River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-08-16
. And So They're Engaged
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
The Romance OF n Midsummer
anrhrnn Ia TryN-

the ceiling, filing the great dining
room with soft, still radiance and show
ing the white tables surrounded will
ornate high backed chairs, now elo
qucntly empty. The air from the av
enue stirred the lace that screened the
open windows and made the blooming
marguerites in great high tubs abou
the room move on their fragrant stems
1t was barbarously early for dinner
but ridiculously late for luncheon, but
It had suited the mood of the man ant
the maiden who had met by accident
and had been spending a delightfully."-
unchaperoned day in town. Besides
that there were trains to be taken back
to a fashionable resort, where break
fasts, luncheons and dinners made such
informal meetings as this quite impos
sible. So, as the girl said, it was al
the more fun. They were not even
dressed for dinner and the head waiter
who was punctilious in such matters
glanced somewhat disapproviDgly al
the girls linen shirt waist and her
bamboo hat with a pouf of blue, tilted
down over her brows. The man was a
well-dressed, well-tubbed specimen.
The room was almost deserted except
for those two and the occasional cackle
of waiter was all that broke the ST
lence except their own discreetly-low'
cred voices. A small East Indian man
picturesquely turbaned and robed in
white came toward their table bearing
a chatting dish upon silver tray from
which he served them noiselessly with
rice and chicken while a waiter poured
wine into two pale greenish glasses.
The service had all the dignity and
Importance of a rite.
The girls face took on look of in
tense satisfaction as she tasted the first
morsel. As her sun-kisSed hands moved
over her plate ~ man thought that
she was one of the few women who ate
gracefully. As rue, they were too
ponchalant or too enthusias tic. But
this girls appetite had all the repres-
sion of Duse.
Isn't it funny?" she said.
"Funny?"
why. of course, it's too funny for
anything! To think Of our meeting.
by accident, of all places. at church
Tell newly do you go to church -
ITO kill time, l suppose. Then the
music there is admirably good and the
sermons"
Admirably short!"
Exactly! Why did you go?"
II always go. It's become habit
with me. But it is the very last place
] should have expected TO see YOU. 1t
is a remarkable coincidence that we
should have drifted there. Don't you
think things happen oddly at times?'
What kind of things?"
"Coincidences-for instance ."
please don't call our meeting mere
coincidence. ] call it the result of an
educated mind wave"
Mind wave?"
"Yes-a brain current. You know
in India"
That's where you go hunting lions,
isn't it?''
"No-tigers in India"
But you hunt lions. too-don't you -
Never have. gave one run once,
though"
"oh, how perfectly lovelyi Tell me
about it,
cit wouldn't interest you. You see,
was running first"
''Ha! ha! hal"
Funny, wasn't it? Well, in India,
where they live on this sort of thing
rice and chicken"
"And sauterne?"
"Er-well-no animal food-you I'M
derstand-they get their souls cult
waited TO such an extent that they can
communicate with each other across
long distances
Anybody can?"
"Oh, you must be educated up to it.
An American doesn't take to it as
quickly but the natives believe in it.
IT is part of their religion. They can
perform all sorts of magical tricks.
have no doubt that the man who cooks
thistle little chap in the turban-
talks without Words
II noticed he didn't speak. And do
YOU know-as he moved about so still
and quiet felt-felt-"
"Jarred?"
"No-chilled-just as though were
under a spell He has such mysterious
eyes. Did you notice.
Never notice mems eyes. Waste of
time"
"Ha! ha! ha! wish he would come
n again!"
He probably will"
"Hush!"
"What?"
"oh-here he comes! He has another
dish"
Good"
Don't let us pretend to notice. Yes,
as you were saying, quite agree with
YOU, that the day has been a pleasant
one-but what would people think if
they came in and found US dining to-
gether-at five o'clock. l, in a sailor
hat-you--"
I'm a sailor hat also"
And ChapPy-"
Twenty miles away!"
"But if we hadn't met-sh-h! He's
gone away! Never spoke a syllable.
Mimi! This is another of those
soul foods! Its the same, but Different
l wonder what it is?'
Suppose we ask him.
'No, it might break the spell Look
on the card. 1t must be there some
place"
"Er-er-er- Here it isl The Cur
~ of Enchantmeut.'
"What do you think of that?"
Il think he's wonder"
"But it is getting more mysterious,
don't you think soy
(Which? The dinner?"
'No-our meeting-and the mind
wave, and now this queer eastern fell
low"
"Oh. l always knew we would meet
somewhere outside OF pink tea.
knew you were Just the sort of girl
I'D like 10 talk to-
"And i felt sure that you were diff
ferent from the other men. You know
a girl gets tired of merely brillient
men-and stupid men. You are such
a relief"
"Thanks."
"And it is so interesting to learn
about these occult subjects. Are you
a professor?"
81 beg your pardon?'