River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-04-25


tive tone in his voice.
Alyne Fortescue raised her head
with a naughty gesture.
Il am going out riding alone with
Mr.. Bowden," she cried, willfully,
land viii you please remember, be-
fore you call him names, that you
are speaking of friend Of mine,"
Friend or not" angrily Il will not
allow such a thing. l forbid you TO
GO
Alyne's eyes blazed
"You seem to be anticipating mat
tiers" she said. you and l are not
married yet have not promised to
obey you-yet.'
Eat least" his tone softening, San
engaged girl should respect the wishes
of her fiance."
"Not when they are unreasonable"
Unreasonable? hotly. DO you
think it unreasonable because l re-
fuse to allow you to go out with a
man with such a reputation as he
has?"
ALLOW! Allow she cried, pet
tishly. II will not listen to such a
word from you'll"
A fash of anger again crossed his
face.
Then you persist in going on this
excursion, contrary to my wishes?"
"Most certainly do"
"Then," passionately, you may
choose between us. / will not marry
a girl who has anything TO do with
scouudrel like Osbert Bowden. I'm
less you promise to give up this ride,
] shall break off the engagement"
THAT is a matter" she said, proud
ly, in which you can do as you like
/ certainly mean to ride this after
noon with Mr.. Bowden."
Neirs face grew very pale.
Think of what you are doing" he
SAID, warningly. 81 am not a boy to
be tossed aside like a woman's play
thing. If you send me away now
shall not come back"
Alyne shrugged her shoulders.
"You can do exactly as you please"
she answered, defantly.
She was the darling of her fathers
heart. All her life long she had been
spoiled and allowed to have her own
way. She never imagined for mo-
ment that Neil would not give in at
once.
He looked at her with stern, angry
eyes.
"Then you persist in going out with
Osbert Bowden?" he said
II have told you so many times"
GROSSLY "Of course. / am going. T.
promised Mr.. Bowden, and | am not
one to break my promise. only
wish I had never told YOU"
Then" slowly there is nothing to
do but to say good-by," and he took
up his cap and strobe toward the door.
'You mean to say that our engage
ment has come TO an end?" she said.
Il mean TO say that our engagement
has come to an end"
This is what you have been work
Ing for" she cried, passionatelv
''You never loved me, and you catch
at the smallest excuse to break il off
You want to marry Amy Tilden,
suppose; she has more money than T.
Oh recklessly, 1T is iust as we'll
just as well. 1t is better to find out
our mistake beforehand"
just as well" he said, in a white
rage For you could not have loved
me much to go out riding alone with
another man~and such a mani Good
by"
And he turned the handle of the
door and went out, and, as If in
dream, she listened to his retreating
footsteps until she could hear them
no longer
And then, with a sudden impulse.
she sprang up to call him back. But,
alas. it was too late. She only caught
glimpse of his tall. straight figure
as it disappeared down the drive.
Should she run after him? Should
she stay him? For moment ii
seemed as if she would go, and then
pride rose up to deter her.
Nevertheless she concluded that
she would not so out riding with
Osbrrt Bowden.
She wrote a little note and sent IL
round, and then she wondered what
she should do. There seemed nothing
In the world to do. She wished Neil
would come back.
But the day dragged on. and a week
dragged on, and still he did not come:
terrible fear began to spring up in
Alyne's heart, And then She met the
friend with whom Neil had been stay
Ing the last few months
She was too proud to ask him after
Neil she would not allow the world
to know they had quarreled. But at
last he alluded TO him himself.
No. he said in answer TO a cues
ton 81 hers, Il have done no shooting
since Chester left"
Left" repeated Alync. almost be-
low her breath, while her heart
seemed to stop beating
"Yes-since he went on this mad
expedition of his TO Central Africa.
told him he was a perfect lunatic to
60"
Central Africa?" and her voice
sounded far away. while all the color