Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-30

with me, and stood complete from top
10 toe in my new clothes. The work had
peen thoroughly well done. had variety
Wltheut guadiness; bright clear tints, and
dark rich shades, lit up with the CLEAN of
mirrors and gliding, and softened with
sucn a profuson of greenery wherever it
could be placed, that appeared to have
grown rather than to have been made.
Minnie, who approved of me thoroughly
and, indeed, | was mainly the result of
| her taste-had declared should be named
the Nest, for l was not like any other or
binary house.
| 1t was an autumn day when l was fin
| !shed-the even, as | recollect, before
Mlnnie's birthday. She stood in the gar
den OF the old house with Jack, looking
at me as my windows frightened in the
setting sun, till | seemed all in glow,
| inside and out.
THE last stick went in today" said
| Minnie. "The nest is all ready for the
| birds"
Then suppose we go over and take
Dlrd 's-eye view," suggested Jack, with
| laugh, taking his arms from the fence,
| and throwing away the end of his cigar.
lie opened the gate, and they strolled over
| together
Minnie was all in black that evening,
with black necklace round her throat,
! and her thick black hair waving oil over
| her shoulders. She made me think of a
little nun, only those long curls and the
bright eyes didn't suit with my ideas Of Il
nun exactly,
They came in and stopped in the little
Day-WlndoW room, furnished just as she
had suggested. She looked round her,
then out at the flowers and green things in
the balcony, and then all round her again.
"Oh," she said, II hope whoever comes
| here will be somebody can like, for |
| do love this house so, can't give it up
| entirely"
| Now | thought this very pretty speech
| indeed, and | made the most of the last
sun-rays in order to look as bright as |
| could, as a suitable acknowled cement
| jacks face frightened, too. II am so
glad you like it," he said, heartily, and
| taking both her hands in his. "My dear
Minnie" he continued, tomorrow, |
| know, is your birthday, but you won't
mind my anticipating by a few hours,
| suppose, on making my present something
useful as well as ornamental You are
monarch of all you survey" ne went
| on, jestingly-"of this house and all it
| contains; and, my dear little girl, only
| hope you may be as happy in your nest as
l have been III building it for you
"Iou built it-for-me?" said Minnie,
| in so low voice that | should hardly
have thought Jack coNld have heard, and
| without once looking up at him, which
| did not seem to me pretty manners under
| the circumstances.
| For you and King Toad" answered
Jack, laughing
King Toad - repeated Minnie, looking
| up now with a puzzled face.
Il ought TO beg Mr.. Edward Wynd-
| hams pardon for that, | suppose" said
| Jack; "but have you forgotten our con
versation last spring, when you gave me
| to understand that you could not make
| that young gentleman your King Toad for
want of a toad-stool to hold your court
| under? Now here is the toad-stool, and |
| hope"
II don't want it, I won't have itt' in
terrupted Minnie, pulling her hands
| away, and rushing to the window with
| checks as red as the scarlet geraniums
there. Its too, too bad! Ned Wyndb0m,
| indeedn
But, my dear child" demonstrated
Jack, who stood like statue of astOnish-
ment where she had left him, eve all fan
cied you liked him"
I'm sure don't know sohy you should
fancy it." retorted Minnie, with an en-
| phasis very much misplaced on SO small
word. Il detest him, and--and every
| bodyn
"Me, too? Oh, Minnie, Minnie!'' said
Jack, walking toward her. why, what
| is the NATTER Minnie?'
! Jack Heaton built me, know that but
still l must say think there could hardly
| ever have been another man SO stupid in
| such case. | was new; | had had no
| experience in that kind Of thing; but, for
all that, [ knew what was the matter
with Minnie.
| Are you angry with me-" Jack IN
| dered on. "What have | done? Won't
| you look at me- Minnie?' for she sat still
where she had flung herself into the dis
| gracefully easy chair" and kept her face
| obstinately turned away from him. Bat
when he said, won't you look at Inc,
| Minnie?" she raised her eyes to his very
| slowly, almost as if against her will. |
| don't know what he read in her eyes, for
| was watching him, but know | saw
| the oldest sort of change come over his
face, and he put out his nand quickly in
blind sort of way, and struck it against
| the winuow-sill. There was long pause.
| $50 you won't take my house?" he
/ SdItt, SuuutLlS III al iuuiSCi UdDiC tollc-
"Never, on that condition. answered
! Minnie, emphatically.
| "And-On what, them" said he.
| "None that would oblige me to leave
you ALL" said Minnie. "How pretty those
| scarlet leaves look in the corner there!'
she added, lightly rising and taking a step
| forward.
| "Stop a minute,' said Jack. She stood
| still, without replying, just on the edge of
the balcony, waiting for him to speak. |
really thought he never was going to, but
| still she waited without word. Minnie"
he said at last II am a great deal older
| than you"
"Apres?" said she, saucily. / could
| have shaken the little witch for her
| pretenses; for, though Jack couldn't see
her face, l could, and it was all in a
culver
"And-but-I have cared more for you
than any thing else ever since you came
| to us''
"And so have I, Jack" she said all in a
breath, but hanging down her head.
| l was not altogether pleased with this
answer, it was SO very illogical; but it
seemed to satisfy Jack, for he caught both
her hands again and-bnt no, on second
| thoughts won't tell you what he did, for
l am eminently a proper house, and |
should not like you to get a wrong idea OF
me from any foolish behavior of my own
4 u