River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-01-09

look at them"
"Then wouldn't have nothink to do
with EN-" returned the boy. decisively.
s'If they hurt you, what's the good?"
Its the hurting that brings me back
to them. somehow" stammered Milly,
who couldn't explain.
Jim gazed at her with his wide-opened.
lOng-lashed eyes
You arc a queer 'un. and no mistake"
he said. at last. Hi, look Quit you were
almost right under the van this time,
Mill Iwish, wish was Dock. that
l do-Td give you flowers and grand
things every day; wouldn't JUST"
THANK you, Jim, dear; oh, thank
you That makes it just the same as if
you did"
"Why, how can that be?" asked the
boy, leaning on his broom and staring
at her harder than ever.
''0f course it does. Don't you see?"
asked Milly, towhom definitions seemed
almost the greatest difficulties of life.
There are some people who have so
little to say that they spend their days
in trying to make scanty substance
more; meanwhile, the thoughts of others
surge tempestuously against their fet-
tering speech, and these people must al
ways appear ignorant and dull.
One day-it was a bright May morn
ing-Milly had come to an end of all
her commissioned work Nor had she any
ideas for the future; she was tired, over
done perchance-she had been working
both early and late this last week. Tho
cOlOrs Of the many-petaled flowers in
the shop opposite seemed to fash more
brightly than usual; the sun was strong
and hot; the three-cornered piece of sky
overhead was positively blue. From its
cage on a nail outside a neighbours win
dow came the sweet song of a captive
thrush. Some efferyescence OF spring
time rose and bubbled in the girls
young veins She could not stay with
in her dark and squalid room; she rose
to her feet in impatience.
A moment later she had reached the
street She stood outside the door of the
house, gazing inquiringly from side to
side. No; Jim was not there; he was
nowhere in sight. Well, he would soon
return doubtless There were few vehi-
cles to be seen; she might cross safely.
Now the deed was done; Jim should
presently hear of her prowess.
And surely the reward was worth the
effort The fiower-shop had never
seemed so beautiful Bunches of lilac,
laburnum and hawthorn were blooming
on one side; on the other were positive
ly stacked pink, red, and white peonies.
pansies, and the anemones and blue
bells OF the woods, while marsh mallows
and cowslips shOne more golden than
the sunshine
Milly knew no names or properties
OF flowers; in her eyes there were no
common ones, and the dollhouse gera-
NUNS and cinerarias were only by color
more glorious than the penny punches
Of wallfiowers and field daisies and
struggling forget-me-nots that were spe-
cially provided for by weary Londoners.
To her il was all a beautiful dream;
there was just a hard, impossible wall
between her and such Injuries. like the
glass against which she flattened her
pale little pinched features. She could
see through the glass. certainly, but she
could get no nearer; no, nor yet touch
or smell She could only sigh, and the
sigh (complaint-like) made matters
worse, for it dimmed the clearness of
the glass for a moment.
Two ladies came out of the shop; one
passed on; the other, seeing the girl,
paused. The hands OF both ladies were
filled with lunches of flowers: possibly
ing than she knew.
You poor little girl" said the lady
who stood in the doorway. She held out
bunch of something bright
Would you like these flowers? Yes,
you may take them"
She smiled; she went on her way
Milly had said nothing; not word of
thanks, even. She only grasped the
tiny nosegay as though it were made of
gold. She stared vacantly at the ladies
till they were out of sight. Then she
laughed softly TO herself What tcoud Jim
say? Where was Jim? Why was he
still absent? She must certainly come
out again in the afternoon, il only to
tell him the delightful news. 1t was
the first time that any real live flower
had been given to her; had actually be-
longed to herself. Why, they were
quite soft. like velvet, not grimy and
gritty like most things, and with
perfume-yes that must be the mean
ing of the word demonstrating
quite, quite bewildering.
The road was free of carts and cabs.
Now, surely, this was the moment
one rush forward-oh, the cramp in her
stiff leg. Forward! No. back, in haste!
A noise of horses hoofs, with a thou
sand voices ringing in her ears, and, in
the midst of all, vision of Jim's face,
white and set as it had never been be-
fore-then the earth rising up to meet
her violently, as something large and
dark doomed before her eyes, and seemed
to strike her down.