepulchref was the contempt
nous return. II have no patience orplty
for q mercenary woman. = s7S.
Hush che Is nodding this way; Is Il
to ycus,,' SIS g & s
Fred looked up md returned il gfave-