The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-11-02

When Margaret descended to the sit
ting room she looked still more winning.
than before, and Ruthven was consid-
erably disconnected by her raising the:
hand he extended to her lips. He was
not at home in the society of young
girls. The mixture of childish simplic-
ity and timidity which she exhibited
made him feel almost as shy as her.
self, and he seized the first reasonable
opportunity to leave the room.
Margaret turned to the bookshelves
and possessed herself of volume Of
Ruthven's plays. She was deep in their
perusal when the door was suddenly
thrown open, and the bright, handsome
face of Hamilton Shore appeared.
The boy and girl did not at first rec
ognize each other. Both had grown out.
of knowledge, and changed still more
than they had grown.
81 beg your pardon" commenced the
young man, thinking he addressed a.,
stranger. Are you waiting to see my
| uncle?"
mo; l have seen him, / thank you.
I am Margaret OReilly," she answered.
"Margaret O'Reillyr' he exclaimed
mot little Peg, surely?"
Eyes; 1 was Peg-but they call me
Margaret now But I don't remember
YOU"
"Why, am Hamilton Shore, who be-
gan to teach you to read. Don't you
remember my natural history book,
| 90 1c,
which you said were so much like men
and women, and Garrett made row be-
| cause / scrubbed the names of some:
| people l knew under them"
Margaret clasped her hands to the de-
| light Of recollection, whilst the crimson.
color rushed to her fair face.
ooh! I do-do, indeed! and you are.
the boy who was so kind to me? You.
| gave me a four-penny bit the first day
we met, and I have never spent it. L
have it in my workbox now"
| 'tHave you really? How jolly of youl
And how you have grown never
should have known you again; you are
nearly as tall as 1 am, and you are So
So"
$50 what?'
/ "You won't be angry with me if I
say it, will your"
"How can tell before you have said
it?"
"Well, then, you are so very pretty.
Has no one told you so before?''
''The girls used to say So" replied
Margaret, blushing all over: "but then,
they were fond of me, you know
''Well you are, and no mistake, aw-
fully pretty; and such lady, too; who
ever would have believed it? And had
you quite forgotten me?"
81 am afraid 1 had, but I don't for
get you now"
"And uncle, too?"
/ ooh, no! How could forget him? [
remembered his face directly saw it.
1t looked as kind and good as ever"
"The would-be dramatists don't say
| he is kind when he sits upon their
plays, nor the men at the Cannibal, I
fancy, when one of his own had been
sat upon. Have you seen his new piece,
The Poisoned Flower?"
mo; how should II"
"Of course What a fool | am. But
you must see it. 1t is first-rate. The
first night it was played the whole
house rose to cheer him. never saw
such sight"
II have never been inside theater."
"How nice! Then you've got it all be-
fore you l envy your first sensations;
mine happened so long ago that have
forgotten all about them"
At this moment Ruthven re-entered
the room.
'eUncler' exclaimed Hamilton, eager
ly, 1--WE must take Margaret to see The
Poisoned Flower she has never been to
a play in her life.'
Gail the BETTER grumbled Ruthven.
"and the longer she keeps away from
them the better"
He had already abandoned his de-.
sign of putting his protege upon the
stage.