River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-05-12
HEARTS ESTRANGED.
The Bitter Romance in Aunt Syl-
Was Life.

seventeen year Deceased was h1euc-si' ]it
loasus larse circle Of friends who viii niss
his kindly presence.
This was what Aunt Sylvias riece.
Ruby Kingsford. read, leaning over the
back of the old lady's chair.
Aunt Sylvia took off her spectaclcs,
wiped them carefully with her trem-
bling fingers, and, as she adjusted them,
said:
Ruby, dear, have you and Roy made
up yet?
Ruby tossed her head scornfully, as
she answered:
mo, aunty; and I'm not going to eat
humble pie first, every time. If Roy
chooses to be hateful. I'm not going to
encourage him in it; there!"
Aunt Sylvia sighed, as she sat silently
studying the paper that lay across her
lap. At last she said, as she drew a
low rocker up to her side:
sit down, dear child. I'm going to
tell, YOU little story.
Long ago when was little girl in
my teens | knew Allan BrooNhayen,
and when | was gay girl of twenty, |
was his promised wife"
"Why. aunty. you never told me, ex
Claimed the dSLOulSneu RIFl.
''No, my dear, it was too painful a
memory for me to speak of; and only
for your good now would l repeat it.
When | was twenty, Allan was twenty
five years old All me, how bright and
brave and bonnv he was! We were
schoolmates together and then he went
east to finish his education, staying sew
eral years. During the time we CORE
sponded in happy schoolmate fashion,
and when he returned, bronco. and
bearded, but with the same merry
CLEAN in his brown eyes, and the same
kind, familiar ways, felt very proud
of my friend.
Almost from the first day of his re-
turn he constituted himself my lover,
as well as my friend. We always had
funny way of making believe quarrel,
when we were schoolmates, habit we
dropped for a time after our engage
ment But at last the spirit OF mischief
possessed me, and l picked up fuss
one day, when he said that Jennie
Royce was pretty little thing. ! re-
torted that she was horrid, and homely
as hedge fence.
'Allan opened his eyes wide for mo-
ment and then replied; AT least she is
a lady. with a very amiable disposition
Upon which / pouted ana said'it was a
pity he hadn't discovered it sooner.
Allan said it wasn't too late yet. to
which / said she was very welcome to
such a horrid-tem pered creature as he
was, and flung off in apparently high
dudgeon, but secretly delighted that /
had created such a stir in his usually
calm temper.
''Well, in two or three days we made
up. and the making up was delightful.
| Allan seemed SO much more fond of me
than before that | soon found an excuse
to quarrel again"
But, didn't you love him, aunty?"
asked Ruby.
Love him! child; yes, better than
my life but / did not realize what
firebrand l was playing with. A fire.
brand that would flame up fercely some
day and burn away my life.
My mother thought it better for me
to wait till | was at least twenty-five
years old, before / married, and longer
if | would. So we had plenty of time
to indulge in our vicious habit of quar-
reling. At last / had cousin come
from the east; a gay, stylish fellow,
about my own age; Harry Wayne by
name. Father used TO laugh and say
we were well-matched team for mis-
chief.
"Harry's cousinly attention soon grew
into warmer feeling. although he
knew / was engaged to Allan and loved
him with all my heart. Although |
wouldn't give Adams little finger for
Harry's body and soul combined. still !
so loved to tease and torment Allan
that ] ilirted outrageously with Harry,
and showed the utmost Indifference to
Allan. The crisis came when on New
Years Harry asked me to go a party,
five miles out in the country and |
promised to go out there with Him,
thinking | would ride home with Allan,
and set the wedding day as he had long
been teasing me to do. So when Allan
came round and asked me to 60 to the
party, very coolly told him l was go
ing with Harry.
"'But surely, Sylvia, you knew ex-
pected YOU to 90 with me- Allan said
. Mercy! can't turn around without
{ your PET lSotOiis ~ tAtts tAAA4 seAAA ~
will be bad enough when l am tied TO
you for life. Do let me go with whom
please nnvv'
"Auan turned white, as he answered:
'Nou don't have to 60 with me, Sylvia,
and you are welcome to Harrys com
pany foI ever, l want no unwilling wife"
Thank you for your generosity. !
said with q gay laugh; but see that you
don't come round tomorrow teasing me
to set the day. darling, mimicking his
voice as well as | could.
ALLAN looked at me moment, then
turned silently away. For one brief
second / was tempted to call him back
and ask his forgiveness; then | thought:
1T won't be long till tonight, and he
viii be only too glad to make up with
me then. So / stihed my better inn
pulse and prepared for the party in gay
spirits. Upon reaching there and not
finding him awaiting me, l watched
eagerly for his coming. and as the
hours wore away. and he did not come,
strange forebodiug filed my heart.
'At last, in the wee sma' hours, my
cousin and / returned home. where
wet my pillow with bitter tears and at
last fell asleep, hoping that Allan
would come over at an early hour on
the morrow and explain his absence.
But the morrow brought no news from
Allan: week more and heard that
ne had leen suddenly called east upon
urgent business.
"Ah: Ruby, ! thought my heart
would break, but l put on a smiling
face and was apparently the gayest OF
of tie gay. Each day said to myself:
He viii surely return tomorrow, and
then viii ask his forgiveness and tell
him hew dearly love him.
1.-The months rolled away till year
had gone by, and another year followed
ere Allan Brookhaven returned 10 his
bovhood's home. Then ] met him acci-
dentally at the home Of a mutual friend,
but as soon as l entered the room lie
arose. excused himself. and, without a
sign of recognition, withdrew.
''Oh, Ruby! God only knows the an
guish OF the moment. ! sank half
fainting into the nearest chair. Then