Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-05-14
Ard there she stopped resoluteiy.

hat glorious, OraclDg, New 1ear's
Day it was There had been just snow
enough in the night To form a white glis-
tening coat over everything, and afford an
excellent excuse for the merry sleighs that
darted hither and thither with streaming
furs and juggling bells. Ali the fashiona.
BILE world was astir-the gentlemen busily
consulting their interminable list of calls,
and the ladies putting the last touches to
their gorgeous toilet.
There were not many upon that day
who received more adulation than Agatha
Milne, as she stood like young empress
in her splendid drawing rooms, every
mirror flashing back her loneliness. Her
dress was very simple--pink silk, edged
around the shoulders with Snowy ermine,
and long sprays of jasmine dropping from
her hair-yet she knew that she had never
been so beautiful as now, as she listened
with languid smiles to the compliments
showered upon her. 1t was nothing new.
The gilded chandeliers had been lighted,
and the jewelled fingers of the tiny ala
baster clock on the mantle pointed to a
late hour, when the peal of the door-bell
announced new incursion of guests, and
MIR. Fitz Aubyn entered, surrounded by q
gay party of young men.
"Goed evening, Miss Milne surely am
not too late to wish you the happiest Of
all imaginable New Years2 Whom dc
you suppose | saw steering in the direc-
ton OF your hospitable mansion just now
Here he comes to speak for himself-the
Chevalier Stanton"
Agatha turned calmly to welcome the
new conner, and the keenest eye could
scarcely discern the deeper shade of color
that glowed on her delicate cheek, as be
quietly car to greet her.
"Fill your glasses, gentlemen" exclaim.
ed Fitz Aubyn, holding high above his
head tiny chalice.of engraven Bohemian
glass, brimming with crimson wine, ''let
Us drink to the health of our fair hostess
Miss Agatha Milne"
The imprOmptu toast was received with
acclamations of satisfaction, and Fitz Au.
byn glanced around to see if all had fol
lowed his in5unctions, ere he touched his
lips to the glass.
"Come, Stanton, no lack of chivalry
here; where's your glass 2"
IS will drink Miss Mines health in
clear water with the greatest pleasure,
said Station, smiling, s. but | never touch
wine."
Never touch wine! and pray why
| 2"
1t is against my principles" said Stan.
ton with quiet tirmess.
Fitz Aubyn curled his lip in contemptu.
Gus silence, that was several degrees hard.
er to bear than spoken obloquy; but then
another young man leaned forward to in
terpose his word.
4" Offer the wine to him yourself, Miss
Milne; surely he cannot be so lost to al
sense OF gallantry as to refuse it from
your fair hand !"
Agatha had grown very pale, but with.
out speaking, she filled one of the goblets
and held 1t towards Stanton.
Z" Will you take it from me p
| Looking at her with calm gravity. be
replied,
Miss Milne, / should be coward in
deed did l allow your persuasions to sway
me from the tixed.principles which are the
guiding star of my life"
He bowed and withdrew. The glass
fell from Agatha's baud and shivered into
thousand sparkling fragments. She bi,
her scarlet lip until the blood started, with
strange sympathetic thrill of exultation
] Had he wavered fo- an instant in his de
termination, she would have despised him
"a very poor investment those horses
OF mine, and all this behavior la good
boy-in story books" muttered Fitz Aubyn
about four weeks subsequently as he strobe
into the brilliantly illuminated salons OF
the Club House. Waiter, a glass OF
brandy and water, quick !"
Whats the matter, Fitz? you look as
black as a thunder. cloud" observed by
stander, who was leaning against mar.
bic pillar and picking his teeth in most
epicurian manner.
The matter9 Do you remember that
magnificent Agatha Milne, the queen of
all the beauties p
"Of course l do! she hasn't lost her
wits or her property, hope?"
"No, but Toe lost the latter item pretty
etfectually. Who do you suppose she is
going to marry?'
Il am sure | cannot guess. Do tell
your news ct once, and don't keep fellow
in suspense"
"Well she is going to become Mrs. Char,
ley Stanton; actually going to marry a
man with fossil aunt, and principles that
won't allow him to drink glass OF wine
Bah the palpable humbug that passes
current in this world"
81 could have prophesied as much before,
my dear boy, if you would have only done
me the honor to listen to me-" observed
the other, coolly unfolding the newspaper
SO as to get at the inside columns, You
gay and dash'ng young fellows are all
very well SO long as girl wants to amuse
herself; but when it comes to long
question, she is apt to prefer a safe man
for husband"
Fitz Aubyn groaned very deeply, but
considered his position too precarious to
be worth arguing.
Meanwhile little Ruth Fleetwood was
as busy as bee working at her cousins
wedding robe OF spotless white satin, ard
asking ten thousand questions, the tnaze
OF which always was:
'But, Agatha, you would never tell me
why you didn't like him, and now you are
just Is bad. Tell me, that's darling, WHY
you changed your mind"
And Agatha only laughed and crimson.
ed and made the same old provoking an.
swer: "Oh-6ecause."
n The Boston Commonwealth pub.
fishes sketch OF Gen. Which, now 8
prisoner at Richmond He is said to b.
the illegitimate sou of Prince Frederick
of Prussia, also relative and for lops
time a prote9e of Schleiermacher. He
was educated at the Prussian military
schools at Breslau, and served in the army
until 1916. He joined the revolutionists
and was imprisoned in Spsndau. He af
| rewards learned the ,srnanfar,s fraaa IL