River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-09-16
WHOSE HEART
AFFLICTI0N ALTERS.
BY Henry c. murphy. !
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H. knew IEdl the moment Ndl uttI
y the sweetest Of life into which
tie sunshine u happiness had seldom
entered.
But she also knew, and the thought
came 20 h-r now with a bitter pa-1-
that the b-essscuess Of soul should have
died a-borrirg ard -hy moment should
have been the most unhappy II al that
life.
She sat III the softly falling twilight
and gazed listIessiy ont over the mar
row Sward Of green that Separated the
house from the street She paid no
heed to the passing JhrouE hurrying
homevard after day Cf toll. Some Of
them gazed in at her, curioUSly perhaps.
at first, hut later more respectfully. for
the warming beauty az her great brown
ewes mutely called for sympathy and
seemed TO droop when :. was not eN-
tended.
Masses Of black. lowering clouds
crowded the zenith. and. though the
sun still held imperial revel and shot
out dazzling messengers Of rudy vel
low. the earth shook from time to time
with the portentous crash Of heavy
thunder
Still she needed nothing. but con
tiuued 90 SIR. thinking thinking heavily
and vearily uf tie time that she longed
for now with passionate hope that
might never he rea led
She had done wrong. her conscience
told her. anal She smiled sadly through
Der Iatticed fingers III the thought that
even iu the midst Of perfect happiness
the consciousness of doing wrong had
occurred % her. but her heart had
said. she remembered. that she was
right. That cgmfortcd her. and the
ewes that had grown misty frightened
with th, thought.
III the battle between conscience and
heart the couqueror seldom wins the
dav without first suffering dreadful
loss. This bit Of philosophy. She queer
u remembered. applied TO her The
heart within her breast had won the
first engagement. and conscience lay
bleeding in sorrow at defeat But the
woman was strong and the odds were
heavy. and ID the final rally conscience
was triumphant.
She had bade him 20, and the lips
that uttered The words were firm. al
though her heart was nigh onto burst
ing. She was strong 2. the last. and
she would not even let MIN touch her
hand She remembered that he had
asked her % take IL for the last time,
but She had turned and walked away
without even looking back.
Her mind Travelled over the long
tweIvemoufb that had separated them.
again. and he had obeyed. u had cost
her dear 10 say the words that ban
ished linn. bu The world had said that
the blow hal been more terrible for
him Week she would not call him.
though others did. and Vet events clear
is showed that he had wrecked himself
some said for love Of her.
Even her husband had said il. and
he had laughed AT the man who could
Crovel az woman's feet. Vow the
eyes took on dangerous light and she
CIenched her gers nervous,v. while
her bosom he FL TREMENDOUSLY and her
breath came in gasps.
The rain had begun to fall. Heavy
drops crashed upon the window ledge
and fell upon her hair and face. The
artillery of the heavens played now
with uncsasiug vigor AMI ominous
flashes lit up the troubled sky.
Recalled % herself by the wind and
rain. she arose and. closing the win
dow and drawing the curtains. turned
up the light. She then resumed her
chair. and without interruption the
chain of Thought was taken up where
she had left OFT. As iu sleep our last act
ar idea is apt Ia recur IN dreamIand. 50
her mind went back 10 her husbands
bitter words.
That morning he had told her the
gods had punished him for marrying be
low his station ny putting gossipon the
Tongues If those who saw her as she
WAS And she. who had only been
thourhtless and Gone that which her
heart prompted, hau replied in anger.
lie had left her with a curse on his lips.
while she sat still and silent. thinking
that life was wrong aud happiness all a
mccksry.
Il would that he were dead" she
thought. but. startled that her mind had
dared % form il, she Crouched deep in
Ecr chair and held her hands tight
sIaspcd before her ewes Then. gaining
courage. and remembering his curse.
she repeated the thought. and wept that
d. had ever lived.
Slowly and uncertainty she arose and
walked to her desk ON the other side of
the room. Almost mechanically she
took up her pen. and without knowing
Tie words il fashioned She wrote:
Your curse and your memory are
alike 90 me The evil / have done you
does not compare with what you have
VISITED on me 80 TO join one whose
!ife may be as you sly. but whose heart
Is still true ana pure
The brown eyes were fearless and
dun and the hand was firm that folded
the note placed il 81 ar envelope and
addressed ii. The determination TO go
and he done with er.-thing that had
been her life was on he. and her heart
beat midly At the thought Of freedom.
she went from room 90 room. gather
iua q few necessary articles OF wearing
apparel For moment she stood be-
fore the hall rack. pinuing on her hat,
Frd debating which gloves she should
select. With womarly instinct she ar
ranged her desk neatly. and placing the
note she had written I'm a conspicuous
place she walked firmly toward the
door.
Without one look backward. without
one thought Of the home she was leay
inc. az the friends she was never 10
know again. she passed through the
pcrtaI and out into the night
For a moment after reaching the
veranda she paused. She did not care
for the rain. and yet she realized that
she should not venture out in such a
storm. SIZE would not return for the
other covering and walked quickly
down the few steps and reached the
gravel walk.
Then she stopped. The click Of the