River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-07-10

But had she imposed on Brother
son? AS the silence continued, sweet
water began to doubt. He understood
quite well the Importance of his
neighbours first movement. Were he
to tear those letters into shreds! He
might be thus tempted. All depended
on the strength of his present mood
and the real nature Of the secret
which lay buried in his heart.
There was sound as Of settling
coal Only at night would one expect
to hear so slight sound as that in
tenement full of noisy children. But
the moment CHANGED to be propitious,
and it not only attracted the attention
of Sweetwater on his side OF the wall.
but it struck the ear OF Brotnerson
also. With an ejaculation as bitter
as 1t was impatient. he reused him.
self and gathered up the letters.
Sweetwater could hear the successive
rustlings as he bundled them up IN
his hand Then came another silence
then the lifting Of stove lid.
Sweetwater had not been wrong In
his secret apprehension. His 1denu-
fication with his unimpress1onaDie
neighbours mood had shown him what
to expect These letters-these inno-
cent and precious outpourings of a
rare and womanly soul-the only con-
ceivable open sesame to the hard
locked nature he found himself p1tted
against, would soon be resolved into
vanishing puff of smoke.
But the lid was thrust back, and the
letters remained in hand. Mortal
strength has it's limits. Even Brother
son could not shut down that lid on
words which might have been meant
for him, harshly as he had repealed
the idea.
The pause which followed told lit
tie; but when Sweetwater heard the
man within move with characteristic
energy to the door, turn the key and
step back again to his place at the
table, he knew that the danger mo-
ment had passed and that those let
tiers were about to be read, not casual
ly, but seriously, as indeed their con-
tents merited.
This caused Sweetwater to feel seri-
Gus himself. Upon what result might
he calculate?
Impossible to tell The balance of
probability hung even. Sweetwater
recognized this, and chung, breathless,
to his loop-hole. Fain would he have
seen, as we'll as heard.
Mr.. Brotherson read the first letter,
standing. AS it soon became public
property, will give it here, just as it
afterwards appeared in the columns of
the greedy journals:
Beloved
when I sit, as l often do, in per-
feet quiet under the stars, and dream
that you are looking at them too, not
for hours as l do, but for one full mo-
ment in which your thoughts are with
me as wholly as mine are with you,
feel that the bond between us, unseen
by me world, and possibly not wholly
recognized by ourselves, is instinct
WITH the s&Xne power which links to-
%etfer the srernities.
1T seems to have always been; to
nave known no beginning, only q bud
ding. an efTlorescence, the visible prod
uct of a hidden but always present
reality. A month age and l was igno-
rant, even, of your name. Now, you
seem the best known to me, the best
understood, of Gods creatures. One
afternoon of perfect companionship-
one flash of strong emotion, with It's
deep, true insight into each others
soul, and the miracle was wrought.
We lad met, and henceforth, parting
would mean separation only, and not
the severing Of a mutual bond. One
hand, and one only, could do that now.
| will not name that hand. For us
there is nought ahead but life.
Thus do l ease my heart in the 81
lence which conditions impose upon
US. Some day | shall hear your voice
again, and then"
The paper dropped from the read
er's hand. 1t was several minutes be-
fore he took up another.
This one, as it happened, antedated
the other, as will appear on reading
it:
MY friend:
Il said that l could not write to you
that we must wait You were will
ing; but there is much to be accom-
plished, and the silence may be long
My father is not an easy man to
please, but he desires my happiness
and will listen to my plea when the
right hour comes. When you have
won your place-when you have
gown yourself to be the man l feel
you to be, then my father Will recog-
nize your worth, and the way Will be
cleared, despite the obstacles which
now intervene.
But meantime! All, you will not
know it, but words will risc-the heart
must find utterance What the lip
cannot utter, nor the looks reveal,
/ these pages shall hold in sacred trust
1 for you till the day when my father
will place my hand in yours, with
heartfelt approval
rs it folly? A woman's weak
| evasion OF the strong silence OF man?
You may say so some day; but some
how, / doubt it doubt 1t.
| The creaking of a chair-the man
within had seated himself. There was
no other sound; a soul in turmoil
wakens no echoes. Sweetwater envied
the walls surrounding the unsympa-
thetic reader. They could see. He
/ could only listen
! A little while; then that slight
rustling again of the unfolding sheet.
The following was read, and then the
] fourth and last.