River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-09-29
b b.


to Count Oscar Won Held, as the two
Young men were strolling along the
Inter den Linden.
81 never yet have known one Of your
fair Americans answered Won Held.
II fancy they are a charming mixture
Of personal grace and republican sim
plicity."
simplicity You Europeans won't
find much of that in our girls. Why,
they ought to be Al. We spend plenty
of money on them. Now this Miss
Warren we're meeting, she's had thou
sands spent on her education.
Won Held responded with an insclu-
table German "So?' the only word OF
his native tongue that forced its way
through mis- fluent and excellent Eng
lish. He found it impossible to con-
duct a conversation both politely and
prudently without using the familiar
syllable that let itself to any meaning
or covered all meaning.
''She's with her father" Fairweather
went on. Hes rich as Cr@sus-large
mill owner. III introduce you as they
pass"
"she is very beautiful" said Won
Held "tall and slight. brown eyes,
lovely chestnut hair, and what per
feet crimson on what a perfect cheek /!
She has the softness and brightness OF
your autumn landscape, / fancy" and
he flushed slightly in the fashion pecu-
liar to the German blonde. But Won
Held was neither bashful nor awkward.
He was a tall, good-looking fellow Of
thirty-fve, with long yellow mus
tache, pleasant blue eyes, much expe-
rience in the best society in Europe,
and much given to formulating his
views in neat, careful phrases.
George" exclaimed Fairweather,
as Miss Warren came near, ''she's
grown handsomer than ever, shes
grown handsomer than ever. She's
got chic. That's from six months IN
Paris. Why, that girls music alone
cost at least ten thousand dallars."
''Then," observed Won Held, inter-
negatively. "she may be said 10 repre-
sent capital invested?"
Exactly. Here they are" And
the count was duly presented.
Mr. Warren's greeting was; "Glad to
make your acquaintance, sir. How
are you, sir?" in a very loud voice, and
with a show Ct feeling perfectly at
home. Then he shook hands with the
friendly grip current among mill own
ers in eastern Massachusetts. The
count bent his blue eyes on him in the
quietest observation, and returned the
"How are you, sir?' and the grip with
that last test of true pOliteness-the
sacrifice of personal taste and pride to
put another ut ease.
But Miss Warren was unimpeaCha-
ble dignified, calm, slow of gaze, apt
of speech, everything that the father
was not.
where did she learn it all? How
did she come by that grace and pro
priety" asked the puzzled foreigner,
when he had parted from the Ameri-
cans. "Is the mother charmingY
Mothers q manikin," answered
Fairweather; "dried-up party in black
silk; never says much. Dora Warren
is the new American girl; just adopts
luxury. accomplishments, manners,
style, and wears 'em as she wears her
clothes-as if they were made to order
expressly for her. She's the only
daughter, too; going to have fortune
cool million at least"
1--WE always been interested in
America" remarked Won Held Just
here. "The notion of q republic has
long held n sort of charm for me. |
think / must make trip there"
Fairweather kept q discouraging ST.
lence, frowned slightly, and stared at
some distant object.
From bOyhood," the count went on,
Owe had dream of repubHcanism-
no caste distinctions, only those Of per-
sonal merit. lie Comics views have
impressed me strongly. l feel our old
world manacles of dignities aud preju-
dices slipping Off l want something
fresh, pure, simple. hope to find it
IN vOur country"
You'll find nothing green las we
say in America, count" answered
Fairweather, with an attempt at good
nature. Then. remembering an en-
gagement, he walked off, muttering to
himself: "The fellows poor. He'd
like some Yankee money. Sorry / in
troduced him. Dora'S a beauty"
\ few days later, when Won Held
cali 1 on the Warren family, he spoke
of his intended trip, whereupon Mr.
Warren said: "Wel, we can't brag of
castles but III show you mills. We
shall be az our seaside place at Rock
port the first Of June. Come there and
stay with us.
Won Held explained, while thanking
him: 81 go to America to crafty the
longing of years to enjoy a young civil
ization; to find something more natural,
more vigorous, than our OIL types of
humanity"
After the German had gone, Warren
nodded knowingly to his wife with
'Talk to the marines. I've found out
all about that young count. Ancient
family, splendid education, nice old
castle, but poor; actually hasn't means
to keep up the place"
Hes a gentleman" remarked Dora
whats that, miss?n said Warren, in
the tone, half banter and half reproof,
vet W, Nv pride and affection, with
which he "a. ways addressed this hand
some creature he had the luck to call
daughter. 'What's that, miss? A
gentleman, is he2 Well, we don't want
him, do we? Let him keep to his arts
tocracy, eh2'
"Therc Is something in birth and
breeding. papa FairweatheT, with all
ms MONEY ttilu HIS hostStiiiS, Cstii I'M
press one Is this quiet German does.
"Impyess? Whom does he impress
miss, eh? Me or you?"
ooh, have your joke, papa; but you
know what | mean perfectly" Dora
was never embarrassed about men. As
an American belle she had been too
long surrounded by admirers to treat
Their existence otherwise than a matter
of course. So she Strengthened her
fchu in front of the glass quite coolly,
and met her own reflected eyes with a
calm acceptation oftheir limpid beauty
that was something more dignified yet
more vain than vanity itself.
About the middle of the following
June, when the family were home from
their European tour, and settled ut
their RocSport place. Mr.. Warren an
nOunced one day at the dinner table,
I've a letter from Count Won Held
Mrs. Warren, long unused to chang
ing color, actually flushed with delight
and looked significantly at Dora, who
returned the look with frank eompla-
Cency.
Phil. the only son, and future iuher-
itor of all the mill property, bowled out,
in loud voice that was his most re