River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-04-08
SHE LOVED \ TRAMP.

/ son roses mingled their dark loveliness
with pure, white buds, and rich velvet
pansies lay half hidden in a tangle of
/ heliotrOpe and smilaX.
These are for Willie, mamma, re-
piled her daughter. as she laid her
precious burden on table and picking
out a yellow rosebud, which well
deserved its name, gold OF ophir !"
/ pinned it LOVINGLY on her mothers
/ bosom-an act which Immediately dis
armed her of all anger. Elias ocea-
sional depredations among the flowers
being a cause ofserious disquiet to the
/ good old lady.
Mrs. Winters had been a widow for
many years. her husband a California
having in mining parlance,
passed in his checks" leaving her in
comfortable circumstances Mother
and daughter lived in quiet seclusion,
rs sweet and innocent a the flowers.
which verify seemed kith aud kin of
/ her own.
They had few relatives. Mrs. Win
+ tiers sometimes spoke of a cousin who
lived away up in the mining districts,
whose family She had never seen. and
Ella was secretly in love with hand
some. bold face which looked al her
saucily from an old daguerreotype case
upon the mantelpiece, whose laughing
mouth she had often furtively kissed.
and wondered if she would ever see
him. And now, oh! joyful news. there
was letter from John Gaynor. say
I ing that his eldest boy. Willie. would
/ pay them visit. Il trust, dear Mar
garet. ran the letter. that he will be
the link which shall again unite the
chain Of our old-time friendship.
Ella was very happy at last She could
see her girlish ideal. To herfervid I'M
agination ne must be a pleasant reali-
zation of the honest miner whose
primitive habits and manner are 50
graphically described ~ Twain and
Miller. Today was undoubtedly the
very happiest in her life. The sun new
er seemed so bright, the very flowers
appeared to have gained more radiant
colors, and certainly emitted a stronger
and sweeter perfume The glamour of
loving expectation enveloped and beau
/ titled all things in her eyes. This post
is sure to bring a letter apprising them
of the time his train would arrive.
/ Ella paws little attention TO her break
I fast. and frequently casts an eXpectant
/ look toward the window. She is re-
warded by the appearance of the gray
coated postman. whose homely but
/ goOd-Datured face looks positively
. handsome i'm her eyes this particular
morning. With a deXterOus twist of
/ finger and thumb. begOtten of long
practice. he sends letter flying up the
/ garden path, and rs Ella runs lightly
/ to meet him it lands softly and signiii-
cantly against her lips. and drops at
\ her feet, when she picks il up with a
/ blush which put all the pretentious
pink flowers in the garden to shame.
The letter is for her this time. the
1 first she has ever received from her
4 cousin, and her hands tremble as she
/ tears open the envelope. She walks
! back slowly through the garden, and
/ as Mrs. Winters comes to the window
she IS Just in time to see the joyous look
die out of the bright face, and an oX-
preston of deep disappointment settle
upon it.
"Oh, mamma. Willie says he can not
leave for a month yet. I'm so sorry
There was a touch of cadence after
the ''stOry' which would have been
very sweet music to Mr.. Willie Gay
nOr's ears could he have heard it. \
| big sigh accompanied her words as she
/ looked regretfully at the flowers, which
[ had been gathered especially for him,
I and which now seemed to drop their
I lovely heads in unison with her sorrow.
/ But young hearts are made of strong
material. and blithes ome Ella was soon
| absorbed in her household duties, and
now not a shade of trouble appeared
upon the smiling face.
Let not my readers find fault with
Miss Ella when | disclose the fact that
she had a strong penchant for pet dogs.
! They were her playmates and faithful
4 protectors in childhood, and all the
] dlZullf VI NOuue lddA ubOu AdhthNN
power 10 wean her affection from them
now. Great shaggy fellows with affec-
I tionate brown ewes were her special
favOrites, but every canine. from the
pupy pug to the slim and graceful
| greyhound, found a place in her affec-
tons. They had, as she herself ex-
pressed it. afforded solid comfort ana
consolation all her life, and she never
had the least occasion to find fault
with them until to-day, when her most
particular pet covered her with shame
and humiliation.
This is how it happened: Donning
her large Sun-ha., aud calling her pet
Niger aud a smaller satellite named
Ruby. she sailed forth for her usual
evening walk, which eventually ended
in race or scramble on the way home.
All went well until Niger encountered
a casual acquaintance in the shape of
a notwithstanding black cur. who was
evidently on the war-path. He shifted
around Niger, which proceeding
must in dog language have meant
challenge. for Niger. TO his eternal
disgrace. Immediately threw down the
glove. so to speak Cending the while
very unwilling ear TO the agOnized
entTcatieS of his Young mistress),
wavered moment. and then went for
his opponent with Vim which prom
ised to make things lively all round.
Ruby made 4 few spasmodic dashes
toward the GOmbajauts, but deeming
prudence much safer than valor in this
instance sat down at a safe distance
and watched the fight uneasily.
Miss Ella was in despair. and looked
around in vain for assistance; espying
stick she picked it mp and poked
aimlessly in a futile effort to separate
the angry animals. She had just given
( up the attempt when. to her great re-
lief. man appeared on the scene. He
was grimy and ragged, but she took no
notice of that, and begged him earnest
IL to save her pet from the monster
who was seemingly bent on devouring
him. An amused smile tlickered
around the mans mouth for an instant
IS he looked at her, then, grasping 4
dog with each hand, he flung one Of
them clear over the fence. and was
about 10 fling the other in an opposite
direction when FL grasped him by the
coat-sleeve and claimed her pet, all
dirty and diSgraced as he was
I'm sure I'm very grateful, in
deed stammered our distressed
heroine, as she held out her hand
.ov.-arl +ba stray, cor will soma rnonav