River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-01-14

/ been frightening Mrs. Perkins,"
"Shall explain?" asked the doc
tor, looking toward Amelia. who was
vanishing through the door without
replying.
voice in the hall.
1t was Mrs. Trim, who arrested her
guest on the way to the front door
Mrs Fargo and Albert now rushed
out, and the storm centre was trans
/ ferred to the hall.
You must not go, Amelia. ! en-
treat you do not go" cried Albert,
wildly.
''Of course you will not go said
Mrs. Fargo, with decision; 'come
back directly. | insist upon knowing
/ the meaning of gll this She took
/ Amelia by the arm, and almost
forcibly led her back to the parlor
1T is clear, you two have met before, F"
she continued, assuming the office of
/ inquisitor; "when aud where was it?"
"Shall tell?" asked Albert,
Amelia maintained naughty
| silence.
You do not object, and really, /
see no reason why you should. Mother,
you have wondered why / did not
marry. This is the reason.
He pointed to Amelia, who still
stood drapcd in her long widows
veil, clasping the white-robed child in
her arms.
Il was not 10 blame, she calmly
said.
You were TO blame; YOU should not
have let your father influence YOU.
You should not have disputed my
father. He was older than you, and
of course knew better, she answered
THAT is an exploded assumption.
But am not going to renew that dis
cussion with you.
Then, with suddenly awakened
tenderness, he advanced and took from
her tired arms the little child who was
nodding heavily against her shoulder.
There, sit down. he said gently
after all these years we may certain
lv let the old quarrel rest | was so
taken by surprise that did not do JUS
tice TO the tender feeling my heart has
always retained for you.
Tender feeling-quarrel! What in
the name of heaven are you talking
about?" cried Mrs. Fargo. impaticntly.
Albert, LAYING the head If the sleeping
child against his breast, and beginning
to walk the floor ''How like YOU she
is Amelia" he said, looking fondly at
her. 'Sec, mother, this should have
been your grandehild. Yes, We were
engaged You remember, Amelia, the
night proposed? Ii was after the ball
at the college, and we were walking
home together through the moonlight
village street. You wore pink silk
with tulle over il. and the tulle was
all in tatters. but YOU looked as lovely
as an angel; and you said Yes with
out hesitation, like the frank, sweet
girl that You were. All! we were
very happy then"
''But YOU would always dispute
with papa about the proper treatment
in fevers, and the giving of calomel,
and all that said Amelia. sadly.
Papa, who had practiced medicine
forty years, and who of course, knew
SO much better.
"Ah, don't speak of that, Albert,
humbly, melting more and more,
wrought upon, not by memory alone,
but by that inexplica5le tenderness
that will flow out about a little head
nestled against the breast II own that
| was wrong"
You admit it, at last, exclaimed
Amelia, with an air of triumph.
Wrong in disputing, | mean; not in
the principle"
You cling to your heresyP Papa
said it was flat heresy.'
what have medical theories to do
with my loving you?' he asked pausing
before her and looking earnestly ut
her. You married. to please your
father, an old-school physician twenty
years older than yourself. Did his
medical orthodoxy make you happy?
Tell me" he insisted, ''were you
happy with him?''
You sha'n't question me SO, she
answered, making a last struggle.
Give me my baby, | don't love to
have any one held her but myself"
"See how sweetly she is sleeping in
my arms, Amelia. | have never been
so happy since the night we walked
home from the dance together. Doesn't
your heart tell you YOU owe me some
PREPARATION for all the happiness you
have kept back from me?" he pleaded.
Amelia iiuttered her fan and looked
at the floor. 1t was a stained floor she
noticed.
Let me keep the baby" he urged.
Let me teach it to call me papa.
A faint smile curved Amelia's lips,
but she did not look up. He bent on
one knee before her, and whispered
Say yes again, dear; III be so
good to you both.
The smile grew more decided, and
she bent forward rs if to kiss the child's
fair temple, but Albert, perhaps mis-
interpreting her design, beat forward
also, and the kiss fell lightly upon his
mustached mouth.
Mrs. Trim and Mrs. Fargo. who had
tiptOed from the room some moments
before, were embracing each other in
the sitting-rOom, with tears of ire
pressible laughter. Half an hour later
Mrs. Fargo returned TO the parlor,
thoughtfully overturning n chair as
she passed through the hall.
"Well, she said, IF you have come
to q place where you can leave off, per-
haps YOU would come to dinner.
I'VE have resolved never to leave
off, " said Albert, "but dinner viii not
be amiss.
I'm afraid it will be very much
amiss, observed his mother. 1T has
been waiting more than an hour
"Never mind, rejoined Mrs. Fargo,
cheerfully, "we'u wash it down with
phials of Nux.