River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-07-06


81 true?''
well. he did make some suggestion
of the kind: but J don't know that the
lady would have me. Everyone isn't -
easy To please as you, little one"
"Oh, Dick she groaned- II
couldn't give YOU up, | think, unless
was sure il was for your happiness"
Gould you give me up at all?" he
asked. banteringly: but her reply was
quite serious
Eyes. could. and would If was con-
WINGED il was for your good the little
woman said. with such an expression
of resolution in her face as convinced
Dick that she was quite Quixotic
enough 10 make the sacrifice.
'And how am | to convince you that
would be happier engaged To Miss
Haclxett?~ Dick asked. scratching his
head. with a droll expression of per
plexity.
sDick. dear. your father will never
forgive you IL he finds out not only that
you won't take Miss Hackett, but that
you viii take me"
II haven't broken it to him yet,
Dick answered lightly. I'm an I'M
selfish fellow. and like to keep my little
trouble TO myself as long as can"
As he spoke he lifted This little
trouble" clean off the ground with the
arm which was round her waist, and
set her then gently down. Her little
ness and lightneSs had for him a charm
Complementary 10 that which his great
size and strength had for her.
Hell hear of II and disinherit you.
Dick"
Il don't think 50. NY father is not
ALWAYS like what YOU see of him. Be
fore he fell in unexpectedly for the
property he was the most generous of
men: but his sudden riches. which
made him socially, ruined him moral
". lie became suspicious. cynical and
miserIy, with. however. the strangeSt
occasional reversiOns to his old gener-
rus self Now. If caught him in one
Of these lucid intervals and confessed
cur engagement To him then. believe
he'd rot only approve of it. but give ms
a lump sum down for our emigration
plan.
'But he won't hear of it from you,
Dick. Gilbert will tell him
Gilbert? lie doesn't know of it him
self
Yes, he does: he told Miss Jackson
of It."
'.Phew, He'll certainly put a spoke
in my wheel in that case" Dick ex-
claimed with indispensable concern.
''I'd better be beforehand with him.
Minnie, and make a clean breast of il
at once to my father" he added.
When, however, Dick hurried home
20 make this confession to his father he
found that his brother Gilbert had been
beforehand with him.
$50. sir his father cried. the mo-
ment he entered the study. and before
he could even open his lips 80. sir.
I'm To congratulate you upon your en-
gagemCnt To- Miss Morris, Very good;
very good, ] shall be glad to make
precisely the same settlement in her
case that ] promised tn make if you
had married MISS IIackett."
Here Dick stammered amazedly: Its
really exceedingly good of you, father. p"
Not at all. sir; not at all I prom
ised To settle IN YOU "a fortune equal to
Miss Hackett's, and now ! promise to
settle on you a fortune equal to Miss
Morris. That's fair. sir. ! hope" he
added. with harsh. sardonic laugh.
Hardly. sir" Dick replied. bitterly.
''It is neither generous nor Just To help
only those who need no help
Its Christian. anyway, which Is bet
ter than being generous or just He
that hath To him shall be given. and he
that hath not from him shall Toe taken
that which he seemeth to have En-"
Its hardly the moral of the parable
of the prOdieal. sir. Like him I came
70 ask You for a sum % start us
Not a penny. Not penny. Not a
penny" cried the old man, furiously.
eff you choose To take your own way
YOU make your own way"
VERY well. sir - And Dick turned
abruptly on his heel and quilted the
room.
IL was a terrible blow IN him. since
he was some thousands in debt. and
had been brought up in the idleness
and helplessness Of a man with great
expectations lie hurried off. rather
weakly and selfishly, it must he con
fessed. 10 contide the whole trouble
debts and ALTO Minnie. Great was
his surprise and relief TO find that she
took. now when the blow had fallen,
the cheerful view he had failed tn make
her take when il was merely impending.
1T will be all right. Dick dear. you'll
See" she treasured him, brightly. over
and over again. till she succeeded in
injecting him with this hopefulness.
Indeed. she seemed in almost hyster-
ically high spirits, and laughingly in
sisted upon branding him as her very
own by cutting away 20 the very
roots a lock If his hair. She kissed. too.
the little bald spot she had made the
first kiss she had given him. but not the
last For when he rose at last. and
late. u take his leave. she followed
him outside the door. and there in the
darkness she said. with sudden catch
like a sob in her voice: ''StOOp down,
Dick" And when he stopped she put
both her arms around his neck and gave
him a clinging kiss. which moved him
deeply.
Dear old Minnie, You love me all
the more the more trouble bring you.
Good night. darling
But she made no reply or he heard
none. lie walked away. thinking OF
the ineNhaustible patience of her
love. which answered 70 every demand
upon IL a thousand fold more than wa.
asked for. IL was not till toward
morning after sleepleSS night that /
suddenly occurred to him to interpret
last nights assurance that all would
be well by her earlier assurance that
she could and would give him mp II she
were convinced that IL was for his good
This thought no sooner struck hiu
than he sprang out of bed. dressed him
self hurriedly and made all haste as tbs
gray winter dawn was breaking TO
wards Mir MES house. He had a sick
ening misgiving from what he knew o.
the girl-ct her resolute and self-sacri
ficing spirit-shat she meant Ia aver
his ruin by effacIng herself Ii wa;
what she had done
Upon reaching the house he fcunC
her already gone-no one knew whittier
leaving a farewell letter for hel