River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-02-05
CHAPTER lll.-continued.


CHAPTER Ill-continued.
To be outside! All that light and
color and comfort and pleasure would
hum and sparkle on just the same,
though he was no longer within the
circle OF It's effulgence-slaving per
haps, he thought with twisted smile,
at some tawdry occupation that called
for no experience, to pay for a meal
in some second-rate restaurant and a
pallet in some shabbygenteel, hall
bedroom, till his clothes were replaced
by ill-ftting "hand-me-downs" till by
wretched gradations he arrived finally
at the status of the dime seat in the
gallery and five-cent cigars!
There was one way back It lay
through the hackneyed gateway of
marriage. Youth, comeliness and fine
linen, in the world he knew, were a
fair exchange for wealth any day.
Outlet for cutlet'-the satiric phrase
ran through his mind Why not?
Others did so. And as for himself, it
perhaps need be no question of plain
and spinstered millions-there was
Katharine Fargo
In his heart John Valiant was aware,
by those subtle signs which men and
women alike distinguish, that while
Katharine Fargo loved first and fore
most her own wonderful person, he
had been an easy second in her re-
gard.
John Valiant looked down at the
bulldog squatted on the floor, his eyes
shining in the dimness A little hot
ripple had run over him mot on
your life, Chum!" he said mo shame
less barter! There must be other
things besides money and social posi-
ton in this doddering old world, after
all! We're going to begin something
for ourselves, if it's only raising cab
bages! And we're going to stand it
without any baby-aching-th nurse
never held our noses when we took
our castor-oili"
1t was folded down, that old bright
page. Fnis had been written to the
rose-colored chapter. And even as he
told himself, he was conscious Of a
new rugged something that had been
slowly dawning within him, a sense of
courage, even of zest, and furious
hatred of the self-pity that had
wrenched him even for a moment.
He turned from the window, picked
up his letters, and followed by the dog,
went slowly up another flight to his
room
4
He tore open the letters abstracted-
ly: the usual dinner-card or two, a
tailors spring announcement, a
chronic serial from an EXPLANATORY
marble-quarrying company, quarterly
statement Of a club house-committee
The last two missives bore a monde
script look.
One was small with the name of
a legal firm in its corner The other
was largish, corpulent and heavy, of
stout Manila paper, and bore, down
one side, a gaudy procession of post
age stamps proclaiming that it had
been registered.
Whats in that, l wonder?" he said
to himself, and then, with smile at
the unmasculine speculation, opened
the smaller envelope.
Dear Sir" began the letter, in the
most uncompromisingl conventional
OF typewriting:
Dear Sir:
Enclosed please find, with title
deed, memorandum opened in your
name by the late John Valiant some
years before his death 1t was his
desire that the services indicated in
connection with this estate should con
tinue till this date. We hand you
herewith our check for $23620 1.-TWO
hundred and thirty-six dollars and
twenty cents), the balance in your ia
VOL, for which please send receipt,
And oblige,
Yours very truly,
Emerson and Ball"