River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-04-05

- ~ INTO the room
SNNV III where mis- sister
60 \N'I was reading; Il
~ have a bran new
conundrum Tor yOU.'
Well said Nan. lifting her eyes
with a resigned expression. lets
hear IL
why are you not like a mirror?
Why am I not like a mirror re-
peated Nan, wonderingly- rs II be
cause I have no mercury on my backg'
oh pshaw, Give il up
Il suppose I might as we'll II would
take more brilliant Individual than
pretend 10 be to guess your cOnun-
drums
well. then. the mirror reflects"
shouted viii. starting for the door as
If he expected personal violence.
well but. VIII, what do you uean?"
protested Nan
'Oh. fhe Stupidity of these girls; you
make .,lxe FOR their benefit and You
havs to sit calmly down and explain il
10 them. Why. look here; its as plain
rs your face in the aforesaid mirror
tor out 81 it, either Tor that natter.
II You had been like aforesaid mirror
would you have quarreled with such a
dandy young chap rs Harry Fernald,
and would ne have be sitting in
church with such a chUmp Of girl a.
Mat Navuard2 / tell Won il makes a
Young brother feel mighty small to be
obliged To invite himself t. go tandem
riding with a young fellow whose SIS
tiers given him the go-by."
You are ridiculous boy AMI you'd
better return tu Your grammar and not
NEEDLE with tie affairs of your elders, -
returned Nan. frceziugly, as she buried
her face IN her book
As the door closed behind her brother
Mar burst into tears. The moEths Of
enlargement from her lover had been
hard enough to bear, but 10 see him de-
voting himself to another girl was
simply uncomfortable.
Six months before, Harry Fernald
and Nan SOmers had been engaged
lovers and were intensely happy except
for occasional quarrels. which were
caused by Mans provoking fonduess
for making tests of her lovers affec-
tiOn. and his angry resentment of the
same
Harry was So much in love that the girl
felt she was perfectly safe in teasing
him a. much as She pleased. Nan would
never tell how il came about, but one
evening Harry left the house declaring
that until Nan made him some apology,
everything must be over between them.
Since that time not one word had passed
between them. and they recognized
each other when obliged 10 meet, only
by the most frigid bows
Nan sat rejecting" now with a ven
geanee. In all these months she had
been assuring herself that Harry's
feelings toward her had remained I'M
changed. and that sometime and some
how everything would come right.
But the sight Of her lover walking into
church with Miss Maynard. a girl
whom erybody knew had for years
cherished a regard iOr him, was a token
TO Nan that tyr foolish Obstinacy had
iOss s.eT tne man she loved.
Il won't intrude on those foolish
virgin tears. came mOckiug voice
through the keyhole. Pity Mat had
the oil I'm OF 10 school Good ~. 3"
'-oh. VIII. exclaimed his sister; lust
wait a minute. ! promised to send a
note IL Nellie Parks 10 let her know if
Id 70 to rehearsal tonight. wish
you'd leave il on your way To school"
Talk about grammar" grumbled
Will Where's the nOte?'
4 forgot il until this minute" cried
Nan. who was flying upstairs. 1t
wont take a second to scribble it."
In very short time Nan ran down
stairs with a twisted piece of paper
which She held out - her brother say
ing. There. didn't even stop 70 adj
dress II. YOU see. I'm sorry kept you.
but you won't be late. know. Now
don't forget Jo cave il, there's dear"
= didn't say Ia leave il. did I?'' re-
turned viii. provokingly, as he dropped
the note into his pocket with the
greatest Indifference.
VIII rushed out Of the house and
down the street until ne turned a cor
ner. when he stopped. took the note
from his pocket. UNFINISHED il and read
as follows.
NY OwN SWEET Everything Is all right
Come ton Eht % us Don't forgeL Your fond
NAN
'Good Lord grUaned Will What
nofe. Just like a girl I declare. it
makes me sick. My own SWEET
HeavensE
But suddenly the exp-t ss'on of dis
gust on the Toys face changed to one
Of wild delight. and leaping high in the
air and waving the note over his head
he shouted.
I'll ID II. Twill. ! will. The Joke
Of the season by Juve,"
The flavor Il the contemplated Joke
must have been very pleasing, for Will
TEL n laughing tie laughed and
laughed until he was obliged 10 lean
against fence for support After he
had recovered. he tished in his rockets
and brought forth a penny which he
eyed with extreme satisfaction.
Lucky had it, he observed. as he
started of. Then holding his head
decidedly, he said: 'I-ll do it If have
10 play hockey and get a licking"
VIII stepped into drug store on his
way. bought an envelope. into which
he put his sisters note after smoothing
ii out carefully. borrowed pen and ink
from the drug clerk and addressed il.
Up 10 something" inquired the
clerk
Bet your boots chuckLed VIII. ex-
pressively. as he passed out
Will told his sister that night. in an
swer to her inquiry, that he had deliv-
cred the note ali right
The door-bell rang promptly at 7:l5
that evening. and Nan, who was put
ting on her wraps in the sitting-room.
said to her brother: II wish you would
ell"