River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-12-10
MRS. DAvENPORTS DILEMMA.

Mt. Davenport hated society, but Mrs.
Davenport adored it; and so, like ami
able married people, they agreed to diff
fer. and each TO go their own way, quite
cordially enjoying, after the battle was
over, narrating to each other what had
happened. When Mrs. Davenport was
very young, Mr.. Davenport had care
fully accompanied her to her carriage,
had sent her maid to take care of her,
and had himself sat up TO receive her
when she returned. But as she grew
Older, this sensitive care relaxed. He
found that she was quite content 20
70 alone, ard he allowed her to do so,
with the family coachman on the box.
She in her turn was determined that
he should not be deprived of his natural
rest, but should allow some satellite to
ST up and watch for her as she came
home.
There had been talk of :; nightkey.
but Mrs Davenport though that was
too masculine, and she a.sO had a sus-
piciOn that she should never learn how
to use =. So Mrs. Davenport, strong in
the confidence Of her husbands love.
serene OF conscience, and enjoying the
who loved her, went off TO Mrs. Apple |
by's bali. on the evening of November
Il, looking lovely.
The ball was large and fine, and Mrs.
Davenport enjoyed it. She is a pop
uIar woman, and both men and women
like her. She would have left at one
o'clock, her usual hour, but that Herr
eon Bergmans, the German philolOgist,
was presented TO her, and talked so well, |
and was so evidently inspired by her
bright eyes, that she stayed on; and
then the hostess had the great singer,
Iarcmburinani, who must be spoken 20
in Italian, and Mrs. Davenport speaks
italian with the true Tuscan purity.
So she left the ball very late. Stick
relI, her cOachmsn, was sleepy and
cross, and after dePositing her at
No. 30, he drove off very quickly.
IJ was a fine night-moOn brilliant,
Mars splendid, Jupiter magnificent. |
Mrs. Davenport gazed upward admir-
ingly, almost rcgretting 10 leave a scene
which paIed the ornamentation of the |
ballroom ceiling.
She was destined TO see a good deal
mere of those same stars than she had |
bargained for on that particular night, |
poor woman.
She rang sharply.
Nobody came.
She rang again, and again, and again. !
Nobody came.
Mrs. Davenport began 70 feel chilly |
about the feet, which were delicately |
clad in white satin slippers aud silk |
stockings.
She wrapped her cloak about her and |
looked up at No. 90, her own familiar
brown stone, f0ur-stOIy. comfortable |
house.
Not a sign of movement, although the |
gas burned in the hall.
She rang, and rang, and rang. No |
response.
And then she realized that she was |
locked out, that everybo Is was asleep. |
and that there she might stay all the /
rest of the night. She remembered, !
alasi too late, that she had trusted TO |
her waiter, a gentleman Of African de- |
scent, W no had been known 30 go to !
sleep on these night watches, to let |
her in. Now he seemed to be sunk in !
the deepest oblivion. But then, il Or |
lando slept, some one else mad general |
Iy walked, and either reused him or let |
her il individually. Mrs. Davenport |
shuddered. \ night on her own front |
steps!
She kept on ringing desperately, anu /
pounded the door with delicate fist. |
Presently policeman came along, and |
20 him she appealed
'HOhl got a key?" said he. Let me /
help YOU unlock the lOoT."
s'But / have not a kew" said the i
miserable woman. Il never had key"
Dad. bad" said the guardian of the
hubble peace. Il never knew them TO 1
wake up. However, | will rap for |
YOU" So he pounded the blinds with |
his club. and made terrible noise.
Two or three heads looked out of the /
opposite windows. One invalid at Al
raised a window and begged piteously /
that her rest might not be thus ruth /
lessly ruined.
Lady locked Quit" sang the police
mar.
We'll, is that any reason why you
should try 10 wake tie dead?' said the
nate clergyman opposite.
The policeman walked on, leaving /
Mrs. Davenport in despair.
Haven't you any friends in this
neighborhOod? he asked, IS he pre-
pared to move on.
Il should think not" said she, feebly.
She drew her fur cloak about her. AMI
sat down on the dOOr-mat- She had not
regarded that useful article in the light
of a divan before; now she was glad OF
even that medium between herself and
the cold doorstep. To weep would not
mend matters; to ring and pound and
rattle the blinds was useless Every
body in 30 was hopelessly asleep. She
had been forgotten. Shs, the core of
the whole thing. the handspring of that
vast establishment! Her husband and
her children and her servants had, each
trusting to somebody else, gone to bed
and forgotten her.
She looked up at the moon. ut Jupiter
and other illustrious denizens of the
sky. and found them cold and unsympa
thetic. She began 20 think of her sins.
AMI feared that she had not been suff-
GENTLY kind to homeless Outcasts. Even
the cats. who were the only people
abroad in her quiet st.e et. came IN for
her sympathy
They have 4 hard time. poor things"
said she; always locked QUIT"
Ii was a cat, however, who gave her an
idea. Evidently a predatory Arab of a
cat. who thought he owned her front
steps. for, after stealthily creeping up
and finding her in possession, he leaped
on To a neighboring balcony.
She looked after him.
"Dr. MOntgomery's al n speaking
tube" she said. Why did l rot re-
member that bcfore2"
Mrs. Davenport drew up her long ye,-
low satin train, laid her fan and hand
kerchief on the doorstep. aud as fast as
high heels and satin slippers would al
low, went down her own steps and up
those Of her neighbOr, who lived AZ 81.
lie is a doctor. accustomed to be
awakened at ali hours" said she.
She rang. heard sleepy voice come
down: what do you WANT"
Help! Help." said she.
What help? whO2 what NUMBER"
said the doctOr.
900 4