River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-11-27
THANKS TO THE FOG.

Longing back IN his comfortable arm
chair, looked contomplatively up at the
ceiling.
A conscious smile lowered around the
yellow tips of Captain viyian's NOUS
taches. well, | don't know" he said
slowly. Mean to take a look round
and see what is going on"
Whatever you do, eschew good
looks. Pleasant enough, I'll allow, if
you could keep them for your own con-
sumption; but an intolerable nuisance,
as You can't blind your friends"
Hump! A plain face opposite to
You day after day would be deuced un-
pleasant.
eyes, but beauty is the devil. Poor
Cornwall never got over it, when his
wife had once become the fashion. She
took al the individuality out of him,
and, as Mrs. Cornwall's husband, he
provided carpetfor other men to tread
on. Have You got any one in your eve ?"
Vivian blushed like girl. "I-der't
know Just yet It's five years since 1
saw her."
thine for a woman to be married
over and over again or, worse than that,
she might have had the smallpox or
lost an eye. What's her name and
where does she hang out?p
The other leaned forward and lowered
his voice. mind strict confidence
Mabel Lorraine.
by joye!" and Val Forester sal bolt
upright, an expression of dismay over
his pleasant face.
What are you looking like that for :?
You are not hard hit. It's not case of
I'll have her-or die?"
"No, no, nothing of the sort, the
whiteness of his cheeks belying his
words. Il was at her wedding last
month"
Frank Vivian stopped to pick up the
cigar he had dropped. Her name?'
His voice was calm, but hoarse.
Lady Wayerly Her husbands Sir
Guy. He ran a horse for the Derby, but
it fell dead lame before it reached the cor
ner. Have a b. aud S. 2" as Vivian rose
in hurry.
Thanks. Can't stop. Forgotten an
appointment Ia, ta." With his hat
drawn over his eyes he hurried down
the steps OF the Army and Navy, up St.
To.o.-., ,t.eoE ;.,4c DsoaaJ ILL., ,,o4 norin ~
in the least where he went, only anxious
to get away from the continual greet
ings of his friends.
knowing that romance was a-thing to
be sneered at, that true love was butt
for chaft and contempt, he had buried
his dream in the depths of his heart,
and firted with the Calcutta bellies as
gayly as the rest of his brother officers.
Now it was all over-the dream as
well as the hope of realization. He had
thought that even i'll this prosaic age
he had found one verse of poetry; but
the page was a blank, and the verse,
if ever written by any other pen than
his own conceit, had been most care
fully erased. Unless to pull wry face
for other men to laugh aE better to
grin and bear it, telling himself that
matrimony was ever lottery and the
greatest prizes had knack of turning
out far worse than blanks.
1t was the first night of the pearl of
opera singers after lengthy absence,
and Covent Garden was crammed from
the stalls to the ceiling. The second
- 4
the third row of stalls to let his
glasses wander round the house on q
voyage of discovery. A friend tapped
him on the shoulder. "Looll at Waiver
lev. He doesn't look much amiss, al
though he's just passed through that
grave of the affections, a honey
moon His wife's sumner, and not
q bit stand-offish, so they say. Could
MT see her ON her wedding day,
her veil had such a beastly pattern;
but tonight, by George she repays
youl" A pause. "She's smiling at one
of us, h" excitedly. "You don't know her,
so it must be me. Let us go up; I'll
introduce you.
A bitter smile lowered around Vivi
ans mouth but he said nothing. She
chose to smile at him with the prettiest
of lips in the world, with just the same
blush as when they parted so miserably
under the trees, but his face was grave
and impassive. Looking over his
shoulder before he disappeared through
the doorway, he saw that an old
man with gray hair had taken Sir
Guys place in the front of the box.
With Darlington on one side, this
stranger on the other, there would beno
opportunity for private conversation; but
he felt it was worth the journey from
India only to stand within sound of her
voice, within reach of the glance of her
eye-worth large sum in pounds, shil
lings, and pence, although to hear her
was torture, to see her, madness. Love
must be very bad for us when it turns
tho wisest OF us into fools.
On the way they met the baronet
himself. slipping on his overcoat as he
came toward them.
"How do, Darlington pretty ftp
"As fit as yourself l was just going
to pay my respects to Lady Waverley.
Ny friend, Captain Vivian (Sir Guy
raised his hat), is dying to be intro
duced"
$50 sorry you can't see her; but she's
laid up with a headache. Come and
have a smoke.
With blank faces they turned round,
thinking a cigarette poor consolation
for their disappointment.
"The fellow can't be jealous of me al
ready, ruminated Frank, unless she
told him what she is sure to make point
of forgetting. | thought she seemed to
want me; but women are queer crea
tures-prone to beckon one minute, and
turn the cold shoulder if you venture to
come. | won't have anything to do
with them; I'll be hanged if bother my
self about them again" he added ener-
getically, as he threw the end of his
cigar on the steps.
Nevertheless he was conscious of
every movement in the Waverley's box,
and his Indignation rose sky-high as he
saw man after man admitted during the
course of the evening. Patti sang her
sweetest, but he scarcely heard her. A
pretty girl, great ally of his before he
started for India, looked over her Shout
der with smile which would have in
duced any other man to take up only
too gladly the broken thread of past
Irritation, but he remained as unrespon-
sive as block of stone.
On leaving the theatcr he refused all
invitations to enticlng little suppers,
such as used to have special charm
for him when he was in the vein for
amusement, and early the next morning
started for his home in Cornwall IN a
nrnnnnnced fit of snlks