Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-11-28
AN EXPERIMENT..

"dS luduc hi1O l1OE Uc4A ILL AAu I'LL
early stage Of her development bril-
liant woman Of the. world had taken a
fancy to her, and assured her that she
had in herTthe material for chef d. ouvre.
Belle was restless under the training of
her friend. She was naturally reserved
anda little melancholy, and the adj
mitted diversions of young 1adydom
bored her.
cts all so pale and meaningless, I"
she fretted; II could be Mrs. Adah
Menkin, or I could be q nun, but this
pitiful betwixt and between, what is
it?"
cts very interesting to be so extreme,
no doubt, my DEAR" said her friend,
but we must work with what we have,
and of the women who don't faseinate
the men about them it is simply said,
they-a-can't. Think of that when
you are feeling particularly superior
and high-minded."
Miss Woodbury. acquired from her
friends invaluable lessons an insincer~
ity which made her more companion
able THAN trustworthy.
There was an interesting woman In
the city of Saint Dominic, where Miss
Woodbury. lived, who desired to- pose
as patroness and fosterer of literature
and art, to the CONSERVATION Of SUCH
artists and writer's as had the misfor-
tune TO- Live in Saint Dominic. MRS.
Reade professed an admiration for
Belle Woodbury., and from the hour
that misguided young woman had
rashly printed volume Of poems Mrs..
Reade had marked her for rey:.Belle's,
fixed rule was to decline three invita-.
lions and accept one. Mrs. Reade's de-
light was in her Friday afternoon re-
ceptions, and into one of these throngs
Belle projected herself one day, wond-
ering how she should make herself
smile when she finally reached Mrs.
Reade'a When she did she became
quite Interested and so forgot herself
altogether.
By Mrs. Reade's side stood long,
ungalnly man, with a good face. To be
sure the lines were round, rather than
oval, but that stands for the
gentler side of human nature;
and his nose, small and undecided,
like a child's, but prettily shaped,
indicated lack of combativeness
and power not good to see in mascu
line face. He had full soft lips, like a
German 's-kindliness again, and love,
and talent, eyes soft and patient, like
those of ladyT horse. He was very
quiet, and had a sweet voice.. Belle
summed him up in this way, and had
met him (Mr. Bracey) and was talking
with him about whatever everybody
was discussing that afternoon, when she
became aware how distinctly she was
saying to herself: II wonder if I can
make him love me? I wish could. "
Not at all because she was interested in
the man, but because she thought it
would interest Eer to see him suffer.
He would. not be fierce and FESTIVE on
the rack, but dumbly and submissively
wretched, like the dog his strange mas
ter vivisects, or the doe the shot: that
should have been kept for stateliergame
has wontonly done to death.
Bracey gave himself up to her bland
ishm ents with Oh alacrity that gave her
food for reflection. II wonder If he is
married?" she mentally observed.
Miss Woodbury. was in a dangerously
savage frame Of mind.
"You are poet" said Bracey, with a
thrill in his voice.
$50 are you," said Belle, softly. She
made the remark at venture; she
couldn't know the man rhymed, but the
muscles of his face relaxed subtlely,
showing that she had stroked scientii-
eally the velvet of his sofsest vanity.
If. Mrs. Reade could hear us she
would be delighted. This is the way
she wishes us to talk" she continued.
"Idon't understand you," saidBracey,
simply. .~
| II mean that Mrs. Reade wishes us tt
pretend that we believe that our miser.
able little penny dips are lighted with
the sacred fire, and to talk as if it were
real" @5ss7 Il re u 49, a.
"Are you not real ~ said Bracey;
graYely~ II am perfectly sincere in all
write i couldn't write if were not"
mo, I'm not real, said Belle, i'm,
petuously.. II try to be sometimes, but
I am not j: r.. ..*ss1= .s
| Bracey looked first sad, then thought:
full, then radiant. His eyes smiled In
to hers. Il believe in you," he said.
"I must certainly ask Mrs. Reade
about this man." thought Belle. Ane
she accordingly did so, eliciting tina
Bracey was a man even more of thu
| people than most Americans, but ONT
who was ambitious for college educa
| ton. Every kind of misfortune hat
combined to make the fulflment Of hi
ambition impossible until Within thu
past few months, when not daunted b,
| the fact that he was two or three years
/ older than most graduates, he had en-
/ tered the freshman class Of the univer
/ sity, and fully designed to remain unit
/ he took his degree.
/ HE writes" said Mrs Reade.
liked hrs poems oh, he has genius
! Miss Woodbury., and I never rested TN
til I met him. Isn't he strange AM
brilliant. and ISM it delightfully."- Bohe
milan for him to dress as he does ?"
Bohemian = echoed Bell, & do nc
think him bohemian nor brilliant.