River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-04-04

looked love. His voice had the tone and his
eyes--well, his eyes were always telling her
more than the words Of any man she had
ever met They had been picnicking one
day over at the celebrated "Duellng Oaks
Ia famous place in the olden time, where
many pair of gallants had spilled their
hot young blood to win fair maids favor,
She had Just been introduced to Kate Her
bert 1.-THE pretty girl who might even now
be coquetting with her Phil-with Mr. Bar
low, when that young miss turned half to-
ward Philip and said to Jack:
And is this gentleman your brother Mr..
Ducharme?"
Not exactly" laughed Jack, and Philip
said:
Not yet" at which Agnes had been
yexed and offended, while now
A great numbering figure waddled up,
clothed in gay calico, with white apron and
kerchlei stiliiy finishing the grotesque uni
form Above the snowy 'kerchlef rose a
big brown head, and in the immense ears
swung long gold earrings like two pendulums
OF some wondrous human clock.
Agnes shuddered and thought how for
tunate that she was never seaslck, for
AAAa was " AAEHtiE tAS bAtN aANAGHas anu
the hOrrd being must never come near her.
just then the hornd creature did come
near, and what was more, she spoke.
Don stan gain at dat water no longer,
missy, or 20 gwine git de haidaehe. Yo'
brudder toll me tub look out TO yo'; my
name Sophie" and picking up the belong
ings Of Agnes led the way below, Agnes
meeldy following.
Before many minutes the black horror
had Invested Agnes of her boots, loosened
her dress, brushed her hair and calmly COM
manded that young lady to close her eyes
and rest, which she did, without realizing
her obedience,
She slept restlessly, and dreamed she was
on the deck Of a vessel saying good-by to
/ friends who loaded her with flowers and
gifts. Philip, too. was there; this time the
love had crept from his eyes to his lips,
and he was saying: Il love you, when she
wakened The world seemed very cold that
moment, and the fact that she had come
away without a parting gift was borne
unto her distressed mind. He might have
said something, OF he could have slipped a
note INTO her hand at parting, or concealed
a few words in a bouquet of flowers She
had often read of such things in books.
Yes, yes, il he had cared he would not let
her go in this way. The unhappy girl could
control herself no longer, and burst INTO
a wild fit OF sobbing and tears.
| When old Sophie entered the stateroom
and saw the limp figure and heard the
moaning cries, she put the luncheon tray
down, and. taking the unhappy girl in her
big, strong arms, Graded her like a baby,
and crooned an improyised song of love,
and birds, and peace, ending each line with
| the musical refrain;
Desc all come to Cawd's own chile"
| Agnes forgot the ugly brown face and her
aversion to it. She let her aching head rest
on the kind old shoulder, and sobbed her.
| self into a state Of comfortable tranquility.
Sophie never hurried her, and after awhile
fed her bits OF toast and sips of tea that
went down choklngly but went down
| The pair grew confidential during the
dressing OF Agnes, Sophie insisting she must
/ 60 on deck to hear de cap'en 'spaciate on
| Massa Fades )etties, wha mex dis we're
rbbcr pass'be all de time. No waitin TO-
tides now, honey!"
/ Despite the resolution to keep her cabin
/ the entire voyage, curiosity conquered, and
! She was soon on deck, quite eager to see the
| long, narrow strips of land that had been
| formed artifoally near the mouth of the
| great river. between which were thus made
! deep water channels, through which YES.
sells might pass at all times without danger
| from the shifty alluvial soil that made the
! rivers bed Thus did the cleverness of that
great engineer. Fades, use the jetty system
| and save ships, money and patience for con.
temporarles and posterty
The Christopher Columbus went bobbinc
1 through the ehoppy seas Of the gulf, and al
each roll brought down some poor unfor.
\ tunate Most Of the passengers were in.
1 and Angues wandered about the deck. her
face gloomy, dark and despairing. She ran
( against poor old Sophie and nearly upset the
/ bowl Of porrdge she carried
Missy, missy Hyah yo' is well an
strong. an yo look unhappy nough tub
/ be Good Friday hisse'f, Bettah stir up vo
/ heart tow'd Gawd, an help His critters =
I Without more ado she took the girls arm
and hurried her TO the cabin, where the
I plamtye walls of a baby mingled with
groaus OF the Scasjck pass engers
In another moment Agnes found the cry
ing baby in her arms, and began hushluc
il with true mother instinct SOPHIE had
disappeared and the baby ,uddled its prett,
dark head close TO the sore young heart
trying to COO its gratitude, while it smiled
into the sweet young face that returned il