River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-05-02
Making Nanette Happy.
BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.
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THE first/time he saw her he was ten
i years old and she two. Her par
ents bad taken possession Of the house
nett door to his own home only the
previous week. 1t was warm May
afternoon and he was coming home
from school with his books strapped
over his shoulder when the shrill
scream Of child fell on his ear, o
scream full Of angry pain and rebel
hous grief. He turned in the direc-
ton of the sound, and saw a vision of
childish loveliness-a tangle of golden
hair, two great eyes swimming in
tears like pansies pluckcd from their
stems and tossed into a bowl of water
pursed up spot of crimson where the
mouth should be, and two doubled
fists, the size of pink rosebuds, beat
ing the air, while the small feet
stamped in violent rage With the
screams Of the child had mingled the
wall of a cat and the voice of a
woman in cap and apron, who ap-
peared to be the child's nurse.
mo, no, Nanette must not pull the
poor kitty's tail, il is very naughty"
said the woman, 1T hurts the pussy
and makes her sick" Just then the
cat in question sprang on the garden
fence ready to make its escape into
the street, and this augmented the
grief of the small maiden to the ut
most limit, She threw her pretty
body on the ground and beat the
earth with her tiny heels, shrieking
at the top of her voice: 81 wants thy
tat wants tity-tat." The sight of
the beautiful babes grief was too
much for Master Albert Orton's ten
der heart He sprang forward and
seized the unsuspecting cat in his
arms, leaped the garden fence like a
young deer, and kneeling by Nanette
he said soothingly: Here, baby, here
is the kitten for you. Don't cry. don't
cry any more Albert will hold the
kitty while you play with it,"
After that Albert and Nanette were
the greatest friends imaginable. He
FASTENED home from school to play
with her, and there was no sacrifice
on his part too great to make for the
qualification of the small damsers
least within. She might pound a rock
with his slate, toss his marbles into
the well to hear them "chuck" against
the water, mix mud pies in his Sun
day hat, break his hoop and lose his
bat, and there was never word of
complaint from his lips. To make
Nanette happy was his chief desire.
She was a most destructive child,
and seemed never content until she
had ruined every toy she touched,
whether her own or another's. As a
consequence she was most unpopular
with the children of her own age;
they rebeled at having their play
things destroyed, and as years passed
by and Nanette grew more imperious
and destructive, she chung more and
more to Albert as a companion and
playmate, because he alone allowed
her to have and do whatever she de-
sired
Nanette was eight and Albert 16
when he was sent away to college
She wept so violently at the separa-
ton that Albert would have reln-
quished the project of acquiring an
education had he been his own master.
Nine years elapsed before they met
again. Nanette's father died and her
mother took her abroad to be edu-
Gated in a convent, and then there was
year of travel about the continent.
During this time Nanette was thrown
with party Of American people. and
became engaged to Sylvester Gamer
on, a young man Of fine family and
fortune. Perhaps the evident desire
on Mrs. Sylvester's part that her son
should devote himself to a certain
Miss Doris in the party was one great
cause in Fastening Nanette's betroth-
al. Miss Doris was a very sweet girl,
sensible and earnest, and, although
dependent upon rich relatives, Mrs.
SylNester's mother eyes read the WON
an heart in her breast and knew that
she possessed all the requisites for
good wife.
But Nanette's witching face and up
pealing eyes carried the day. and
Mrs. Sylvester gave her blessing with
a 9tAAANN NlEAs
Meanwhile Nanette's mother stiru-
lated that the marriage should not
take place until a year had passtd
They returned to their American
home to prepare for the occasion, aud
found Albert orion back from coll
lege settled in the practice Of law
and winning laurels as an orator.
Before the right occasion seemed
20 present itself in which to inform
the young man of Nanette's approach
ing nuptials rumor reached their
ears Of Mr. 0rton's engagement to a
young woman who he had met while
in college, n daughter of one OF the
professors.
This bit Of news seemed to produce
m extraordinary effect upon Nanetta.
She neither ate nor slept, and She
passed hours in violent weeping. IL
waa only in the presence of Albert,
who called daily. that she showed the
least interest or pleasure in life
Finally She broke into tears one day
when he was calling, ana Il climax
was reached She vowed that She lind