Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-07-18
Blue Eyes or BrosDn?

casual passerby she appeared to be
tripping towards definite goal. New
ertheless. she had no thought of direc-
ton in her mind, nothing, in fact, ex-
cept to escape from horde of dress
makers and think over these thoughts
were not at all pleasant was plainly
written in the frown upon her fore
head.
JJp until last evening her cup had
seemingly been trimming over with
happiness. If she was only sure it had
been an accident.
Spoiled by her fiance. Fred Tregart-
hen; petted by her parents; congratu-
lated by friends and secretly envied by
them, it seemed as if all things con-
spired to make life pleasant for her
| just at present.
Still there was drop of bitterness
in the trimming cup. She sighed, as
little acts committed by her fiance,
which had seemed only trifles at the
time, now assumed alarming proper
tons as she viewed life by his side.
Why did his dogs cringe as he drew
near. Why did her own pets run
from him in fear? Why, oh, why, did
his saddle horse lay back his ears
when Fred appeared, yet to others he
rubbed his soft nose caressingly? what
had he done to her white Angora last
evening just before she had appeared
unexpectedly in the room where he
was waiting?
Before the warmth of his loving glance
her distrust had melted like wax, but
now, viewed in the cold light OF day,
his laughing excuse did not dispel her
doubts.
In spite of the pleasant smile when
she was near, certain hardness IN
the cold blue eyes always brought
clutch of fear to her heart. At these
times she recalled with regret two
laughing brown eyes and thought or
what might have BEEN" II only
but of what avail to ponder over these
saddest of words? He of the brown
eyes had voluntarily left her for life
devoted to the slums in an endeavor
to mitigate much evil and bring a lit
tie sunshine into dreary lives.
AS a preachers wife she would I'M
doubtedly be a dismal failure; still
would not a life at his side even In
such en- - ,nments be preferable to one
spent at the side of one whom she even
so slightly distrusted?
"Hardly"-she shrugged her Shout
ders.
"If you need me, recall me-" he had
whispered at parting. AS she thought
of the wedding gifts spread out at
home and the eventful day so near at
hand. it seemed a useless thing to
dwell upon a former suitor's parting
words. Still they, fingered unaccount-
ably in her mind. UncOnsciOusly she
repeated them at every step, while the
face of him who had uttered them
seemed to stand out clearly among the
dream creatures of her brain.
AS the light of day gradually changed
to shadowy twilight, she glanced up
with cry of dismay. What hideous
building In sight; foul tenements on
every hand and the name of the street
nailed to a staggering post struck ter
rOr to her heart. Sickly children
peered at her through mops of shaggy
hair and a bedraggled, bespattered
black cat crept slyly out into the mud
dy gutter on to a mass of rubbish to
Of ho
by. So this was the street wherein
| brown eyes labored. These children
were among those outcasts that he
strived to uplift!
Two men, we'll dressed, stumbled
from the deepest recess of an alley.
One with foolish laugh stepped from
| his path and kicked viciously at the
misera.'e animal which crouched low
as if expecting the blow.
"How dare you'll" cried Rose indig-
| nantly, starting towards the wretched
| feline.
"Ha, my little beauty, how happens
it you are wandering in this neighbor-
| hood? Come here, little one!" and he
| thrust violent hands upon her.
Rose gazed wildly and fearfully
! about, but no help was in sight; the
| children even had vanished as if by
| magic. Her fear turned to horror as
| she recognized the face before her.
| Could this besotted, maudlin figure be
| Fred? Fred whom she was to marry?
| She tried to call his name, but her
voice had forsaken her 1t seemed a
| horrible nightmare, and her impassive-
| ness under his caresses emboldened
| him.
Then, as he stopped to kiss her, her
| apathy left her and she cried aloud.
There was the sound of hurrying foot
steps, a blow from the gathering
| gloom, and in a moment she lay trem-
| bling in her rescuer's arms.
| AS the blood returned to her pallid
cheeks a pocket lamp flashed, reveal
ing a pair of brown eyes gazing visit
| fully into hers. Then red lips pressed
their message upon her own upturned,
| bloodless ones and claimed hers for
their own.
"a poor reception, sweetheart" he
whispered a little later, "but my peo-
pie would never treat you in this man
ner.
"You are coming with me to &C
quaint yourself with them; isfit not
so, Rose"
And Rose answered Yes"
A Versatile Frenchman.
Saint-Saens, the famous French
composer, is many sided man. He
writes the librettos for his own