River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-10-26
CHOOSING A PARTNER,
Harners Rszaar.


There were two things patent con-
corning Miss Mary Dunlap-one that
she was an exceedingly pretty girl; the
other, that she was an arrant cOquette
as ever bewitched a man. She had
hair whose loose locks gilded white
forehead, but whose heavy masses
glistened like fawn-tinted satin; she had
great black-lashed blue eyes with an
enchanting way of glancing under their
housekeeping fringes; her teeth were
as even "a the kernels OF milk corn,
he1 features fine as chiseled In ivory;
her dimples, her smile, the rose and
white of her skin, were lovely and m
nocent as any baby's; and the depth of
her guile there was no fathoming. Not
that il was very guilty guile; it was
but a trivial sort after all, 1t consisted
only in making herself charming, and
there wss even those who SAID she
couldn't help it if she would. She felt
an interest IN everybody: feeling Ii she
showed it; and if people chose to think
it meant more than it did that was their
fault and Mothers. And there wss no
earthly reason they said, why Mr.. Pop
ison should suppose, when half the
lovely women of an older generation
had refused his hand, that this spoiled
darling meant nything but commlser-
alton by her tender looks Of sympathy
as he told his griefB, after bringing her
great punches .nf:=re roses at thirty
cents apiece. 81.
The fact was it pleased her that Mr.;
PopJson, who had once admired her
tyrannical younger aunt should now
admire her. Then it did no harm to
have James Macarthur see that she
could step into pair of sumptuous
shoes and cross the threshold OF the
splendid old P1pison mansion across
the river; and time flew bat alo"l and
the affair amused her; and it wouldn't
hurt poor Mr.. Popison, who WAS used
to that sort of thing.
1t was gay house, the Dunlap. All
the family elements combined there.
There were two grandmothers, a moth
er and father, aunts on both sides, two
or three cousins, and Mary Dunlap and
her sisters, and friends and lovers going
and coming; and the time was heavy
to no one but Mary, and might not
have been to her had James Macarthur
had the wit to see what some others
thought they saw.
But James Macarthur, 8 handsome,
housekeeping fellow, with good bust
ness and some ambition, had his eyes
sufficiently wide open. Mary Dunlap
had touched his heart as deeply as he
dared to let her, for he hesitated about
marrying for love when ne could marry
for love and money too, and Mary
would have little money; and he hesl-
VFVlV 4 n
whom every body else was IN love. "A
coquette," said the wise young Near.
thur, "gives her husband little peace"
and he had different visions. Never
theless the girl could not brush him
with her garments without sending
thrills through him, and he had only
TO look that way in church and see the
rosy edge of her velvet cheek beyond
the pillar to feel the color surge all over
his own face, and the Sudden sound of
her voice would at any time make his
heart cease beating for the fraction OF
a second. Still he hesitated.
Not so Mr.. Popison. He knew what
he wanted, and he meant to have it.
1t is true that he had thought so IN
more than one instance before, but
that, he said, was IN his green and cal
low DAYS; and if his hand had been re-
fused ne was glad of it, as that left It
free 10 offer Mary Dunlap. He had
known Mary Dunlap since she was
baby; had given her her first glbralters
and her last butter scotches; she had
spent his pennies and sat on his knee,
and combed his hair with her tiny I'm
gers, and kissed his mouth with her
sweet innocent lips; he had been her
cOnfidant, and known every thought OF
her pure heart; and then she had gone
away to SCHOOL, and spent winter IN
New York society. and had come back
SO gay and brilliant a heart breaker
that he had found himself the victim
of q passion of which al his other
flames had been moekeries.
He, past forty-fve, to hope for the
love of a girl of twentyl Yet, hopeless
or not, he lowered round her like
moth. and found James Macarthur just
enough in his way to hinder urging his
point. Or was it Mary Dunlap herself
who hindered it-Mary Dunlap unable
to decide whether she preferred James
Macarthur. with his bold block eyes,
his proud comlness and splendid
youth, or Mr.. Popison, just beginning
10 be bald, with his half million of
money. Once when she heard James
Macarthur reproach a servant who bad
DELAYED with q note of hers, she
thought M. Popison's indulgent kind
ness was something desirably rest
ful. On the other hand when she
looked at James McArthnr's dark daz-
Zle of beauty, the daily sight of so plain
a face as Mr.. PopisOn's seemed q sorry
fate-and Popison was such dreadful
namei Mary would not have her
thoughts dwell on more than the step
before her. There was something I'M
maidenly in even acknowledging to
herself preference for one who dld
not declare love for her. Yet she
could not help the plunging IN her
breast when she found James Near
thurs eyes resting on her with light
behind them that made her feel the
next moment would bring the word
she awaited; she could net help just
een being especially kind to Mr.. Pop
$50. ;, partly from pity. partly from rlis-
CHEZ. partly and chiefly, lest she be-
trayed herself with James McArthur-
time sSpd eternity with him-that
seemed n dream OF earthly romance
and heaveRly bliss. And yet
"Marv.7 said her aunt Sophy, you
are wrong TO encourage Mr.. Popison
so. You cerkalnly can't mean 10 marry
him."
81 don't know, SAID Mary, i should
always Ike to- have him around"
DAYS and r&onths went by, and still
things remaiI4ed as they were. james
Macarthur went his long business Jour
neys; and in his absence Mr.. foplson
filed the VACANT place; ne returned
and then there were the moon-l
strolls. inc I s;ls, ana in spite of hel
gaiety and imerry firtations with 9th
ems than these, it was not 5 happy sea
son to Mary Dunlap. Her nerve;
began to- feel a strange agitation; cor, con
veTsati0n wearied her. samming s' door pr
made sP5ng sh mA had no appet tie