Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-11-09


women--of little children growing up
TO a heritage of toll. Toward even
ing people went home, but later the
festivities eliminated for the young
in the pavilion dance at the park.
Here laughter and music, the beat OF
feet, were insistent.
In the big, lantern-lighted pavilion
quietly against the wall. She had
danced little, for the tide of gayety
did not snatch her up and claim her
for it's own-she did not know how
to play. Why was it? She felt set
apart, and her blue eyes were wistfui
as John Clifford passed in swinging
twO-step with Name Paulson. Name
could dance so well, and she was so
stylish, so entertaining, so interesting.
Rose, knowing the girl, whom she
worked with daily at the mill, to be
coarse and unkind, yet wished for
share of Names evident popularity.
She herself, mouse of hOmekeeper
for a widowed father and a younger
sister and brother, had from the be
ginning of her mill work shrunk back
from the rough merry-making OF the
others-She was too refined, too quiet,
and they resented it. The builder girls
felt the silent rebuke of heT reserve,
and though she was very p@e+ty, they
tainted and tormented the young fell
lows of their crowd out of any inclina-
ton to notice her.
John Clifford, this young carpenter,
was rather prince to Rose, who in
stinctively felt him to be her own
sort, but she was both too proud and
too delicate to court his attention, as
Name did, as she was at the moment
doing, as the dance ended and she
hung laughing upon his arm.
The two sat down near Rose in an
open window and the girl he ard him
say something in low tone, but his
companions answering words were
unmistakable.
Rosie? Amt she a little stick?
Kind of pretty, as you say, but awful
raw material! She's been stuck to
the wall most of the evening" She's
too good for our crowd on everyday
occasions, so of course she amt popu-
lar when it comes to the bloWouts-
don't see why she came at AL. She
usually stays home and does house
work for that doldering old father OF
hers. Small thanks she gets! Cook
in and SEWN are all right, but lit
tie more snap and go would do her
more good in society. Say, amt this
the SWEETEST dance? oh, that you,
Tom?" this to a staggering young
fellow who was asking her Eor the
next waltz. We'll. seeing Mr. Gift
ford is tired of me, perhaps will"
With a laugh and word, Johl Gift
ford slipped away.
He walked straight over to Rose
Shaw and asked her for the next
dance. Then he sat down and began
to talk to her. He noted the sweet,
downcast modesty Of the oval face,
the deep blue eyes, the heavy Drown
hair which she had tried yailtlE to
torture into the prevailing lphol-
stered-looking fashion. The small,
hardened hands lay in her lap. She
tried to talk-in fact, she had come
only because she had been stung into
it through hearing the girls at the
mill say, thinking her out of herring,
that she didn't know how to talk to
a man even and never went any
where.
Its pretty tonight, isn't it? But
it's almost prettier out of doors than
in, don't you think?" She raisel her
eyes for a shy glance at the face of
the young man. How could she know
that mis- silence was a hope that the
gentle voice would continue itH un-
wonted speech. Il like outdoors" she
went on. Before we came here, and
mother was living, we had tietle
place almost in the country, and
had some flower beds and chickens,
and lust did the work at home. lik-
ed that better than being indoors"
He began to draw her on to talk.
You're right" he answered. i've
got a little place myself at the edge
c wn, and when I'm not building
at somebody else's house | tinker at
mine. My sisters coming on from
Chicago to keep house for me--if sue
doesn't get married before she starts
she's such favorite. Not that she
likes housekeeping much"
Il do she said. Il keep Cts and
Jimmy in school I'm bound they shall
know more than do. Mother wanted
me to go TO high school-but she
died.
She smiled wistfully, but the smile
touched the mans heart more than
tears would have done. And then he
realized that the dance he had asked
for was almost over. He jumped to
his feet, apologizing But it's your
own fault, for talking to me-any-
body would have forgotten" he
said, and then they swung into the
waltz.
He would not have supposed the
girl could dance like a feather, but
she did--it was like instinct-sI.e
was grace and lightness itself. rs
they swung and swayed past corner
they almost ran into Name, who glanc-
ed at the girl in surprise. Then she
remembered what she had sai,W a5out
Rose and tossed her head. She laugh.
ed up at her partner of the moment.
Say" she said, "if you wapi TO