Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-10
eyes; and really, old fellow, didn't dare

L
To which Jerry shook his head doubt
fully.
The girl was child of fourteen
years of age. She was dressed in a
flannel waist and skirt of dark brown,
which did not aid her beauty, but could
not injure it. Her hair, abundant and
beautiful, fell in long masses on her
shoulders; her complexion, though tan
ned and burned by exposure, was still fair
and delicate; and her great, sad ewes,
whose dark hue contrasted with her fair
hair, gave to her an almost unearthly
beauty. Teddy's first thought was, What
a splendid subject for sketchr' his sec
ond, what an artists eye have!" The
vain little rascal! And so, before he had
known it, he had given himself a claim on
| her.
"And is Murray well?' she said, cor is
he going to stay still longer?'
time, little girl" said Teddy. @But 1
for him bravely."
ooh! l do, SIR" said Murray's little
sister; 'but it is very, very lonely"
There was something very forlorn and
desolate in her tone, as well as in her at,
tltude, as she stood looking up at him, her
eyes full of tears, and the bare mountain
! side, over whose sunlit surface the long
| black shadows of the afternoon were be-
| ginning to creep, serving as background
to the picture
| Let me come in and see YOU" said
| Teddy; and, without waiting for an an
| swer, he jumped off his mule and entered.
That animal Immediately turned, and
walked pleasantly back to his stable, fill
ing Jerry Eckert's mind with consterna-
ton. Could Teddy have been thrown of
by that beast? Of course Teddy would
get into some difficulty; but he hadn't ex-
pected trouble as soon as this. And so
he kept grumbling to himself until he had
saddled two horses, and started with one
of his men to hunt up the missing Teddy.
Judge of his surprise, when he saw
that youth calmly walking toward him,
with Murray's little sister holding his
hand, and chattering away with more
real merriment than Jerry had ever seen
from her.
''Well, you have frightened US nicely"
said Jerry. "Your mule came back with
out you, and we supposed you had been
thrown off"
'Not bit of it," replied Teddy gayly.
81 have been making the acquaintance
of Ellie here; and we are already the
best Of friends, and | am going to take
care of her.
Until Murray comes back" said Muir
rays little sister very TRANQUILITY.
CHAPTER III.
Capt. VIII M. Ferretts returned
to Corneille. His absence had evil
IDENTIFY had bad effect ON him, iudg-
ing from the unpleasant combination of
flush and pallor which seemed to form
his complexion.
His companions rallied him on his ap-
pearance. "Spare me, gentlemen" said
the captain; although in experience a
man Of the world, am at heart a simple
lover of nature. [ always played the
rural lovers IN the theater at Sacramento
from choice, sir, as my position did not
necesoitate it. | return, sir, from the
city, that seething sea of cosmopolitan
strife, San Francisco, with feeling of
relief, and a yearning for something Ar
cadian; and, by Jove, sir! l have found
it. The fair Ophelia, if | may so desig-
nate the unfortunate maniac of COrneile
i refer, of course, to the town of that
name, and not to the celebrated
French dramatist-has found a Ham
let; a Hamlet in all respects but
the. vacillation, which, as l
take it, constituted the chief imperfec-
ton Of that glass of fashion and
that mould OF FORM the immortal
Shakspeare's most many-sided characteri-
zati0n."
"Cap.. Ferretts having paused for
breath" said Jerry, 81 introduce him to
my friend, Mr.. Barclay, whom I suppose
he means to compare to Hamlet"
no c,Jn SC ~
captain. "AIr. Barclay, your most hum
BILE. I understand that you have i'm
pressed the maniac mind"
why, really" said Teddy; but the
captain stopped him.
NAY, sir" he said, with a superb
wave of the hand, "deny it not. To
reillume the darkened organism Of Ma
lures greatest work, the mind, and, | may
add, the female mind, is a pretty high |
toned work for young man. | should |
like to see you operate"
"Operate!" said Teddy. Greatly, sir, |
did not come ner to set up lunatic |
asylum"
AN apt rejoindar," said the captain,
"and pithy. All, sir | wish | had known
you when | was young %
II was said to be an interesting baby"
replied Teddy, dryly.
This conversation with the captain was
the prelude to series of attacks made by
him on Teddy. The unfortunate young
artist could not sketch, could not write,
could go nowhere, and do nothing, with
out being followed by the captain. One
day, however, Teddy forgave him, be-
cause of a suggestion.
"You have remarked, my dear sir"
said the captain, that you would be
pleased to make our daft little friend
here, to borrow a phrase from the
canny Scotchmen, the center of pic.
ture; but that you could not find the
surroundings. Now, sir, l have an
idea" And then, while Teddy listened,
the captain explained his idea, verbosely,
to be sure; but still it was an idea, and
one which delighted Teddy-to paint the
child holding light in one hand, inside
one of the chambers of a mine.
"By Jove" said Teddy, warmly, "the
idea is gorgeous What an effect of light
once"
The child, however, hesitated, and,
though she finally consented, it was with
so much reluctance, that Teddy declared |
it made him feel half guilty to persevere
in his design. Still for several days
Teddy and Murray's little sister were to
be seen far down the shaft, surrounded |
by candles and lanterns-Teddy paint
ing; the child with mournful eyes gleam-
ing with unusual brilliancy out of the