The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-06-29


healthy and happy gave them also
reflected glow, and it was hard to say
who had most pleasure from the game.
those who played or those who watched
Mrs. Westmacott had just finished a
set when she caught glimpse OF cara
Walker sitting alone at the farther end
of the ground. She ran down the court,
cleared the net to the amazement OF the
visitors, and seated herself beside her.
Clara's reserved and refined nature
shrank from the boisterous frankness
and strange manners of the widow, ana
yet her feminine instinct told her that
beneath all her peculiarities there lay
much that was good and noble. She
smiled up at her, therefore, and nodd-
ed a greeting.
"Why aren't you playing, then? Don't
for goodness sake, begin to be languid
and young ladyish. When you give up
active sports you give up youth
81 have played a set, Mrs. Westma-
cott.
That's right, my dear" She sat down
beside her, and tapped her upon the
arm with her tennis racket. II like you,
my dear, and l am going to call you
Clara. You are not as aggressive as /
should wish, Clara, but still / like you
very much. Self-sacrifice is all very
well, you know, but we have had rath-
er too much of it on our side, and
should like to see a little Oh the other.
What do you think of my nephew,
Charles?"
The question was SO sudden and I'M
expected that Clara gave quite jump
in her chair. GIL hardly ever have
thought of your nephew Charles
mo? Oh, you must think him we'll
over, for I want to speak to you about
him.
ITO me? But why?''
cit seemed to me most delicate. You
see, Clara, the matter stands in this
way It is quite possible that l may soon
find myself in a completely new sphere
of life, which will involve fresh duties
and make it impossible for me to keep
up a household which Charles can
share"
Clara stared. Did this mean that she
was about to marry again? What else
could it point to?
Therefore Charles must have
household of his own. That is obvious
Now, I don't approve of bachelor es-
adjustments. Do you?'
Really, Mrs. Westmacott, I have
never thought of the matter
ooh, you little sly puss! Was there
ever a girl who never thought of the
matter? l think that young man of
siX-and-twenty ought to be married.
Clara felt very uncomfOrta BILE. The
awful thought had come upon her that
this ambassadress had come to her as
q with q IF mo Yiac 90
But how could that be? She had not
spoken more than three or four times
with her nephew, and knew nothing
more of him than he had told her on the
evening before. 1t was impossible, then
And yet what could his aunt mean by
this discussion of his private affairs
DO you not think yourself" she per-
sisted that a young man of six-and
twenty is better married?"
Il should think that he is old enough
to decide for himself"
yes, yes. He has done so. But Charles
is just a little shy, just little slow in
expressing himself. I thought that
would pave the way for him. Two wom-
en- can arrange these things so much
better. Men sometimes have a difficulty
in making themselves clear"
II really hardly follow you, Mrs.
Westmacott,' cried Clara in despair.
He has no profession. But he has
nice tastes. He reads Browning every
night. And he is most amazingly strong
When he was younger we used to put
on the gloves together but I cannot
persuade him to now, for he says he
cannot play light enough. 1 should al
low him five hundred, which should be
enough at first"
my dear Mrs Westmacott," cried
Clara, II assure you that I have not
the least idea what it is that you are
talking Of"
DO you think your sister Ida would
have my nephew Charles?"
Her sister Ida? Quite a little thrill
of relief and of pleasure ran through
her at the thought. Ida and Charles
WestmacOtt. She had never thought of
it. And yet they had been a good deal
together They had played tennis They
had shared the tandem tricycle. Again
came the thrill Of joy, and close at it's
heels the cold questionings of con-
science. Why this joy? What was the
real source of it? Was it that deep
down, somewhere pushed back in the
black recesses of the soul, there was
the thought lurking that if Charles
prospered in his wooing then Harold
Denver would still be free? How mean,
how unmaidenly, how unsisterly the
thought! She crushed it down and
thrust it aside, but still it would push
up it's wicked little head. She crimsoned
with shame at her own baseness, as
she turned once more to her companion.
81 really do not know" she said.
"She is not engaged?"
Not that [ know of"
you speak hesitatingly'