River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-09-25

| dance. and when | was through / stood
before the mirror and looked at my
self long time | was very tall and
| slim and-well. suppose | might say
regal in that amethyst Grape with the
soft rose point. but looked to myself
about the eyes as had been doing for
years when put on my Sunday clothes
to go to church with Mr. Carter He
was always in a hurry and / didn't
care about looking at myself in the
mirror anyway. Nobody else ever
looked at me and what was the use?
And tonight that Rene triumph made
me feel no different from one of Miss
| Hettie Primm'S conceptions that had
been wearing for ages with indiffer-
| ence and total lack of style. shrug-
| ged my shoulder almost out of the
dress with what | thought was sad
ness, though it felt a trife like tenn
| per. too, and went on down into the
| garden to see if any of my flowers had
| a cheer up message for me.
But it was a bored garden | stepped
| into just as the last purple flush of day
| was being drunk down by the night.
| The tall white lilies laid their heads
| over on my breast and went TO sleep
| before had said a word to them, and
| the nasturtiumS Snared around my
| feet until they got my slippers stained
with green Only Billy's bachelors
! button stood up stiff and sturdy. slight
| ly flushed with imbibing the night dew,
and tipped me an impertinent wink. |
foI fnbt of
| bent down to gather q bunch of them
to wear, even if they did swear at my
amethyst draperies, when an amused
smile that was done out loud came
| from the path just behind me.
Don't gather them all tonight, Mrs,
| Peaches" said DR.. John teasingly as
| he stopped beside me. Leave a few
| for-for the Others" l walked up in a
| half second and so did all those prying
flowers, I felt sure.
81 was just gathering them for place
| bouquets for-for the girls l said stu
pidly as moved over a little nearer to
him. Why it is that the minute that
man comes near me l get warm and
comfortable and stupid, and as young
as Billy and bubbly and sad and hap
py and cross, is more than l can say,
| but do
/ never possibly know how to an
swer any remark that he may happen
| to make unless it is something that
makes me lose my temper. His next
remark was the usual spark.
Better give them the run Of the
garden-alone. Mrs Molly. No show
| for 'em unless you do" he said laugh.
| ingiy, ''or the buttons either" he added
under his breath so l could just hear it.
| | wish Mrs. Johnson could have heard
| how soft his voice fingered over that
little half sentence. She was so ex-
perienced she could have told me if it
| meant-but, of course, he isn't like 9th
| er men.
There are lots of questions I'm going
| to ask Alfred after Pm married to him
Mr.. Carter didn't know anything
| about anything and neve@ cared to
ask him, but | wonder how you know
when
"Oh, you Mollyv' came hail in
| Toms voice from the gate. just as
was making up my mind to try to
| think up something to wither the doc
tor with. and he and Ruth came up
| the front walk to meet us. | wondered
| why | was having a party in my house
when being alone in my garden with
| just neighbor was so much more fun,
but | had to begin to enjoy myself
right off, for in few minutes all the
rest came.
| don't think | ever saw my house
| look so lovely before. Mrs. Johnson
had put all the flowers out of hers and
Mrs Gains garden all over everything,
and the table was a mass of soft pink
roses that were shedding perfume and
nodding at one another in their most
society manner. There is no glimmer
| in the world like that which comes
from really old polished silver and
| rosewood and mahogany. and ones
| great-great- grandmother hand woven
| linen feels like oriental silk across ones
| knees.
Suddenly | felt very stately and
| granddamey and responsible as | look
ed at them all across the roses and
sparkling glasses. They were lovely
women, all Of them, and could such
men be found anywhere else in the
world? When left them all to go out
| into the big universe to meet the dis
| tinctions that | knew my husband
would have for me, would sit at salt
| with people who loved me like this?
saw Pet Buford say something to
Tom about me that ! know was lovely
from the way he smiled at me, and the
| judges eyes were a full cup for any
woman to have offered her. Then in
flash all the love fragrance seemed to
| go to my head-Tom's mixing of that
| julep had been skillful, too-and tears
rose to my eyes, and there | might
have been crying at my own party if |
hadn't felt a strong warm hand laid on
mine as it rested on my lap, and DIR.
Johns kind voice leased into my ears,
STEADY, Mrs. Peaches, there's the low
4 Il ar xrr.1