River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-03-06

/ as your father old friend, advise YOU
ibid rate your friendship land as
it is very, very dear to mel above the
duty owe to the dead my conscience
! should prove unworthy Of it. Risking
the loss of your regard, major, / must
| still adhere to my course.
She scratched off two advertise
ments, handing them to me as she rose.
Standardization as governess, and
For sale-Hamilton place, were the
headings I did my best to obtain her
consent TO tearing up the first, but all
she would say was, DO not urge me-"
How like she was TO Oswald, with
that square jaw, that firm, clear tone,
and imperious pose.
And so (perhaps because of the remind
err Igainsaid her no longer. Governess
she should be, if she wished, and
Josepha went home as pleased as any
headstrong girl who has had her own
way.
Ia pursuance of aplan to head her off
[ sent a telegram to Reg. The idea of
1 her not loving such fine, manly true
hearted fellow the best man ever inside
a lieutenant's uniform. He had only to
ask to wed anywhere. He came as soon
as he could get leave. They were off In
q fortnight
told him OF Josepha's resolves.
There is one power that Will stop
her"
and that. uncle?"
Love" Profound sigh from Reg,
but no disposition to open his mouth.
do you try your luck again? Re-
member the old rule about two neg
atives. | have observed the young
woman pretty closely, and I think you
will succeed Tell her that in case she
consents to make us the happiest of men
You are to give up your commission and
come into my firm at once. Pshaw,
boyl Don't look so daZZked, L have in
tended it all along; only take time by
the forelock, you know. There, you
young bear Would YOU hug me to death
Go along with youi Ten Josepha when
YOU find her that an eccentric old duff
fer who has taken fancy to the place
offered f25 900 to-day for it. and that
being by all odds more than she can ex-
pect to have offered again i took him up"
All right, uncle: anything more?"
He was already half osIt of the library.
Tell her-no, never mind.
Reg was by this time beyond hearing.
For an hour [ walked up and down
my lonely, luxurious drawing room.
Free from restraint of Reginald's
company, tue fever rose again in my
blood. my pulse beat fast, my step
quickened. Then L formed a hundred
plans which would aid.in crushing down
nv heart. ] would travel; / would
trust to time: with seas and years be-
tween I would grow calEer in my feel
ings. / would come back and find my
happiness in Reginald's and hers. 1
would give them Hamilton place for
their wedding gift and / imagined my
self in after years frolicking on those
green terraces with Reggie's oldest or
youngest, as the case might be. But
the fever rose again, the longing was as
strong as it was vain. | was not In the
frame of mind to meet my nephew, and
as soon as my roam was saddIed | sprang
to her back and was off-away-I cared
not where, so [ could ride this mad
ness down.
came home late The hardest bat
tie l had ever fought had won. 1 had
such a grip on myself that after seeing
Bess comfortably stabbed and rubbed
down, ] went to Reggie's room without
the least fear of self betrayal.
But the lad was not there. A note
sticking in the mirror frame attracted
my attention 1t was addressed To me,
1t ran with many blot and erasure.
DEAR OLD UNCIE-It was a mistake.
Josepha never really cared two pins for
me- That boy and girl affair wasn't
love at all. She told me so before, and I
ought to have known better than to go
to her twice, but vOu-there, / don't
blame Won. uncle. How should you
know? She was vny kind If you can
call that sort OF thing kind, and /
dare say | shall get over 1T, But I'm
awfully cut up, and | don't feel as if |
could face even You vet; so I'm of, with
ont waiting for you.
4 line or two more so badly blurred
as to he illegible, and a great scrawl
which bore but faint resemblance to
Reg"
Poor lad, Poor lad! He tried hard
to be CHEEKY in the farewell letter he
sent before he left the shores of old
England, but [ saw the heartache be-
tween the lines.
In few days / was called suddenly
TO London on business. being detained
there some little time. When | re-
turned to Deerwood it was to find my
erratic Young neighbor flown. Mrs.
Har-wood. my estimable housekeeper,
had a message for me from Miss Hamil
ton-''she would write regularly, but l
was not to seek her out.
Hwing delivered the message with a
dignity, slightly damaged by the curl
Gus, speculative glance with which she
regarded me the while. Mrs HARDWOOD
rustled maiesaicaliv away, giving n Vi
cious little jerk to the doorknob, as
much as to say. well, there! He
might a said more than 30, indeed.
Just as if I didn't know she'd gone off
a-governessin'i But men is so clus-
mouthed'
As went into the garden for a quiet
smoke, heard the housekeeper address
ing she housemaid: Mary, do you
run with all your might now and tell
/ cook the majors back again. Yes, |
gave him the message. Surprised?
} Well, YOU never know whether e is or
/ e isn't, But, lawd, Mary! think o'tel-
J lin i'm, the major. not to seek out 'er,
which as gone to be a governessr'
"An after'er pacin' off Mr.. Reginald,
! the stuck-up piece" said Mary, who
( had sweetheart of her own she thought
| the world of.
The weeks slipped into months, and
| the months numbered eighteen before |
saw Josepha again.
She was i'll, and wrote for me to come
J to her. No 6 Beverly square was the
I address, and the neighborhood was most
aristocratic. No. was an imposing
stone house of the mausoleum type.
In answer to my ring there appeared an
| understood footman, whose gravity of
demeanor carried out the funereal idea
suggested by the house itself. Untold
millions could not have tempted him to
| smile.
I He went off with my card, and by and
by Josepha-or her ghost-trailed down
the stairs TO give you an idea of how
weak she was, let me tell you that
there were two tears in her eyes when |
took her hands, Josepha, and Josepha
reduced to womanly tears. 1t was diff
| ficult to reconcile the two.
! ] saw my chance and took advantage
| of it. Now, while she was unfit for
work, homesick and needing . change,
| she must make Durand visit. Mrs.
! Marwood knew how to make my guests
comfortable, and nothing would suit
me better.