River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-12-27


self, would ever have doubted it for mo-
ment
1T is my highest ambition to be the master
Of that ate" laughed George "and / have
made aa offer which | think will be accepted. l
| am to have al answer o-night If / sue seed
| shall be supremely happy. If not-why,
| will be as other men have done-failiug Of
what want. will take what can get"
Ralph could not remember where Alice Arm
den had been when these innocent words had
| been spoken. That she had been near enough
| TO hear them was evidenced by her letter,
| which was before him
He could only dimly imagine how she must
have suffered 10 trying 10 evolve the truth (as
! she had believed the truth to be) from what
che had heard. When human idol falls from
the place il has filled IN the heart, not the least
OF tue pain comes from What We see, or believe
| we see, of its unworthiness
To find our gold but gllded clay is sorrow
| full thing. SO he sat there aud pitIed Alice
| Arnden for the faith in man when she had
| lost, as well as for the man himself who had
| been put from her With what paic beyond
| that which would come TO her from belief
| that her lover would think and do what his
words seemed TO imply. must she face tho
/ added shame OF his stopping to tell it; nav,
| more, TO boast of It'll
Ralph raised his head The time had not
| been long since he sat down to think But he
| knew il all. Two proud and obstinate young
| creatures had been parted by fate. aud he
| muttered, with white, compressed lips: 81
alone understand it all /, alone, of all the
| world, can set it right What temptationr'
| We will not seek to follow his thoughts
| What man does should be the basis OF our
| judgment not what he would do If he
| thought of the curative effects of time on suf-
| fering hearts, we can forgive him; if possible
| future, in which happy nome Of his own was
the central figure, rose up to meet him, we can
| do no less than pity him.
| If she only had the slightest reason for what
| she had done--but she has none II George
Fenby were really scoundrel-but ne is truly
/ q noble man.
| The band Of sunshine rested on his head, like
| a golden crown. His face was almost glorifiei
| a. he raised it TO the light again. Aud surely
| the angels made record of a second gift that
| day. coming to the lot of those whose lives fall
| little time within the lines of our story, when
| he said aloud, 81 will do right! Alice Arden
shall have her lover back againlp
Evening service at the little church was over
| Ralph Warder stood on the steps as the congre-
CATION came out He looked happy.
If it be true that coming events cast their
shadow before" and that "Yirtue is its owr
| reward" he was happy. He spoke cheerfully
To this one and that wnen he passed He did
not look like a conspirator. One would have
dreamed that he had made plan which, for
audaclty, would mud few rivals, while for sim
plicity 1t might find fewer.
'It's better to have il over as soon as posi-
bic" he said to himself; better for them and
for me-"
Alice Arndcn was passing him. He leaned
forward.
''WiII you come for little drive with ma
Miss Arnden? The night is perfect, and you
look as if fresh air would do you good
She accepted at QUO hoping as she did sc
that George Fenby would see her He was no
there to gee, however, and Ralph had taken
good care to know that He was already half
way home.
But Miss Arnden was in no mood to refuse
She WAS in reckless temper, and Ralph War
der had counted on that One DESTROYS OF
widening the breach between Alice and George
would have found it an easy tack to make d
beginning that night
RALPH N1vders lips moved slowly as he
seated himself beside Alice, but we will notify
to determine what he said to himself IN that
crisis in more lives than one.
81 admire your cloak and hat" exclaimed
Ralph, though the saying it may be as much
compliment to my sisters as to your own
taste. Hers are like them, are they not?"
very nearly; not quite. But didn't know
you ever noticed what your lady friends wear. :"
81 don't very often. did to-day. Would
the masculine eye detect the differences"
81 think not But ii is pity to talk of dress
on such a night as this What strong and
helpful sermon we had this EVENING""
Eyes, said Ralph.
They made turn in the road, and there was
George himself only few yards ahead Alice
put down her veil at once Surely fate was on
the side of r lph Warder's pans that night.
sect in George. 1 won't take a refusal"
"Who is with you? Your sister?"
eyes said Ralph, with promptness which
should be admired and pardoned. ''Slt on this
side" said Ralph, as George got in; 81 will slt
between YOU. The night is beautiful, isn't it?"
Every beautiful" said George, who really had
not thought of it before
"You needen't 60 home at once. / will turn
here and we will drive over toward the shore"
He had turned his horse down the road lead
ing in that direction before either of his COM
panions could say word. The two lovers were
gazing again at the scene they had looked upon
In Ble morning. The moonlight may have
softened the harshness of it little, but tue man
between them heard sob from the woman at
his left and saw the moonlight sparkle suspic
1ously on the eyelashes of the man at his right
and he thought grinliy of himself as the image
of fate--fate, with the destiny of two human
beings in bis hand.
81 found paper of yours this morning."
said Ralph, slowly "and here it is. l could
hardly help seeing what II was. L congratulate
you on your bargain. You have bought the
finest es ate about here, George. 1t is remark
ably cGeap at the price. believe the deed was
signed last EVENING"
eyes"
"Mr Kingsley had not fully decided to sell it
until then, had hep"
Not fully He told me his daughter might
decide to want it herself when she 10 married.
Mr. Kingsley will, of course, give her hand
some residence somewhere when that event
takes place. for MIR Jones, who is to marry
her has no fortune of his own"
lit has been your highest ambition TO own
that estate, hasn't it?"
Certainly wanted the finest place here"
''You ought to be eupremely happy. You
said last night that you would be when you
owned the place"
Yes"
The answer was short Ralph could feel the
strong man on his left tremble in spite of his
efforts to control himself, and knew that the
woman on his left was crying softly.
''You said something last night about your
ambition to b. master of that estate. Do you
remember what il wasY'
eyes, 1 think do. Something boastful, was
it nct?"
George Fenby was beginning to under
stand dlmlv why he had received the letter he
had.
'sWorse than that Did you ever think that
one overhearing it might think you meant to
marry Mss Kingsley"
"No matter. Did yen ever intend to marry
her? Not word of objection. You've been
led into answering too much already to stop
now l demand an answer, George. Did
you!"
The ewes of the two men met In Ralphs
there was that determination to know, and per-
haps, something more In George Fenbys
there was SURPRISE which changed TO satisfac-
ton and Indignation, which gradually faded
out
Never, on lily utuOI ~ aucMSAotL
Ralph Warder stopped tie horse. They had
driven far to the sou b, and TOW turned back
toward the village again. In frors OF them was
the level sweep OF frozen marsh, but farther
on was the peaceful village, with its lighted
windows and with its range of sheltering,
wooded bids behind it Ga their right was the
sea. calm and bright He stepped into the road
and aced the reiDs in George Fenby's unre-
sisng hands.
Bring the horse home when it is all right"
he said, ''but take ali the time you wish. Here
il arother paper OF yours which | found this
morning Be thankful tonight that so meddle-
some man found it. Alice ArDden and George
Fenby. give you back your future-and my
Olesslng!"
Ho spoke to he horse, and obedisnt to his
word it dashed down the road and left him
alone There is no more need OF following
the lovers to be sure that all came right, than
there is of following the rushing mountain
stream to be sure it finds the sea
A WOMAN'S PRISON.
The Discipline in the London Prison