Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-08-15

| tune. lnuttu, IL was not until 1, IN my
turn, fell victim to the tender passion,
that discovered what was going on.
| The Greeks had a profound and excel
ent reason for describing the Godd ess of
Love as born of the sea, If you want to
make up match between two people,
| who may even hate each other, send them
off to sea for a voyage, and they will come
back engaged, Even the shore, the sta.
side, is equally perilous There are more
marriages settled on the sands and the
! beach than on any other portions of terra
| tlyBd. By all of which moralzing, | de,
sire only to plead an excuse for the fact
! that | was head over ears in love with
Lucy Wilmo. before we had met hal a
! dozen times on the parade at Gulstoue.
! We were introduced by Il boisterous
! zephyr, which blew her sunshade over
the cliff, and gave me the opportunity of
running after it.
Ii was Lucy who told me of Georges
| flame, When | mentioned my name, she
/ knew me as his cousin aud fellow yachts
man; and, supposing, Of course, that |
was his conlidant, spoke of his engage
ment to Miss Powsby, whose companion
and distant relative she was.
| reproached George for having kept a
secret from me; whereupOn he grew very
angry, and said with sheer that ne sup
| posed | wanted to tell our uncle, and get
him into disgrace. | was nettled, and an
| swered sharply, and we had words, In
the heat of the quarrel | mentioned how
came to hear of his attachn ent, and /
saw, rs | spoke, malicious lleam come
into Georges eye.
"Sohol" said he, "Master Goodchild,
the industrious apprentice-sO H0N have
been falling in love, too? and with pen
niless governcss Hang it all If Uncle
Godfrey is no fool he'll see that my
choice is, at any rate, wiser one than
yours"
"He will have an early opportunity of
deciding" | replied; "for as soon as we
return, | shall tell him of my attach.
mcnt' -
but I'll trouble YOU" interrupted
George, mot to say anything about mine!
Do so at your peril y
Don't threaten said |, 81 am no tale
bearer, and have no desire to speak OF
what does not concern me. Only | would
remind you that your uncle desires to
be told Immediately of any serious at
tachments we may form. For your own
sake
"For y0urS, you mean," said George,
angrily. ~ am judge of my own acts and
interests The old boy is getting shaky
and can't last long, and don't see why
should bother him. | shall not marry till
after his death, when it won't matter what
his views upon matrimony were!'
did not like to hear him speak of
our uncles death so bloodedly; 50
/ dropped the subject, and we parted.
On our return to Gillandale | took an
early opportunity of telling my uncle the
state of my feelings. He did not seem
| surprised, and, although, as had expect
ed, he stated his disapproyal of marriage
especially with a dowerless girl, it was
not SO strongly expressed as had antici-
pated. 1t struck me as odd, at the time
that he seemed to be thoroughly acquaint-
ed with the whole story before | had got
halfway through my narration of it.
He took occasion to banter me on the
subject the very next time George was
present, and George laughed heartily, and
even Joined in deriding the idea of a por-
tionless bride. But he was careful to con-
fine himself to that, and not 10 press his
wit too sharply, probably from fear that
| might be driven beyond my patience,
anu llil IL jllt ldDNto bil MN ny lth thiIlIS
what knew about Penelope Powsby.
Ny uncle, however, did not quit the
subject without unconsciously putting
| George in a far worse state Of discomfort
than me. He said to him "Ah, George,
how | wish Dick had your prudence and
GOODNESS There's no fear of your being
entrapped into matrimony, / know
Heart whole, ell, George?" George nod
/ 1.1 il,
| lent fit of coughing that made him quite
red in the face 1t was my turn to laugh
then when Uncle Geotl'rey, with a chuckle
said; Look there, Dick; the very idea OF
marrying sticks in his throat!'
! After a while the subject seemed TO be
/ forgotten by both my uncle and George.
| As for me, it was, of course, impog,
sible that ] should allow so vitality I'M
portant a matter to slip from my mind.
/ was constantly bordering over plans for
/ the future, and striving to arrive at some
/ decision as to what | should do to earn a
living with the speediest prospect OF
/ marriage.
AT last | determined to ask my uncle ia
/ give me the means of artiCling myself to
( a solicitor, and setting up in the world.
/ But he refused me point-blank. ''Whet
! on earth do you want TO turn pettifoggcr
| for, when in short time yOuH have
/ enough to live on comfortablyg Can't
you wait year or 50 till the old man
dies? haven't got a much longer lease
! of life; you needn't grudge ii me, Dick, y
/ | felt greatly hurt at his words, and pro
/ tested against the accusation.
Uncle Godfrey got cross, and fired up
/ too; AID, before either of us was aware,
we had quarreled 1t was but tiff but
ii wound up with declaration on my
| part not to accept further faYors of aim,
but to go into the world and see what
/ could do for myself But the storm soon
blew over. Next day myuncle gave me
/ a good-tempered lecture, and, telling me
/ ! was too young to think Of marrying yet,
managed at last to persuade me TO prom
Use him that would wait a couple OF
/ years, and that then, if was OF the same
mind, he would do what | wished in re-
( gard to my choice Of profession,
When | told George Of this arrange
ment he called me fool for my pains,
did think any girl would promise tc
wait for a man all that time? or even il
she did promise, would be faithful tc
| him? OF course not Was not | sac.
/ ritcing her to the whims of an old
tyrant?' thought this strange line 70
take, considering his own situation, and
said as much, but | only got snubhed fol
/ doing So "What an ass you must be,
he said, mot to see the difference Mis-:
! Powsby is quite content to wait till the
old boys death, when ] shall get The
estates. That is waiting for certainty
in your case, it's only waiting for remote
chance. If were you, should go and
rpDudiate the arrangement at once. III