River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-02-02
HER LOST BIRTHRIGHT.

n InG corner Ol AldQdHlG IIOioodl :
brilliantly-lighted drawing-room, watch
ing the gay scene being therein enacted,
sat Gertrude Meyer. For the moment,
she was al0ne-with her, indeed, a rare
occurrence, since she was both belle
and beauty; but slight sprain to her
ankle few days previous had prevent
ed her joining in the dance, and the
little throng of men who all the even
ing had gathered about her had for the
instant disappeared, many of them at
her express command.
The last had fingered, reluctant still
10 go, when " am tired" she SAID.
" / want to be alone"
He bent, then, from his splendid
height, and, with glance from his
dark eyes few women could have re-
sisted, whispered a few words in her
ear; but neither glance nor whisper
brought even a monetary flush 10 the
lovely cheek or brow. She met both
with languid indifference amounting
almost 10 haughtiness, and slight
shrug of the beautiful bare shoulder.
90 Elsa is without partner" she re-
joined. 81 like to see you dance to-
gether. Ask her for this waltz"
An angry light kindled in Frederic
Haughton'5 eyes, and he turned alb
ruptly away. The next moment, Elsa;
with pleased flush, yielded herself to
his guidance in the dance; and, with a
half-sigh, though she knew not where
fore, Miss Meyer sank back in her
cushioned corner, breath from Elsa's
perfumed ribbons being waited to her
as the dazcers foated by.
Was she always to receive love, nev-
er to return it? Gertrude asked herself.
True, Frederic Houghton had never,
in words, declared his passion; but
every glance, every accent, had been
repleted with its intensity. She felt
that he loved her.
How poor and meagre was the cold
friendship she might offered in return
But, if she determined to smile at least
more kindly, he gave her no opportuni-
ty. Other men hOcked back to her side.
She had sent him to Elsa; by Elsa he
remained.
One dance followed another, but he
would resign her to no other partner;
and only an amused gleam crept into
Gertrude's eyes as she watched him,
and fancied she read the pique which
promoted his action-a pique which IN
part reflected upon herself, as the next
dav and the next passed, until the
week had gone, and still she neither
saw nor heard from him. AT the end
of that period she again shrugged her
shoulders, and told herself that she had
forgotten him.
1t was from Elsa, fortnight later
that she learned his regiment had been
ordered into active service, and was to
depart in three days for the seat OF
war.
What should she say to him when he
came to bid her farewell. She need
not have questioned. She waited, but
he came not. He left with his good-by
to her unspoken. 1t caused her no
real grief, no heat-pang, but sort of
restless surprise, which started some
depths whose existence hitherto had
been unknown.
Three or four days later, Elsa came
other with a sly blush. She had al
ways been the child's friend and conf
dante. Though in reality but twelve
months her senior, she felt herself the
elder by long years.
81 have favor to ask you, Gertrude,
she began. Frederic asked me to
write him. This morning | received
his first letter. | am ashamed to send
him my poor little scribbling, and al
school / remembered how beautiful al
ways were your compositions, and
said to myself, 81 will go to Gertrude
she will tell me what to say" L love
him so much-so very much, Gertrude
| think that he, too, loves me. l wan
to breathe into my words just enough
of nv hearts perfume that he may
know where to seek to find the flower
itself"
Gertrude looked up, amazed.
is this love which makes you 81
poetical. Elsa ?" she asked. 81 never
heard you talk like this before"
at is one Of your own thoughts
borrowed" Elsa answered. "and whose
utterance it seems you had forgotten
But tell me, will you do for nae what
ask?"
ssYyu think it will be honorable ?"
eyes, yes! Why not? You can tel
him nothing | do not feel-only yoI
will paint the picture so that he may
love to look at it."
A little longer Gertrude demurred
and then, drawing to her pen, INK, ant
paper, she testified to her consent.
As she wrote, her reluctance vanish
ed. She fancied herself in Elsa's place
She imagined how some rosebud, wooet
by the sun, would one by one open 1T
shrinking petals, quivering 'twlxt &c
stasy and pain, to meet the passionate
kiss of the Day God and so her imagI
nation found vent in words.
She covered the sheet with closely
filled lines, and as she read them Elsa
pressed them to her lips.
''Ah, they will make him love me,
she cried, as she ran with them to hel
own nome, to copy them in her owl
handwriting.
BY the next mail came his answer
Elsa had been right.
The latter had strangely stirred his
heart. Pulses he had thought dormant
he wrote, had leaped into mad, exult
ant life. He had slept, he told her
with the paper next his heart.
Again Gertrude wrote, and yet again
until she looked for his replies almos
as Elsa. She who had never loved II
her life found a strange and satisfying
delight in pouring upon the sheet the
cry of a hungry soul while her owl
soul knew no hunger, the passion sh'
had never felt, the ecstasy of love a
which she scoffed.
so might | feel" she whispered t.
herself. ''when, like the sleeping prin
cess, in fairy lore. the magic prime
would bend and kiss my lips.
And so to this unknown king sh
wrote. The.replies became more FIRE
duent, more ardent, until at last Their
camea letter when Frederic Houghtol
asked Elsa to become his wife.
With tears of JOY in her bright blu
eyes, she brought this letter, like tn
Others, to Gertrude.
answer him." she said, ''and tel
him yes! yesi yes!'
Slowly Miss Meyer read the lette
through From whence came thi
dull pain at her heart? A mist swan
before her eyes. The written charac
tiers were blurred from her sight. BY
powerful effort she controlled herself
and spoke with some degree of calm
ness.
mot this, Elsie, she said. This yor
must answer yourself"
ooh no, mol cannotl Make it ye
more. beautiful than the others, Gel
trude. The regiment is ordered hom