River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-08-17
Breaking the News TO Rupert.
Chicago Tribune.
L A.. ,.nn DnnnnA -

Speak to me, Rupert"
Kneeling by his side as he sat on a
fauteull in the parlor of Coasteliff Cas-
| tie that summer evening, Gwendolen
Mahaffy placed her little white hand in
| the broad, 'front.' brakeman-on on a-freight-
train palm of Rupert McMurtry and
| pleaded with her soft, brown eyes for
! the little boon that was SO pitillessly
denied her. She was there at his feet, a
lovely, brilliant creature, with some of
the witchery of the wildwood in her
1.-the, listless grace of limb and poise.
Looking down at the words with
which this chapter opens were spoken,
Rupert saw the pretty eyes dimmed
with tears, the dropping mouth quivring
in the intensity of its pain, and in an in
slant he had caught her in his arms.
The sweet, flushed face touched his
breast, the lovely eyes looked into his,
half startled, half ashamed, and then,
with little sob of sweet content, she
kissed him until his cheeks glowed like
girls through their tan.
1--WE will never quarrel again. sweet
heart" Rupert said, shifting his right
leg slightly, so that The heiress could
secure more comfortable perch.
'Never again must the black wrath of
jealousy come between us; but through
all the years that stretch away into the
future we must sail together upon the
skimering sea of love, the snow white
sails of our bark filed with the breath
of a holy affection that can never know
surcease or change"
Gle is a lovely liar" said Gwendolen
softly to herself after Rupert had gone,
"and l must not let him get away"
And then seating herself at the piano
she began to play-gay dance music at
first, but soon gliding intomore mourn
full measures. Soft adagios exquisite
sonatas filed the room with melody
and stopped the street cars At last,
with sudden clang of sweet chords,
she broke into Breton love sopg-a
touching little ballad that she had heard
the peasant women singing at their
spinning-wheels in the red, warm look
ing light before the cottage doors. 1t
was simple, but pathetic thing, and
when she had finished the refrain
Go and start the kitchen fire,
Turn the gas little higher,
Run and tell your aunt Maria
Baby's got the cramp -
hCl tJ"o WC1O Viii dI0 DIV "a OhC Wv IA
in passion of tears. As she sat there,
sobbing as if her heart would break, she
felt an arm steal gently around her
neck, and soon a bearded face was
pressed to her cheeks. Looking up in
alarm she saw it was Rupert.
Why are you weeping, my angel9'
he asked, stroking with tender grace
the blonde bang that was lying SO trust
fully against his vest. "can you not
tell me your sorrow"
For sn instant Gwendolen did not
speak. Then, looking up to him with
all the beautiful innocence of her North
Side nature, she said, in low, broken
accents; II was thinking, precious. that
ifever did get married, and the baby
did have a cramp, we could not start
the fre"-and look of frozen horror
overspread the pure young face.
"Why," asked Rupert in agonizlng
tones, "Why could we not start the fire. "
Because" said Gwendolen, 'you are
too eternally lazy to have any kindling-
wood ready over night"