Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-28
1.-THE MAN NARRATEs


changes IN Wmtebeach On the evening
OF my arrival Aunt Edith and T nse M
tne hal1-hour before dinner in payino =
VISIT to my old friend Tor enemy the or.
chard o Va
On fe-enterlng the house we go into the
parlor. Thus far Aunt Edith has done
seven good elghths of the talking, and T
have monosyllabled for answer with az
much regularity as my chronic absent
mlndedness and my present rather unusu-
al depression will permit
bF-the-oy, l have grown so much more
stupid since the rupture of my engage
ment. begin to conclude that I must
originally have rather liked Letitia. be-
lore discovering that she looked upon me
as Just so much condensed pecuniary adj
vantage, neatly pantalooned and whisker
ed IN the correct fashion. Am I nipped
nged-frost- bitten? Well, | am not
quite sure about my condition.
For hours and hours it has quite es-
capped my memory that there is Miss
| Garthe,. when the door opens and in she
| glldes L recollect unanimously, and rise
| with precipitation. Aunt Edith also rises
coughing little conscious cough. Miss
Garthe advances. | at once take the lib
| erty Of perceiving that she is handsome
enough to make her infirmity Instantly
assume Tin my own eyes, at least) the light
of pronounced providential blessing.
"Miss Garthe-Ericr murmurs Aunt
Edith, with gentle solemnity And then
| while am bowling, my aunt does curious
| things at Miss Garthe with the fingers of
| both hands.
The young lady levels her nice eyes
upon me, dimpling delightfully."-. l at
| once. make myself active in the way of
offering her chair. She accepts it. seats
herself, and smiles again That smile of
hers is like sudden sunburst on very
calm water. 1t is a sort of etherealiZed
THANK you" | take seat at her side,
not being specially conscious of any thing
| at the time, except that | should like ex-
ceedingly to do something which would
make the smile repeat itself.
And then the butler comes in to an
nounce dinner. Aunt Edith rises; we all
rise; and, as we do so, | recollect that
Nature, in the present instance, gives me
full liberty to make my admiration
, wholly audible.
"She is simply exquisite" / inform
Aunt Edith, while we stroll dining-room-
ward in slow trio Mother said pretty
Mothers good taste has forever lost my
| filial respect. 1t is certainly an immense
| benefit to the male portion of society that
she can't talk. She makes one think Of a
Gree without her whatyo call
wand, wasn't it? Oh, no, wine"
While | am speaking, Miss Garthe
walks in front of me, and do not catch
sight of her face again till we assemble at
dinner Then it has a vivid pink flush
t:nting the, delicate oval of each cheek.
''Can she have vaguely guessed" | ask
myself, that l have been dealing in per
sOnal criticisms?n Doubtless, | make
mental response.
Because Of this reflection [ refrain, dur
ing dinner, from any thing except casual
common-places. Aunt Edith talks grace
fully about nothing. As for Miss Garthe,
she is either ignorant, or affects ignorance
that am devoutly trying not to stare
her out of cOuntenance. After dinner,
when Aunt Edith and | reach the piazza,
| unleash my enthusiasm, after a vast ex-
halatiOn of cigarettesmoke. "Miss
Garthe is superb. am afraid she thought
me boorish al dinner for staring so. Pray,
Aunt Edith, does she know when people
talk about herr" =.
Certainly not How should she?"
laughs my aunt, poor girl! you can say
what you please before her.
But Herewith the object of our rem arks
reappears, pausing moment at the hall
threshold, and then gliding toward US.
II am glad you told me-" answer Aunt
Edith; "it is a satisfaction to speak your
mind before such an houri, and know that
you are not thrilling her with vanity
while you do 500
MEANWHILE / watch the houri's face,
just seen, and no more, in the dubious
dusk. Over every feature there is diffused
a sweet, selfabsorbed pensiveness. | can
not describe the feeling that seems, all in
moment, to lay itself like quick, fer
vid hand grasp about my heart | real
ize, with one absolute rush of realization
the terrible alternating charm, the mighty
yet viewless barrier between this wOman's
being and mine The thought staggers
me. | trcmbe and turn away Ny eyes
fill with sudden tears that blur the dim
lawns | look upon.
A moment later l am smiling in su-
preme surprise at my own most undream
ed-of weakness How has it occurred?
What can possibly have caused it?
Presently we are all three seated there
upon the piazza together, in the deepen
ing summer nightfall Aunt Edith makes
several efforts to engage me in something
like a sustained and rational conversation,
but fails, as | am only too conscious. Per
petually | revert to the subject of Miss
Garthe's infirmity, asking odd questions
about it, and passing upon it all sorts Of
| free-spoken criticisms The sensation Of
| knowing myself able to say what ] choose
regarding her while she herself is present,
| fascinates me the more ! indulge it. | am
| like a child possessed of new toy,
whose newness half perplexes, half de-
| lights.
you say that she is fond of using her
tabets?" |. inquire of my aunt, trying q
little to hide with my tones the interest
underlying them, ., ~. t..
| Eyes; and she writes charmingly. But,
of course, after your letter, made her
conceal the tablets
Good Heavens!' | burst forth. " Did
YOU read her that absurd scrawl?'
Aunt Edith laughs serenely.
ooh, no, Eric There were other means
of ministering to your prejudice. | ad-
| vised leaving them upstairs L told her
| that YOU had a nervous dislike OF putting
yourself upon paper"
"In other words, you limited that was
an ignoramus Well it's my own fault,
[ suppose. By-the-by, aunt, you couldn't
induce her to reproduce the tablets?"
Certainly, if you desire. Tomorrow
morning Ivengage that she shall appear
| with them" ss--s
Aunt Edith keeps her word. A little
while after breakfast Miss Garthe and
are seated alone together in the pleasant
hall interchanging ideas.