Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-03

| ingly emergent from the earth itself
though a huge mass of rocks not far of
may account for his abrupt appearance
He is painfully dirty from crown to sole
and he carries bundle in red handker
chief, painfully dirty likewise. Why dc
| tramps always show such an UNMARRIED
| preference for bundles in red handker
chiefs over every other color?
The man grumbles something, address
ing Dalgrish, and extending Dalgrish
ward about as entirely repulsive looking
| hand as one might well fancy.
RankeSt lmpOStOr never found more
panion has been all his life. If he lacked
when rich, that finer charitable sense
which leases some rich men into the
, building of hospitals and asylums, he has
still always possessed such careless gen.
crosby of temperament as will make him
| fling coppers more or less broadcast with.
| out regard to the deserts of the recipient
His hand is in his pocket now, when Miss
MartePs whisper has the effect of keeping
it there.
81 wouldn't, if l were you. He looks
like perfect wretch
spade spade, as everybody knows: and
again there are times when such candor is
far from discreet Whether the man
hears Miss Martel's precise words OF
does not hear them, cannot be stated
Anyhow the disguised look that her face
wears quickly finds answer in his own
irate scowl.
"An' 50 yell keep an honest man from
gettin' a few pennies, will ye, my fine
miss2' he growls hoarsely. 'More's the
shame on yer name spirit"
Dalgrish has drawn his brOws together
savagely, long before the last insolent
word is spoken.
Look here, my man." he breaks out,
with sharp force of tone, III thank YOU
to be off and have no more to sayn
The man half turns, his unWashed, IN
slightly face one glover of sullenness
Then he pauses and faces Dalgrish again
he has remembered, perhaps, that they
are on no public road, but out of view and
hearing of anything more professional
than those few COWS in the near meadow
And it would seem as if the recollection
has emboldened him accordingly; for, a
moment later he had given vent to such a
burst Of Oathful personality as makes Miss
Martel raise both hands to her ears with a
short, shocked cry.
Her companions grasp tightens about
the slim little walking-stick he is carry
ing. "IOu internal scoundrel!' he shouts
turiously, "if you're not off this instant
I'll give you the sort of thrashing that you'll
not forget for weeks
The object of this indignation replies
with a husky, guffawing laugh, drops his
red bundle, and settles a hand on each
hip.
Thrash NE, will yer, young GENT
S'pose yer try
Dalgrish feels his blood on fire now.
He does try, but with i'll success at first.
In making a bellIcOse dive at the mans
coat-collar he receives a staggering blow
beneath one of his eyes. The blow is
magnificently returned in seconds time
for Dalgrish, like many another American
youth, was a proficient in most athletic
exercises long before his college days be-
gan. After this the two opponents came
to very close quarters; they grapple, and
for little while it looks an even chance
which will first throw the other. Bulk at
length triumphs over agility and practised
sinew; they fall, Dalgrish beneath. But
just as the ruffian's vast and filthy hand''
has reached his assailant's throat, an i'm
mensity of reserved force on the part of
Dalgrish sends him rolling over on his
back, pinions him powerfully between
wrist and forearm, and so turns the tables
with mingled entirety and permanence.
You needn't struggle, you devil ~
presently roars Dalgrish It's of no use.
I've good mind to choke the life out of
you before | get up. However, I'll give
you one other chance Of being off |
don't think you'll show much more fight,
now that you've found out who is the bet
ter of US tWO.'
With this he springs nimbly to his feet,
his eye fixed, keenly watchful, on the fallen
man. 1t was correct prophecy. There
is no more fight shOWn-nOthing further,
indeed, than the slow erection of that
gaunt body, the picking up Of red
bundle, and the skulking descent down
an adjacent hill-slope.
When fifty good yards lie between him.
self and his late antagonist, DalgrIsh turns
to look for Miss Martel. He seee mass
of whitish drapery glimmering close by
at the foot of little rocky emnence. 1t
will not require severe penetration en- the
readers part to infer that this whitish
drapcry is in some manner connected with
the object Of his search He believes at
first that she has tainted, but on drawing
near he makes the discovery that she has
merely resolved herself into the most
crouching attitude conceivable by wo-
man, and has buried her dropped head in
both hands.
Dalgrish makes rapid work of placing
himself III position very similar to her
own. Miss Martel,n he murmurs, eXcit-
eddy, 'Lilian--' Then he stops short,
and colors a little at his own boldness,
while she shows him an ashen-pale and
tear-stained face.
The next moment she has caught both
his hands in both hers.
"Oh, you dear, splendid, brave man
Don't think that I've been doing this all
the time; only got down here and began
making fool of myself when / was sure
it was over and you were not much hurt
Are you much hurt?n she rattles on with
the incest kind of feminine logic, sob
now and then breaking her pell-mell SEN
fences. ut was all my fault. If | hadn't
said what did say, that wretch would
never have behaved so horribly"
Don't let us talk about the wretch"
Dalgrish answers. His palms are tingling
where her warm hands press against
them. The tears she has shed because
of his danger made her. in her sympathetic
womans weakness, divinely beautiful to