River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-02-23

Y pectant. / do not know when he VIII re
/ turn 1t may not be for several weeks
! Poor fellow he was greatly worried about
] something or other. | tried to make HIM
I tell me what il was; but he would not"
! Natalie's cOuntcnance became grave in a
/ moment. fAh, Mr.. Fairfax, your plan was
I effectual, none could have been more effect
! ual He who secures wOman's sympathy
/ and pity without causing her to suspect that
he is endeavOring so TO do, or even that he
/ is aware of the existence OF this sympathy
and pity is on the highway to win her love.
I Your shaft was well aimed, and went home
/ 10 the mark
After Miss Strong had left, Dolores ap-
/ preached Natalie with the question:
Little mamma, where is Mr.. Arthur
FOxt'
HE has gone away, my dear, and perhaps
will not come back for a long time"
Without her being aware Of it, Natalie's
voice was tinged with sadness. and whether
it was that the child was affected by the
lugubriOus tone, or by the news, she began
TO weep.
won't my Mr.. Fox come back for long
timel Why did he go awayi Max, he's
gone away, and he didn't come 10 say good
bye to US, either. Isn't he naughtyi"
Natalie thought so, too.
I
she had furtively made for HERSELF, and
sang It.
She began TO question who this Mr.. Fox
was. He had said Fox was not his real
name. and that he was DESTROYS Of privacy.
This little musical composition Of his pos
sessed certain amount Of merit; yet she
felt sure that he was not a professional
musician. There was something, too, about
the man that continually reminded her OF
some former acquaintance, or some o;.e
whom she had seen at some previous time.
/ Who it was she was sorely puzzled to dis
cover.
Natalie returned the call of Miss Strong.
I The latter informed her that she was really
quite worried about tue absent nephew.
[ He had not written her even once since his
| departure She had not the slightest no
I ton as to his whereabouts.
All that evening Natalie was singularly
distracted. She could not rid her mind
NOR did she care TOD Of thoughts about
this man.
I Do not imagine. good friends, that she
Z was a. love with Fairfax. or even supposed
I she was. Had a cannon been suddenly
I fired of beside her, it could not have
| startled her more than the statement that
I she was in love.
She was a supplemented, unaffected and
/ sincere girl. She liked Mr.. Fox; thought
Z their respective tastes were sympathetic,
and believed that each could understand
[ the other. Her interest went out toward
him in a purely friendly manner. But. il
I lustriOus reader, it must be admitted that
this interest was Of such nature that
some trivial occurrence, some accidental
news, some carelessly uttered word or I'M
[ guarded tone Of voice, might suddenly cause
her to wake up to, and be almost stunned by
its hitherto hidden and unsupported depth.
The factor love was, at present, an unseen
quantity in the calculations of tho Princess
Natalie Radziwill, worthy daughter Of the
race Of the HOhenzOllerns.
One morning, day or two after her
visit to Miss Strong, Natalie was reading TO
| herself in the music-rOorn anu Dolores play
ing with the clumsy, patient Max.
4 light, quick step was heard upon the
walk, outside Max. in an instant, pricked
up his ears and listened anxiously. A
tenor voice was heard humming the air of a
lively song. Max leaped up, Overse1
Dolores in his eager haste; rushed through
the hall; sprang over tie door, the upper
half of which was open .4lG, IN his wild JOY,
almost knocked over the new conner, who
was heard speaking aifeetionately TO the
animal and calling him by name. Dolores,
{ too, had recognized the voice and, quickly
picking herself up, ran out and grasped
Fairfax hand, crying gladly:
MY Mr.. Arnold Fox has come back
Come, little mamma; here he is ~
Natalie. with sparkling eyes and bright
color in her cheeks came quickly and eager
Is forward and took the Outstretched hand
Of her visitor, who held Dolores upon his
shoulder with the other.
Fairfax had never seen her looking more
lovely. She was radiantly beautiful. II
required all the will that he could summon
to carry out the part he had decided to play,
/ and not TO assume the natural role of the
/ lover.
/ ''Oh, Mr.. Fox, your aunt and all Of us''-
who .sall Of US" were she didn't explain
I shave been so disturbed by your absence"
"Ahl" returned he, with a slight rising
infection. Il am very sorry 10 have made
/ such disturbance. When returned l re-
/ ceived orders TO proceed directly over to
I Eld-Field. and make ample apologies for my
s4us and delinquencies. / hope have Miss
ROchefort's fOrgivcness''-this last with a
/ graceful bow and frank pleasant smile.
Natalie replied in the same merry vein:
Certainly. if Mr.. Fox will promise never
| 70 DO so again"
Il promise, and faithfully will fulfill he
returned, again bowling with mock chivalry.
Here continued he, taking a roll Of
music from his pocket, are several songs
Z that / have Just received. compositions Of
an old friend Of mine, college chum, John
Z CastrQ. and most charming fellow. am
I anxious to hear them. VIII you not sing
I them for met"
She sang the songs, that proyed-one Of
them specially-unusually good.
I Like almost every other action Of his IN
I connection with his prisoner, this little meet
{ ing was entirely prearranged. He had re-
I turned that morning TO Glen Gore, and i'm
mediately written a note to Blanche.
One sentence in this note ran thus;
when your mistress and Dolores, with
Max. are all together this morning in the
Z MUSHROOM, and likely 10 remain so for a
half hour or more, throw open the blinds OF
the windows Of the north chamber. toward
my cottage; then go down stairs and open
+ the upper half Of the hall door"
HIS instructions had been followed to the
I letter, and he was again successful
+ II was nearly an impossibility to him 70 be
natural, and no one better than he himself
knew this f-ailty. Il grieved him. Spring
E ing originally from morbid self-conscious-
ness, it became one Of those unfortunate
circumstances connected with his life and
t character over which he seemed to possess
no control At last it grew 70 such an ex-
I tent that he was quite at loss 70 know his
own natural tendencies and inclinatiOns.
He had fitted himself 20 50 many roles that
+ h could not detect the true from the false
7 those peculiar 70 his nature from those for
Z eign toit
He had for some time been debating with
himself which WAS the best course TO rur-
( sue in seeking 10 win the Princess affec-
tons.
Should he work upon her pityi Appeal
as the unhappy, Enbittered. disappointed
misanthrope. lighting against fatcl Or
+ should he adopt the character q s sincere,
/ lngoauoass sunnY sad lsht-aearted mani