River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-11-13
A MODERN ROMANCE.
Why Rob Bonnen Proposed to His
Partners Sweetheart

Why Rob BOnneN proposed 10 bis
Partners Sweetheart
"a favorPr repeated Rob BOnnell,
leaning back in his pine Office chair, the
arms of which were becoming attenu-
ated from the persistent whiting of
its successive occupants, "a dozen If !
can"
II knew you would declared Henry
Dreier. in tone that if confident was
also full Of vague relief I'm fact l
really wrote Linnet you would go"
You did, eh?s returned Bob. fitting
back and teetering on the rear legs of
his chair in a dexterously reckless man
ner that would have driven a more i'm
pressiOna bic indi yidual than his partner
wild with nervousness That was aw-
fully kind of you! But where am / to
go? And who in the world is Linnet?
IL you would only supplement your dis
pOsal OF me with little information l
couldn't be sufficiently grateful!'
Dreier grinned amiably, and shifted
his position in the doorway of the small
Western grain Office. Like most men
slow of speech themselves. be was
prompt to appreciate the ready rsillery
OF another.
"Why-why Linnet is rather awk-
wardIy. "Linnet Josylan, you know"
''O!7 in sudden comprehension. The
bride-elect You never spoke of her
otherwise than as Miss Josylan.7
Didn't i? by the way, don't be-
lieve | ever told you much about her
any way, beyond the fact that she is a
kind OF distant cousin of mine. and that
we are 70 be married next Thursday"
NO" replied Bob, with shake Of
his handsome head. You never did -
He was a tail. weli-knit, athletic
looking fellow. There was in his whole
bearing a certain easy grace that ire
futably bespoke good breeding and
gentle associations. His dark-skiI nod,
finely-chiseled face was bright With
humor and alert with Intelligence. In
every sense of the word was Henry
DreIer unlike him. lie was of medium
height, and heavily built His move
ments were deliberate to clumsiness-
His face was large and round. and fiorid,
and fat His stubby streak of a sandy
mustache reminded one 0f that of Mr..
Jefferson Brick, which Martin Chuzzle-
wit mistOOk for "a recent trace of gin
gerbread- His mild blue eyes were
most kindly. Indeed, his general APP
pearance was graphically stupid. In
reality. Mr. Dreier was the least stupid
Of men lie was most keenly and prac-
tically shrewd- His look of bland in
nocence. almost of helplessness. was a
mask with which nature had capricious-
Iy presented him. Those who faucied
they could BY superior mental agility
compass business or personal victory
ever Henry Dreier were apt to find
themselves confronted with a counter
move on the probability of which they
had altogether failed 10 reckon. But
he was hOpelessly unrOmantic. There
was no denying that fact lie had not
in his composition a single grain Of SEN
dment And in his life love would be.
as Mime. de Stael avOWed il was in the
life of all men, merely an episode. OF
this Rob BOnnell had always felt sure,
but when now his partner went on TO
speak Of his sweetheart in his prOsy,
matter-Of-fact way he was more than
ever convinced he was correct in his de-
ductiOnS
she's an Eastern girl. Her people
were wealthy. She was educated with
the greatest care. She grew up think
ing life was 10 be for her Just a long
procession Of pleasures Well, one day
her father went all to pieces on the
Board OF Trade The shock killed him.
His wife didn't last for many weeks
after him. and then Linnet found she
must either work or starve. The form
er seemed, as you may suppose. the
more acceptable alternative. She wrote
10 a cousin Of her father who has a
ranch out here. asking him if she could
secure employment teaching in this
part Of the world. There was chance
Of her obtaining the district school, so
he sent her word to come. She did So.
She was too late The Board of Direct
ors had given the place to an earlier APP
plIcant- Linnet had not enough money
to take her home again. so she was
obliged to remain at BlatehfOrd's.
Know them?r
No. Rob didn't know them.
well, they live over by COneordia-
They are the relatives of Linnet's
mentioned Mean? You NAV bank on
that They think more OF nickel than
do OF a dollar and they've more dol
lars than have. They told Liunet
she could do the homework for her
board. And the hOusework of their big
barrack OF place is no joke. She was
plucky. She tried il. But you might
as we'll harness butterfly 70 pillow as
Linnet TO drudgery."
He paused to weigh load of corn for
man who had driven up on the scale
outside Then he scribbled line upon
the battered book that lay upon the
sheli-like ledge just below thu dingY
window pane
II used 90 go 10 COncoTdIs pretty often,
IS yOuTemember. and got into the habit
Of stopping in at Blatchfori's And
well. the long and short Of il is ! made
mp my mind 20 get married. and 20
marry Linnet Joslyan at that"
BOnnell nodded interestedly. Never
before had Henry been so cOnfdentiaiIy
communicative.
''She's awfully pretty" he averred.
'-and / like her quite as we'll as any girl
I lever saw-indeed better. I've built
6ne house, you know. She shall have
avery thing she wants. I'm sure well
be very happy
Rob smiled crimIy. How prossic
Dreier was! How unemotionall The
Kirl who would be content with the az
lection be offered would have all she de-
tesVss. R0assI! fslt convinced.