River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-03-19
then he looked steadfastIy at Florence,

Florence, catching the glance inter
negative, was arrested in her amiable in
tention of transporting him to the 9th.
er end of the long lone drawing room,
and introducing him to Mrs Harling-
ton, the rector's wife. This agitated
gentleman did look exactly in a fit state
to be discoursed to about winter blan-
ket clubs and working mems clubs and
friendly societies.
It's all very fine to talk about leading
an unpuzzled existence, like Jane Aus
ten; but why on earth did Col. Haldane
look at her with this unfathoma
| BILE glance from his undeniably fine
gray eyes? What did it mean? She fell
away from him, musing, and turned the
outward machinery of trite common.
places on her greeting of the numerous
| guests, who were rapidly arriving.
The Whites had just started page,
who answered to the ubiquitous name
of Tommy" one of those specimens
much adapted by ambitious matrons as
an improvement on parlor maids;
creature raw of the fields with the ex-
preston of an animated turnip and
| brains to match. In the midst of buzz
| of voices intermingled with the frou-
frou of rich dresses, Tommy suddenly
| darted into the room and made straight
for Miss Florence White, carrying in
his lobster. colored hands book sugges.
tive of the P. D. Company.
| Colonel Haldane, from his solitary
seat in the deep recess of the bay win
dow facing the entrance to "The
| Grange" felt an awful sensation come
over him. Was this the myrtle arriv-
ing 2? and had the Mention folk absolute
| ly charged the carriage to Miss White?
What should he do He shrunk behind
the deep amber of the curtains, then as
suddenly emerged
Bring Myrtlep these were her own
words, and he made a violent rush across
the room u her side.
"It's the myrtlew he said, breathless-
| ". "Allow me The stupid people
have made a mistake" he continued,
incoherently. "The idea of charging
the carriage to YOU" And he threw a
sovereign into Tommy's bashful fingers.
Miss White looked at Col. Haldane
with ever-enlarging pupils. He had re-
turned lately from Egypt, had been in
defatigable at the bombardment of AL
exandria; had had an illness on his re-
turn, and she remembered hearing that
he had been obliged to have his head
shaved. She continued to look at him
quite tenderlv, as these thoughts fitted
phantom like about her.
"Thank YOU, Col. Haldane, "she said
"You have saved me the trouble of
fetching my purse. This is new boy
country manners, you know; he wants
instruction." And, smiling pleasantly,
she moved out of the room after the van
ishing figure of Tommy.
In the round roomy hall stood huge
tube matted up and bearing the name,
eau Myosotis, Menton," etc.
cts towering myrtle, Miss, said
| Tommy; the biggest, the carrier
says, it ever fell to his duty to deliver"
| Fetch ii pair of gardening scissors,
Tommy" SAID Miss White, "and anoth.
er time never venture to bring p. ID,
G. books into the drawing Go
to the housekeeper with that kind of
thing"
Tommy took the color natural to him
in yet deeper hues and ran for the scis-
sors. Miss White soon snapped the
OBTAINING strings, and gave way to a
very natural delight as the starry
blossoming myrtle was exposed to view.
Every odd, she thought; "it's adj
dressed, Enthusiastically to me. Poor
Haldane! What does it mean.
Thinking again Of the shaven head
and the bombardment of Alexandria,
she sighed little pensiyely and little
compassionatelv, and returned to the
drawing-room Just in time to escape the
entry of Mrs. Danvers, whose forest
cart, drawn by lovly pair of Welsh
ponies, she saw turning in at the gate.
| That lady now entered, followed by her
inseparable companion, q perfect Dandy
| Dinmont, a long bodied, lowlegged,
fap-eared, psdigreed creature, which
reioiced IN the possession of seven
prizes.
Florence Immediately made rush
at the dog "Ah, YOU have brought
MYRTLE! I was afraid when [ saw you
this morning, that you would forget,
though [ mentioned it in my motel"
Both ladies had moved in the direction
where still sat Col. Haldane, plunged
in startled reflections, in the recess OF
the window. Was this long backed,
low legged, flap cared dog the honored
object of the message?
"Of course, brought dear old Myr-
tle," retorted Mrs. Danvers. II should
suffocate at an afternoon tea if | hadn't
bit of natural life like that trusty
Scotchman about me.
"Now its explainedr said a deep
voice from behind the amber curtains,
and Col. Haldane came forward once
more.
The hesitation of his manner had
vanished he was smiling serenely, and
his eyes were fixed with an expression
of perfect understanding on the coun-
tenance of Miss White.
Bring Myrtle" he continued, laugh
ingly. "This is Myrtle. Rival Myrtles,
there may be, but this form OF Myrtle
can't be improved upon!'
Again Miss Whites pupils enlarged
svmpathetically Worse and worsel
Poor Col. Haldane! She trembled for
his reason. Not so Mrs. Danvers. Fix
ing him with her bright eyes, she said:
"What is explained? Confusion of cir
cumstances 2"
Confusion of envelopes. Bring
Myrtle was scrubbed on the wrong back
that's all, said Col. Haldane.
With sudden illumination, Miss
White sank down beside Col. Haldane
in the recess, with a deep blush of NOR
titled confusion.
"Does that account for the presence
of the Towering myrtle in the hall ?"
she asked after a moment of Mortified
silence.
Eyes, Charming mistake for me,
muttered Col. Haldane. Gave me
an opportunity that L" and he
looked at Mrs Danvers, who, with
fnesse worthy Of her, dashed away to
the other end of the room to meet the
extended hand of an propos acquain-
lance. He went on smoothly enough
now.-"An opportunity that | wanted
VIII you one day wear a sprig OF that
other myrtle for me Florence?"
Miss White didn't say "No;" so she
evidently intended to say Eyes. The
Argosy.
A. Premonition.
From the leisure Hour
L. oFot1 I'd.