River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-05-04
"And what a coward And all because

"And what coward And all because
/ love him so.
But nobody would have thogght the
lovely creature sweeping into Mrs. May
nard's drawing-room in her white gold
embroidered satin, was any OF the
horrid things she called herself. They
we're the last arrivals, and when Lucia
went out on Mr.. Maynard's arm she
found herself in little spasm of
fright, with Tom Dunstable at the
other hand and her husband nearly
opposite. 1t was q moment OF abso-
lutte terror to Lucia. She knew that
the sight of Tom Dunstable would bring
back all her husbands mood. She
saw the black cloud shut down over his
face instantly, and she felt that her
least motion would be watched with
lynx-like narrowness.
But she must get that ring, and be-
fore she put on her gloves again.
"Tom," she whispered, not looking at
him, scarcely moving her lips, and her
face placid as sunshine, "give me that
ring at once, as you value my life."
@Great heavens p murmurred Tom;
"it is at the goldsmith's."
The CONSERVATION and pleading in
her eyes would have ruined her had
not her husband trod on Miss Ormond's
train in the general seating, and been a
moment preoccupied. In that moment
Tom, nodding an excuse to his neigh.
Dor and to Mr.. Maynard, slipped into
the hall and was back again before the
rustic had quite subsidized. IT seemed
to Lucia as if every oyster We're tur-
tie; slipping her soup was like the effort
of the old woman to sweep the sea from
heI door. Through roast, entree, course
by course, what intermediate torture
was this she endured She would have
declared they had been at the table
half the night. All the time she felt
her husbands glance pursuing her,
while she manipulated her hand to
evade it; and all the time had to talk
with Mr.. Maynard, and give her re-
parties on this side and on the other
with the gayest of the gay, with no
more idea of what she was saying than
if in trance. What an eternity IL was
becoming; what reckoning was to fol-
low She was receiving the punishment
of her deceit thousand times. Dazed
and dizzy, scarlet spot on either
cheek, she Felt hardly able to keep her
chair. She wanted to scream out to
her husband the whole story; she was
afraid she should.
The prairie chicken was being served,
when she saw, as if in dream, a waiter,
who had just come in, STOPPING to
pick up Toms napkin, and side-long
glance showed her Tom fumbling with
tiny parcel. In another breath it
was all right. The color left her cheek;
she understood what was said around
her; the prairie chicken had some
flavor. She stretched her hand for
bit of bread. 81 beg your pardon"
said Tom, this is your roll, [ think"
And she crumbled the roll between
them, and the ring touched the tip of
her finger, and with the help of the
crust and the tablecloth she worried it
into its usual place, while answering
Mr.. Maynard's question as to her pref
erence regarding game. And as she
raised her hand to brush back love
lock falling too low over her beautiful
eyes, Mr.. Donald Mcdonald saw the
blood-red flash of the ruby gemmel
ring
1t was not till year and day that
ne heard the story from his wife's lips;
and forgiving her for her part, prom
ised better fashions for his own.