River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-01-02
Twilight in the Park.
CHAPTER /.

You may wait, Renaud.
The voice was firm, but the lady
herself hesitated as she stepped from
the tOnneau. There was no answer.
Holding the tapping ends Of her vel
away from her face, she turned and
looked fairly at the driver Of the
machine
He seemed a businesslike, capable
man, though certain minor details OF
his chaumeuT's rig we're bit unusual
and now that he had been obliged, by
some discomfort, to remove his Cog
giles, his face appeared pleasant ana
quite Unframed. His passenger noted
these things, remarking: "Oh, it isn't
Renaudi"
NO, MademoiselIe; Renaud hadn't
showed up at the. office when you tel
ephoned, so they put me on In his
place"
"Ah. I see" Accent seemed to i'm
ply, however, that she was not quite
pleased. "The manager sent you. And
your name is-?"
INV name-rather odd name
Hand"
The face half hidden behind the veil
remained impassive. A moments hes
Itation, and then the lady turned
away with a short, You will waitT,
AS mademoiselle wishes. Or shall
perhaps follow slowly along the
driver"
mo. wait here 1 shall return
soon"
The young woman walked away,
erect, well-poised. lifting skirts skill
fully as she paused a moment at the
top OF the stone steps leading down
into the tiny park The driver of the
machine. free from observation, al
lowed a perplexed look to occupy his
countenance What the devil IS to
pay il she doesn't return-soon!
The avenue lifts cameps hump
toward the sky in the space Of fifteen
blocks, and on the top, secure as the
howdah of chieftain stands the
noble porticO of the old college. To
the westward, as every one knows
lie the river and the more pretentious
park; on the east an abrupt descent
offers space for a small grassy play
ground for children, who may be seen,
during the sunny hours of the day,
romping over the slope.
As the gaze of the woman swept
over the charming little pleasance, and
beyond, over the miles of sign-boards,
roofs. chimneys and intersecting
streets, the serious look disappeared
from her face. Summer haze and dis
lance shed a gentle beauty over what
she knew to be a clamoring city
New York Angles were softened
noises subdued, sensational scenes
lost in the dimmed perspective. To
q chance observer, the prospect would
have been deeply suggestive; in the
woman it stirred many memories. She
put back her veil; her face glowed; a
Tong sigh escaped her lips. Slowly
she walked down the steps, along the
sloping path to a turn, where she sank
down on a bench. A rosy, tired child
rather the worse for mud-pies, and
hanging reluctantly at the hand of a
nonchaIant nurse brought bit of
the woman's emotion to the surface
She smiled radiantly at the tagging
infant.
The face revealed by the uplifted
veil was of type to accompany the
youthful but womanly figure and the
spirited tread. Beautiful she would
be counted, without doubt, by many
an observer; those who loved her
would call her beautiful without stint
But more appealing than her beauty
was the fine spirit-a strong, free
spirit, loving honesty and courage
which glowed like fame behind her
beauty Best Of all, perhaps, was a
touch of quaintness, a slightly comic
twist to her lips, an imperceptible
alertness of manner, which revealed
to the initiated that she had a sense
of humor in excellent running order
1t was evident that the little exeur-
sion was of the nature Of a pilgrimage
The idle hour. the bit of holiday. be-
came a memorial. as recollection
brought back to her the days of child
hood spent down yonder. a few SQUARES
away, in this very city. They seemed
bright in retrospect, like the pleasant
paths of quiet garden, but they had
ended abruptly, and had beer followed
by years of activity and colorful expe-
rience in another. country Through it
all what anticipations had been lodged
in her return to Home! Something
there would complete the story-the
story with its secret ecstasies and as
pirations-the story OF the ardent
springs of youth
Withdrawing her gaze from the