River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-07-14

OF course Jim was not there, and
they told him 70 remain anyway, so he
sat on the top step and she sat two steps
below him, and Swinger talked with
Mr.. and Mrs. Iiadley about the weather
and the var with Spain and the reopen
ing OF the bicycle season, while she
hummed little tunes and occasionally
looked up a him, at which times he felt
his pulses bound.
Swinger, like many another difiident
man, could talk freely and at his ease
with those who were decidedly his
elders or who followed the lines of
every lay business talk, and so he man.
aged famousIy with Mr.. and Mrs. Had
ley lie did not know that ten o'clock
had passed Mr.. Hadley announced
| that he would 90 il and read for awhile.
Mrs. Hadley followed him. Swinger
| arose to depart.
oh, no; not yet" she said, and
Swinger, shifting his hat from one hand
to the other, said nothing, but re.
NAMED
Its such lovely night" she con.
tinued. I'D like to go out walking"
" c-bt IHlRHls Sdiu DNlHSti.
Really, / want to 60. I've been in
the house all day. Come in until get
my hat"
Thank you, I'll"
No; l have particular reason for
wanting you to come in"
Swinger followed her into the house,
and then she turned on him and said,
mischieyously: Il wanted 20 see your
spring suit. It's awfully swell. Oh, the
flowers! Who gave them to you?"
1T was the really" with a
boyish simplicity.
Il have some flowers, too" she said,
and she pointed at the roses in the vase.
Then she came up close 10 him TO chirk
up the flowers in his button-hole, and
She said to him, as she looked straight
in his eye: "Itwas simply lovely of you
to send them"
! Swinger blushed and failed of
/ speech as he had at their first meeting.
/ She was so near him that he caught
some subtle fragrance from her hair
/ and tingled with q sudden and an over
whelmug surprise that he should have
/ been selected from among mortals for
such a marvellous experience as this.
lie had confused impressions of see
/ ing her put on her hat and of the de-
parture from the house, with her hand
on his arm. He shook himself and
grasped his walking-sticll, determined
to think of something, but in all the
range of speech there was nothing to
| fit the moment. They walked silently
under the trees ard he became fright.
! ened at his inability to talk. But she
had something 10 say to him.
Il was-a little provoked at you this
evening" she began.
why? What did l do?" he asked,
with actual alarm.
why, you said you came to see Jim.
/ | thought at first you had come to see
me. DO you know, Mr.. Swinger, this is
the first time you've been out here when
we didn't have 10 send for you? And
to think that you came to see jim.
Swiuger did not detect the coquetry
of her speech. lie thought only of his
bad manners and his natural ability for
doing the unfortunate thing on every
occasion.
We'll, I'd rather-see you than jim"
he said. and then he realized that this
was an impertinent declaration instead
of a graceful excuse. Fortunately she
was not offended.
We'll, that's nice of you to say that,
You ought to like me better than you
do jim. for he used to say the most
dreadful things about you. He said
YOU hated girls and never went out any
where, and wouldn't dance, anG all that.
l know it wasn't so; or at least it isn't
so now, is it,
"Wpll. the fact is that | hadn't-you
know, there was a long time there
didn't 90 around at all until | met you
or anyway until you invited me out
here that time"
"oh. | don't believe it. l just won
dered when | received those flowers
this morning if the others were as
beautiful as mine
What others?"
"Oh, Innocent"
oh, Miss Hadley, for a fact, l haven't
sent flowers TO any girl in years, and
that was" be stopped suddenly, for
his earnestness had carried him beyond
bounds again. But the adorable crea-
ture was as forbearing as she was in
nocent. 1t seemed to him that she put
an added pressure on his arm as she
said:
We'll, whether that's true or not, the
ones You sent me were the most beau
tiful things l ever saw in my life, and
cant tell YOU how much prize them.
And If l were sure that you had never
sent such flowers to any other girl, I'd
think
| She looked up AT him, and Swinger
again lost the power Of speech and all
the stars that were out seemed to whirl
like pinwheels.
They walked homeward again and
talked of many things not at all inn
portaut. Swingcr had made a discov-
cry. DO not be surprised to hear of it.
lie knew that he was in love- Chicago
Record.