Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-02-29

savage eyesof John Bent, and his discon-
tented gaze wandered to the low tete-a-
tete, where she Of the guitar sat. The
instrument-case, looking very like 4
coffin. lay on the seat beside her. She
leaned her head against The high back
OF the sofa, showing him the profile that
John Bent loved He wondered as he
looked ct it, if he could not now love
that profile in an impersonal way He
laughed then, laughed as he always did
when unpleasantly excited, never when
pleased rose and displaced the guitar
| case, and without invitation sat and
looked at the fair lady. #5.
You owe me some good advice, al
least, }" he said. '>.s i IS.
| I owe You much more. I owe you
my husband and my happiness"
"Indeed!" he cried, ssthat is neat
way to put it. BY Apollo! perhaps you
thought 1 was proposing for another
man! In that case you might have
done as Priscilla did for another John
"Mr. Bent, I protest. You never pro-
posed to me-" "
"Miss Emma" ("Mrs. JONES'" said
she, but was not ,heeded), "you knew
that loved You, and you never let me
see: You should have told me you were
going to marry another man"
'You should have seen it."
ooh, yes, of course I should have
seen what no man can ever SEGA wom-
ans mind" ay =.
Not needing this thrust, she gently
replied, Il tried often to show You the
truth, but you were so preoccupied you
would not see me-
MADAM never saw anything Or
anybody else" ID"
|. "Sir, you saw absolutely nothing.
You were absorbed in the contempla-
ton of your own fancied love. You
dreamed, as one asleep dreams, till my
marriage-bells Weakened you. Let me
interpret that dream for you"
''The Interpretation is I suppose, that
am fool"
Not so, dear friend" said the lady.
The ''dear friend" WINGED under the
cool endearment. <sNot yet such fool.
Now is the time for you to be one; but
you shall not be"
1T strikes me that the hunter who
tracks the red deer and then lets an
other man carry off the antlers is some
sort Of fool; though I confess I don't
see just what I have to do with your
marrying another man.
''The power of tenderness" she re-
piled in very low tone, ''is hard to de-
velop in proud woman who has had
few griefs; but without it first love is
little more than vanity, and consequent
~ cannot be bestowed as great gift.
But the saving grace Of tenderness is
best aroused by some one whom we can
not Love, but whom we respect; some
one, mean, who loves us, and makes
us feel guilty that we cannot give love
of the same sort in return. Do not re-
sent my direct reference to a fact so
seldom to be spoken of" she continued
softly but earnestly. Il say it boldly
and truly. Your love for me has made
me nobler, better woman; I cannot
think it has not also done you some
good"
"Men, I find, are very slow to believe
in the grief of women who refuse them. -
he said bitterly.
eyes, but they should not be so',' she
said, with tears in her eyes. Gas for
you, John Bent, your power of loving
has been developed as we'll as mine.
Vow glory in it, develop it, use it, gain
q wife with it,"
She's said this with fearless emphasis
and clear intensity, rising as she spoke
and giving him hand-grasp and a
steady look.
The door opened for the return of the
artist Of the drama, whose voice reused
the sleeping host, and the happy bride
and groom went away down the long
stairs together.
John Bent waited till the footsteps
ceased sounding on the stairs then he
said abruptly, ''Harr Heimlicher, were
you ever refused by Lady,"
eyes, SIR" responded the old gentle
man, turning picture to the wall and
putting out the candle.
'Did it do you any good may I ask ?"
Eyes, sir, it did" promptly respond
ed the old man, :, n
"Then if I am better man, you will
infer
"Show me the improvement first
young man." said Herr Heimlicher,
pushing his friend through the open
door in advance Of him, and going down
stairs with his hand on the others
shoulder, which was understood by
both as an expression of sympathy.
The days went by. Miss Polimus'
categorical drawing Of Revenge was not
a success. Mr. Bent's "Lady -love and
Song" was; and he bitterly took its
selling price and went South. J.
St. Augustine languishes to be painted
in cool gray aad strong green, as every
artist knows. John Bent went there
and cursed the photograph shops, and
thought pictures but did not paint.
He wandered about and complained to
the moon and stars instead He mi
grated from one cough-infested board
ing house to another, hating not pity
ing, the victims. The artistic tempera-
ment is the. very antipodes of the
humanitarian. Discovered by all to be
out Of tune, by a>few discerning maiden
ladies was he seen to be lovelorn. a., e.
But there came at. last a day Of fate,
! or, better, of opportunity. .''->& ~
A more fearful cough, followed by
CHASTITY gurgles, Settled in aroom across
the narrow hall from his. He felt no
pity, reused by it from his noon nap,
but lay there growing and vowing to
go north tomorrow; when, after silence,
blessed to the poor invalid and the
wicked listener, there came a song,
clearly sung in a sweet voice; his song
-'sAlas, how easily things go wrong!"
Il am brute, said the unhappy
John. Things go wrong for some 9th
ers also. A sweet young girl is Gagged
| up there with the dying 2 ~ - s.sosE55
He spoke the truth more exactly than
he knew. But when he met the girl,
who was indeed sweet and young, there