River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-12-17
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
BY MILLER PURvIs.


the end Of this guess" and the tone in
which it was uttered, and the peculiar
accent took me back 70 the gentle hills
Of the Western Reserve, which l knew
must be a-blaze with the splendOr OF the
autumn, burning red and yellow, pur-
pie aud brown under the dun skies OF
Indian summer. 1 thought OF all these
things in that instant which comes be-
tween sleep and WaA-ug when one is
suddenly spoken 70. Before 1 opened
my eyes had fancied that 1 was stand
ing on the hills back of Mantua station
looking across that wide valley at one
II the fairest scenes under the sun.
am not certain that was not dream
ing of a day long gone when 1 stood
with those green meadows, fruit-laden
orchards and bare potato fields and said
10 myself: Here lives peace. aud this
Is surely the valley of content
Whether it was "a fading dream that
brought these things into my mind OF
the rice that reused me, II alters not
opened my eyes 10 see standing above
me tall and angular but kindly cOun-
tenanced old man, who has guessed
a. To my dwelling place.
1t was q day v hen the birds sing be
cause all nature is in harmony; such a
day as one catches himself grooming
over the familiar old ballads of boy
hood, and, firing of all the ceaseless
crash and smoky skies of the city,
had mounted my wheel and ridden in
to the country without thinking oi
where l was going or caring when
should come Lack.
by the side of u sluggish stream
after my cyclometer had counted near
~ 30 miles. stopped, aud on the brown
turf that bOTdered 1 had lai-. down u
enjoy perfect idIcness, remote enough
from any habitation u feel secure Of
being alone.
There dreaming such dreams as
make every man or woman a Foet, IN
der skies that seemed TO be within
reach. caressed by a south wind that
whispered strange, sweet stories or
far-otf lands where life drifts on like
Some lotus dream, l suppose fell
asleep.
was not particularly pleased at be-
ing brought back to earth SO suddenly
but l was ina uo mood to DC rlle that
day. aud sa- mp before responding to
ne implied question that had been
asked M.
Il guess you have guessed it" said.
Il see your machine stand n there
ag'in that wilIeT all alone an was won
Lerin' where it come from an come
over this way TO see AZ see the one
tOed p'ints OF your shoes a-stickin' up
an then / knowed to once that you
come from taown .ay. Where dye
keep yer other toes, l'way2"
The implication that my shoes served
as a guide TO Indicate ms " hereabOuts
while the rest of my person was con
cealed, did not annoy me in the least
and Just 20 hear the old man talk in
that old familiar down east" dialect
was worth much To me-
You live near here, / guess?" l sug-
gested. yelling my question in the true
Yankee style tina. l Inherited from an
cestral Ncrmonters.
Yes he responded, as il reluctant
90 admit the facti Il NAV say 1 live
around here, though have been Gale
latin every year that would go back
east 10 stay the rest of my days, an die
when my time comes.
1t was the same old story that had
heard 50 many times. One who Is
born 10 the breezy hills and the wide
reaches of tine valleys is never fully
eontented with the nionotouOus level OF
the prairie.
How long have you lived here? ?"
asked, Stimulating an interest that had
40 lodging place in my breast.
Il come out here ia 81 y hen this hull
country was nuhiu' but water an
grass an sky rs fur as you could see.
been considerable change sence then"
lie sat dow and began To break viii
low twig which he picked out of the
grass.
Chicago WASN'T much Of town
then, l SUPPOSED"
NO. ii didn't amount TO much,
though I hain-t never been much inter
ested in Chicago. II was big enough
fer me when come here. an its too big
now with all them crowds on the street
As if there was a circus in town every
day iu the year go up there once in
awhile, but come hack feclin' as if I
lad a swarm D bces IN my head an
v0win' / Won L - there og'in till have
To-"
i suppose the growth Of the city has
added TO the value Of your land some
what2"
Yes. oh, yes, l amt got a word 10
say as to that. though when a man has
a farm an lives on il. it don't make
much difference what the lands with
As long is prices OF products don't so
up"
Really was too lazy to discuss any
question and for space silence fell be-
tween Us. 7 noted his hard hands,
his kindly suu-tanned face. his bat, evi-
IDENTIFY bough; for dollar back toward
the silurian period sOmew here, but /
did not feel like talking.
"Ics, me an Jud. Bramwell come
here nigh onto - year ago. said my
companion at last, as T. he Fad been re-
viewing his life I'VE had mighty lit
lie money. an we was glad enough to
tackle the rich soil an try TO Law by
something for the comm time when we
should want 20 rest"
You Succeeded, suppose >" II
seemed imPoss Die for me TO get out of
the interrogative manner OF ms forefa.
theirs. and I am not certain but there
was an inherited prclongation Of the
word '.yeaou" that sounds so delicious
10 the ear and looks 50 dreadfully awful
in print ~Dreadfully awful1 is a
phrase l learned from our Office girl. By
the way.
Well. we didn't do 50 drefful bad
in the end. though Jud. got rather the
best OF II. all OF account Of his dauel
ter Betsy ADMITTED my new acqus n
ance. after moment spent in q critical
examinations Of a fragment of the VIII
low twig.
How did she help him 0ut3'' asked
with some real interest. for / have
learned that al the good stories in the
world are not in print. was anxious.
too, 70 learn how -Jud. got rather the
best OF i.
you see yud An AAs snu, bsss