River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-09-03
be executed for fellow townsmen. Most

ten years ago to study art. | think she
is there yet, as we have not heard of
her leaving. Please call on her, and tell
her that we are we'll"
In May-on May 10, to be exact, Paul
Darcy came. He was from the Office
of the state superintendent of public
education, and his cards bore the
formidable title Third Assistant Super
intendent of Public Education" He
was visiting the schools of the state and
collecting data with a view to reporting
how bad they were. He met all of the
teachers everywhere, and made various
impressions upon them. Most Of the
women liked him; most of the men
wanted to punch his head. He was a
very superior person, and his draw
rubbed the males the wrong way.
Paul Darcy was 80 years old and
looked go He was pale, soft-Voiced,
with exquisite enunciation and exquis-
tie nails. His thin, straw-hued hair was
beautifully parted and brushed, and ne
was fascinating in ladylike way. He
spent three days in Aldborough, two
Of the three in the room dominated by
Miss Ware. He was tremendously in
terested in primary education, and he
talked fluently of Europe. He said that
he had lived for two years on the con-
tinent.
He went back to the capital, leaving
behind him an interested memory.
Jane Ware thought of him with an un-
easy f1utter of the heart. She did not
know what this meant, but the poor
little heart 1uttered when she thought
of him and when his name was spoken
Unexpectedly she had a slight catch of
the breath.
She knew nothing of love. She had
been utterly untouched by it. She was
not an unhandsome woman, but she
had been too busy saving for Europe to
waste time upon men. She had gone
little into society, because society even
in a modest way requires new clothes
and new clothes cost money that should
be devoted to continental travel. Any
one of the chits in the high school
oould have told her what was the matter
with her before half of her symptoms
were described, but she was ignorant.
Early in June Paul Darcy came back
ito pick up some neglected data" He
boarded at private house within a
block of Miss Wares small room. He
saw much of her. Indeed, he saw her
every afternoon as soon as she was re-
leased for the day, and every evening.
He made love in a slow, beautifully
enunciated way, much as he would have
recited carefully prepared address to
a board of trustees, but she found no
fault with it. No one had ever made
love to her. It seemed altogether noble
and delicious. His straw-colored hair
was never disarranged; his linen was
never rumpled; he uttered fine senti-
ments of the school of Martin Farquhar
Upper; he was to her knight and
prince. Love poured it's silvern light
upon him; in it he stood transfgured, a
worshipful thing, hero.
Any listener to their conversations
would have noted, between maps, that
he talked a great deal about himself
but this never Jared upon Jane. What
finer, nobler subject could he have
found? Largely, after they became en-
gagged his talk was about his book, for
he was an author. This book was tC
make him famous; this book was to
make him rich; this book, once it was
printed and it's merits understood of q
few, was to run through countless edi-
tions; there was to be constant, ever
increasing demand for this book; il
was to be translated into all modern
tongues, because the nations were to re-
alize that it was the one thing needed
to their development. The name OF il
was "The Level of Pedagogic Motion. y
1t presented all the science of pedagogy
so succinctly so eloquently, so mastery
that the education of the races was as
sured. There was a conspiracy of the
publishers against it. He knew 1t to be
a conspiracy because it was not to be
supposed that ten publishing firms could
be so fatuous as to fail to see it's merits
The conspiracy was inspired and di-
rected by the textbook trust" there
could be no earthly doubt of that
Therefore he intended to publish it al
MIS- OWN cOSI, d COSI CSl LdIll W OC lC-
turned to him thousandfold within q
year. Then he and his wife (happy
bushes hereD would visit Europe to-
gether, viewing and instructing its
great educational institutions He
nearly approached eloquence at this
iuncture. The sum needed, joined to
his own resources, was $4,000, and he
hoped. by careful economy and industri-
Gus essay-writing, to amass that much
in a years time. Then wealth and posi-
ton would be assured.
Jane Ware leaned forward, a faint
flush tinging her thin cheeks, all of q
woman's beautiful devotion and self
sacrifice in her eyes:
Dear" she said, 81 have that much;
it is yours"
but your visit to Europe!" he re.
monstrated, in faint protest.
81 can wait, until-until we go to-
gether."
That was two years ago. She got g
chilly letter the other day. The writer
was going over the pages of ''The Level
of Pedagogic Motion" 1t needed con-
siderable emendation and simplifying;
be published; he was pressed for time
to attend to his business correspond
ence.
Faded is the dream of the Coliseum's
hoary walls and of the trees that grow
along It's broken arches.