Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-26
l,.,r q deem breath, found that there was

|
came to my aid 1t was not very diff
cult song | feared only one passage
and as Betterton turned the page | saw
the little ambush of black notes thickly
clustering together, with a big wide opel
one at the top of all, which seemed to b'
living in wait to entrap me. As | came t
them Alice laid her hand on my arm, and
summoning up all my strength, attacked
my enemies The little ones fell easily
before me, and then with fresh breath
engaged the big one, and VIGOROUSLY over
came him. he offering no resistance, for
held him aloft, and he was quite steady
and easy to manage; though full, strong
able boiled note for all that
don't think any grunt was ever sc
difficult of INTERPRETATION as Betterton'
when he struck the last chord. Whether
it meant utter contempt or lively appre
citation, | could form no idea; but there
was smile on Alice's face which led me
to hope that | had not failed; and | was
comforted.
Faust" was open on the piano, an6
the manager carelessly turned the leaves.
you know this, | suppose =" he said
as he came to the duet in the garden scene
"Do you mind trying it with Mr.. Heytes
mere Miss Rawnsley?"
We sang the rec:tative; and | com
menced
Dammi ancor, dammit ancor
Contemplate il tuo yiso,''
the perfectly beautiful air which follows
Then Alice's voice rang out sweet ant
clear:
90 silenzio o mister,
Inefabil mistero;''
and then we Joined, both of Us, loving the
music, singing with heart and soul
Betterton ran his fingers up the key
board when he had finished, and for l
moment | feared that he was dissatisfied
but it was not 50.
THANK you, Mr. Heytesmere Yes,
am happy to offer you the engagement
he said; and he proceeded to arrange
terms, -etc We were to Join him at Ma
verford in three weeks time; leaving Us
week in which to settle the wedding
and a sufficient balance to admit of Qua
spending two quarters of the honeymoon
| inwardly blessed him as he made his
adieuc and soon retired myself; for, under
the circumstances, | thought it probable
that. Alice would like to 90 upstairs and
cry; and | wished to be alone also, and
realize the rapid changes which the last
few hours had brought about.
It would have been a great convenience
to me if my uncle had seen fit to postpone
his indignation until after quarter day
Perhaps it did not occur to him; or per
haps he thought that [ should prove eX-
ceptionally amenablc to reason about the
20Jh of March; for though a ten-p0und
note and change for a sovereign are very
good things in their way, they hardly
constitute sufficient ballast whereWith to
embark on the voyage of matrimony. |
was turning this over in my mind when |
reached my rooms, and found Charlie
Mather reclining in an e2Sy-chair, study
inc the sporting intelligence Of the morn
ing paper,
If Charlie's intellect had been in proper
ton to his goodness OF heart, Shakespeare
and he might have tossed up for the first
place: if his goodness of heart had been
in proportion to his intellect-but it is
needless to pursue this consideration, for
there would have been hardly enough
goodness to mention.
"Rcadin' the paper, old fellow" he said
after the usual greetings. "'Top-knot can
tered in an easy winner by five lengths
The others close up, except Amaryllis
who trotted in with the crowd That
my marc-ran at EPSON Yesterday"
Very sociable ANIMAL" | suggested;
fond Of society"
"P'raps that's it." he answered Its
bad weather for horses, Daycott says
and for men, too, think, when they have
to pay such trainin' bills for nothin'.
Corydon's runnin' tomorrow at Windsor
VIII YOU come DOWN."
I'm afraid | can't, thank you, Charlie
The fact is, am going to be married on
Tuesday, and my wife and | play in the
opera of Mauritania at MaverfOrd on the
18th Of next month" replied,
His establishment was of the very blank
est description when had convinced him
Of my seriousness; and he sank farther
and farther back in his seat as | told him
Of the change in my fortune.
Beastly fellow, that uncle-at least, |
beg your pardon-but''-I prayed him not
to apologize. Isn't there any chance OF
his comm rOund?'
Not round to my view Of the subject;
at least, when he does come to it he doesn't
like it. He's very determined, and won't
change" [ answered.
Coin to be married, and goin' to sing
at the operan' Charlie exclaimed, slowly
" b. Jove! you'll have to know an awful
lot Of tunes; shan't you? It's rather quick
work, though, isn't it? | thought it took
a long time to pull these things off"
In an ordinary way, the slaughter and
of the oven and tatlings are
rather protracted ceremonies, | believe
but we shall do without much beef and
veal. Imprudent pair of sOng-birds, you
think, setting up without "a nest to go to:
The material to help and line one would
come on quarter-day, under ordinary cir
but you must have nest, and he
continued, plunging into metaphor for
perhaps the first time in his life, "furni-
ture in it, too, like other birdsn'
More than most birds, my good Char
lie We must have a piano. and they sing
without an accompaniment" l answered
That's chafr; but seriously, you'll
want money. You'll have to buy
spangles and things, shant you? And
you know, Heytesmere, how very
glad I shall be if can do
anything to help you and the girl; and
you can pay me when you are primo tesaore
don't they call it at Covent Garden
or when you've found out about Peters,
grandfather, and come into all that
money! -s. .st.s. 81
must interpret Charles allusion. My
graHd-uncle, Clement Heytesmere, was a
lawyer, and had made the discovery that
when society reached that interesting stage
at which every one had his rights, we
should have the Heytesmere property
We had not got it, nor had it been ours for
generations; and though l do not know
how many points the law has, possession