River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-09-09
WHYIREPENTED.

When ! was young man | fell in
love, as young men generally do, with
tho girl who came handiest. This par
ticular girl hapr ened to be Belle Bur
ton, and devoted myself to her-rode
with her, boated with her lit was a
coun Try place where we metz. walked
with her. talked with her, begged her
for the roses she wore in her hair, and
tried in vain (for / was no poet) to
make sonnets not only to her ''eye-
brows," but to her hair, her cheeks,
and her lily-white hands. In fact. l
went through the pretty dream of first
owe as most people do, and it ended,
as it generally does, in an unpleasant
awakening.
One day the stage arrived at the
hotel with dozen dashing New-York-
ers for passengers. The next, one of
them obtained an introduction to Belle
Burton. There was no doubt whatever
that he was handsOmer than men gen
orally are, or that his grace and accom-
plishments were equal to his personal
charms. Handsome Arnold he was
generally called, and girls went into
raptures over his large, lOng-lashed
eyes and blonde mustache, and men
feared his broad shoulders, deep chest,
and splendid proportions. For my
part hated him from the first, for no
sooner had he appeared upon the car
pet than Belle seemed utterly TO forget
my very existence.
suppose she had never cared any
thing about me, but she had tlirted
with me while there was no better nun
| to be had, and | was not old enough to
/ know that the man she loves is the one
20 woman ever fiirts with. With
Arnold she was rather graver than
with most men, but her eyes sparkled
as he approaced her. She blushed
when his name was mentioned, and
cared for nothing in which he had not
some share. In fact, it was as plain
| that she was in love with him as that
| he was devoted to her; and there was
no doubt in any ones mind that all
! this would end in q wedding. 1t was
good thing, said the old people, for
poor Belle Burton, for she ''had moth
ing" For my part it seemed to me
all the luck was Arnold 5.
| should have taken my departure
and put myself out of the way of hour
ly torture, but did not do so wisely.
| fingered about the place and did
small things to spite the happy pair
| intruded on the tete-a-tetes. managed
to force the society of some excellent
and loquacious matron or some trouble.
some child upon them, looked daggers
of contempt at him and forgot to pass
the butter to her. At last a grand
chance to annoy him occurred. He was
a good rider and proud of his accom-
plishment, and he had a FESTIVE, ner-
vous animal which he boosted no one
could ride but himself a perfect mas
ter of the creature, who had never
| given him serious trouble save once,
when suddenly brought into the pres
ence of an artist who was sketching
under a willie umbrella. That"
said Handsome Arnold, "was some
thing Prince could not understand, and
made hiIa forget who held the bride. p"
AS he came prancing up to the gate
or rode away with an air | used to
wish for an artist with a white UNI
brella. | desired TO see that fellow I'M
seated and ingloriously turned into the
mud. That would have made me
happy; and once when he had offended
me more than ever by his gallant style
of riding | sauntered out into the fields
-cursing him in my Utmost soul-when
what should | spy in the middle of the
grass, intent upon a bunch of clover,
but a fat pre- Raphaelite artist in q
white suit, a faping hat, and white
| sketching umbrella that would have
frightened the clergymen's gray mare,
who was nearly as old as himself, into
/ being a runaway.
| rushed toward this artist with en-
tbusiasm, took off my hat to him. l
said:
"Sir, | rejoice that one of your
| glorious profession has at last visited
us. You love the minute, | see. Have
you noticed the spider-webs on the
black berry bushes at the turn of the
lane, the dew sparkling on the silvery
film. the delicious fruits growing be-
neath-have you seen that, sir?'
The pre-Raphaelite artist scratched
his head with his brush and said:
"Well, no, l amt"
"Will YOU come and see it, sir?'
said. "Will you make it immortal on
your canvasP"
The pre-Raphaelite artist replied:
"Well, | wouldn't mind"
/ i did not care what he said so that
! he came. Nv object was not art; it
was the white umbrella. | desired to
| have him seated where the eve of hand
some Arnolds FESTIVE Prince would
| fall upon him as he turned the corner
of the garden walk, and to that velY
spot | beguiled my artist and there s.a-
/ toned him, and, when he had settled
with Chinese precision to his spider-web
and blackberries, hid myself behind
tree to enjoy the comic scene | fully
expected would follow.
| | heard handsome Arnold bid adieu
to the ladies. | heard the patter of
| his horses feet upon the road, and in
a moment more | saw him come gayly
on, smile upon his handsome face, a
rich color IN his oheeks-youth, health
strength, happiness expressed in every
curve and outline of his statuasque
! form. The next instant Prince had
seen the white artist and the white uId-
brella. And then--then, Heaven for
/ give me, not the amusing spectacle of
/ handsome Arnold's discontinue that |
had hoped to see. He kept his seat,
while Prince. rearing and plunging,
dashed wildly away with him toward
PERCEPTIONS path along the cliit side and
vanished like a mad thing with his
rider still upon his back, going straight
toward certain awful precipice which
overhung the rocky river shore below.
/ | cannot go on. They picked him
up Just alive, no more. at the foot OF
that precipice; and they carried him
mere mass of broken bones and bleed
\ ing flesh back to the great hotel. Late
at night | crept softly upstairs on my
way to bed. and, passing Belle Bur
toms door, heard those slow, heavy
sobs that tell of a breaking heart issU-
| ing thence.
He cannot live. the messenger had
said, and l was perhaps doubly
murderer. | thought seriously of add
ing to my crime by committing suicide
/ that awful night.
| But poor Arnold did live. He had
wonderful constitution, unbroAen, as
all the men who knew him knew. by
dissipation Of any kind, and it is hard
to xiii such man. He lived, ana
strength returned 10 him at last; but
no one would call him handsome Ar