River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-08-01
DILEMMA OF DOROTHY.
A Brothers Love, or the Love of
a Woman.

A Brothers Love, or the Love of
Woman.
II was the saddest summer that
ever spent abroad do not think l
shall ever forget the pathos-the trag-
edy of it.
After two weeks trampiug tour
through the southwest of England
do not believe that such of you fellows
as have never taken such tramp. in
the summer. will ever know what
heaven means-I found myself again
in London. somewhat freckled and
tanned. and my senses full of the per-
fume of mignonette and wild rose
hedges ] did not intend Ia stay long
only long enough to glance at ac-
cumulations of mail, and send a few
sablegrams. and then to be off again
20 the streams and the meadows and
the quaint old roadside inns, with their
apple-checked barmaids and excellent
prOsender. hut where TO go? That
was the question.
Ali here was a letter on the very
top of the little heap that my landlady
had piled ON my mantelpiece. and
that decided me at once. IL was from
Archie Trevor. a. bright and handsome
a boy as ever tOed football leather. and
who had distinguished himself scholas-
tically "a we'll "a athletically at Har
yard. 81 won't take any refusal he
wrote; you simply have To come, old
chap. This Is the lOvelIest spot in the
world, and, besides. I'm engaged, and
! want you tn see the loveliest crea-
ture that ever drew breath. I'll ex-
pect you any time within ten days. If
you don't show up in that tine, I'll
come after you.
As the friend of Archie's father.
though many years his junior, / had
been thrown much into contact with
the boy, and since the old gentleman's
death we had been warm friends.
Archie in love, ell? Well. felt sure IL
would he a serious matter with him
He was earnest and intense by nature.
and had never played the butter
fly with the women of his acguain-
lance.
Archie's letter was, | perceived, a
week old, but in Just three days
found myself in the quaint little Welsh
seaport town with the wholly unPro-
nounceable name from which he had
written ] climbed the hill and in
quired my way 10 Rose cottage, and
when came To- il and to Mr. Archie il
was all could DO to prevent myself
from believing with delight at the in
finite beauty Of the scene.
The long. white walls of the cottage
were massed with roses from top to
bottom. Roses clustered over the
matched roof; roses nodded their
heads from the mullioned windows and
brushed yourcoat sleeve as YOU walked
along the narrow path. At the back
of the cottage was comfortable lawn
and more roSes-ever countless
roses And. stretching away in the
distance. like a great sheet of bur
nished sapphire. shimmering in the
sunshine, was the sea.
Archie leapei from hammock and
grabbed me by the hands. How glad
am To see you. dear old jack he ex-
claimed. his delicate cheeks flushing
with pleasure. ! returned his greeting
I'm kind. and then for the first time be-
came conscious of the girl standing
shyly by US
She had risen from = low chair on
the farther side of the hamnOck and
had book ia her hand. from which
she had evidently been reading to my
cons:itutionaIly lazy young friend. l
went through the form of presenta-
ton to her in a sort of trance. Tier
beauty simply stunned me She was
very tall. quite two inches taller than
Archie. With one of those almost fault
less figures that IN girlhood at least.
one finds in England and nowhere else.
She had light-brOwn hair. o. which
the sun scattered little gold fiecks, and
her ewes were of the deepest. tendereSt
blue. and big and earnest and wistful.
Lastly, She was dressed all in white
the only hue for sweet girls dress in
summer and il i scarcely necessary
t. say that surrendered to Master
Arches fiancee IT discretion. mentally
voting him the luckiest young dog un-
der heaven. no matter who she mig II
be.
That night, as we sat smoking our
farewell pipes, and with that glorious
odor of roses stealing in through tine
open windows. Archie told me his
story. IL was romantic enough. He
had been riding past three weeks ago
on his bicycle. and had had a bad fall
at the very moment he had been slack
ening speed in order TO admire the
beauty II the garden OF roses Dor
Othy, for that was her name. had seen
his ungrsceful performance and his in
effectual effort To rise. At her com
mandS an ancient gardener had
wheeled him into the house. in ridicu-
lous fashion enough. and the village
doctor had attended TO his dislOcated
knee. DOrothy's aunt, Mrs Brett.
sweet old lady with silver hair and
rold-rimmed spectacles. had. in the
course Of the next three weeks. fallen
almost as deeply in love with the
handsome Young sufferer a. had her
niece Yes. indeed. congratulated
Archie over aud over agsin- The Lord
knew he had no need OF money with
his wife. and for goodness-well, one