River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-03-21

that he loved her she went crazy. All
that tremendous longing for life, that
she'd been hiding and smOtherirg for
SO many years, came out with a ven-
geance. and it was enough to make
your hair stand on endl didn't know
as any author ever had the grit to
tackle such a subject. II was splendid,
but it was awful. She made a clean
breast of it in her delirium. for that's
what il was, as much as if she'd had
spell of brain fever; she just turned
her lonesome heart inside out, the way
you turn glove, and not leave a sim
gle finger end tucked in. There was
lesson for a young chit like Constance!
No good in life but love-don't miss
of it, Every now and then she would
have a misgiving, and it would melt
stone to hear her trying to get
Constance to encourage her in
the notion that she could carry of
her age by the freshness of her
love. She was going to hide herself in
love like battered statue in a fount-
ain with the water spouting all over it.
She was going to get Constance to
teach her how to please Norbert, and
how to keep him in order. How we
are all made for happinessn says she.
She'd just found that out, poor thing!
must say it gave me dreadful turn
when Constance asked her what she
was going to do about her live hus-
band. 1t was the first / knew she had
one. That proves she was crazy, sure
enough! for she brushed it away like
cobweb, and she gave Constance to
understand it was a light love that
couldn't manage a trile like that.
She drove Constance crazy. too. for by
the time Norbert came back she had
made up her mind to give him to the
Queen. whether or no.
well, was glad to see him. can
tell you, for it was about time the
snarl was Strengthened out. You see,
the Queen went back into the palace to
walk around in the rooms and see how
it seemed to be engaged, and then
telling him that she was his, in the
most confusing kind of way-all his,
all at once, and not a piece at time
and giving him a good many hints that
he didn't understand any better than
did, till all of a sudden back came the
Queen and caught him kissing Con-
stance. l was glad of it. But what
did that girl do but give the Queen to
understand that he was only giving
her a kind of Thank you. ma'am,' for
helping him make up to Her Majesty.
| could have shaken Jenny if l could
have got at her behind that mess of |
vines and fower-pots.
"Well, those two mad women would
have had another maniac in the party
pretty soon if Norbert hadn't been the
master hand he was for keeping his
head. And as for his heart, it was set
on that good-for-nothing girl that
threw her happiness and his to the
winds. They couldn't make him un
derstand what was wanted of HIM for
quite awhile, and when they did, he
gave Constance a setting down that |
brought her to her senses at last. He |
said the Queen might experiment with |
him, as a person would ask a beggar
how much he would take for his baby,
just to see how he would scout such a
bargain; but he didn't expect that of
Constance. Speak, Constancel I'm
the begea
by that time they all knew how
they stood, but it was too late. Con- |
stance and the Queen glared at each
other a minute, and then the Queen |
Went in without word. Her face was
enough! They knew something awful
was to pay. Norbert never laid a
feathers weight Of blame on that mis-
guided girl, but just held her fast and |
gloried in his happiness. with death
marching up inside. The creeps run
down my spine now when l remember |
how, all of sudden, the music stopped, |
and the tramp, tramp, tramp of the |
guard came along inside to the balcony. |
1t was nothing in the world but Mari;es |
hired man and Charley and Harry and |
the Dickerman boys out on the piazza |
but it made my blood curdle, can tell |
you.
The club had cake and sherbet |
after that, and talked il all over. |
Some of them thought Constance was
shallow thing. and never loved Nor
bert any to speak of; and some thought |
she was carried away with the idea of |
grand self-sacrifice. One or two said |
she had an abnormal faculty for schem- |
ing, and Maria pretended that she |
probably thought the Queen wouldn't |
live very long, anyhow, at that high |
pressure, and then she would have it |
all her own way, after making Nor |
bert's fortune for him. There was |
only one opinion about Norbert. He |
was magnificent splendid lovely |
Mr.. Bumstead overheard Ella Porter |
say to Jenny that if ever real Nor
bert came along, she should surrender |
'.Whewl How did Bumstead take |
that?n
Jenny says he took it literally and |
figuratively both, and Ella hadn't the |
presence of mind to say. NO Oh, |
YOU needn't look so thunder-struck |
Go home. and see for yourself, you
foolish Galatian! Jenny never cared |
any thing for that Mr. Bumstead. -
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