Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-12

| him the reward of his kindness But a.
10 came back to reason Mr.. Hickman
visits became less frequent, he trying t.
content himself with little messages O
! flowers and fruit.
1t was the second week of JOS con
valescence, and the pale and pretty inva
| lid, in a pink wrapper, was taking her frs
whole hour of sitting up in the easy chair
when Mr.. Hickman presented himself
with desperate resolve in his heart.
| He really could not wait any longer
| his hungry heart must have something to
feed on or he should go wild. In the
event of refusal he was prepared to dc
almost any of the approved things that
rejected lovers are supposed to do. Seri
Ously, however, this thought mad troubled
him a great deal, for 10 had never given
him Single word of encouragement.
As he entered the little sitting room
10 held out her hand to him with 3
brighter smile upon her face than he re.
membered having seen there for some
months. This seemed like a good an.
gury, and he took the chair which 10 of
fered him, with a very comfortable feel
ing of satisfaction.
A little desultory conversation. and
then the two relapsed into silence and a
very eloquent one, after a while, for 10
looks up to find Mr.. Hickman's eyes fixed
upon her with look she cannot mistake.
and following close upon the look comes
an outstretched hand and the words:
Dear 10, if you knew how much I
love you"
And 10 takes the hand and says:
+" / can guess"
After which neither speaks for some
seconds, Mr.. Hickman looking very
happy the meanwhile, until an unpleasant
thought seems to strike him, and he asks
quickly:
But you love me a little, don't you,
Jo?"
To which 10 replies: "Yes, but Pm not
at all acquainted with you"
You shall have lifetime for that,
darling" and a tender, reverent kiss
marks the beginning of an acquaintance
that shall grow happier with each second
of time
do you believe in second love?" 10
asked suddenly.
Mr.. Hickman gives an amused look
into the face that is raised to his, and
answers, Yankee like:
"Why doyou ask?"
"Because-because you are not the first
one I ever loved"
81 know it."
JOS eyes are raised in puzzled inquiry.
you talked about one John Dolway
in your delirium, and l was terribly
afraid you had let the rascal break your
heart, but you haven't"
"NO; he wasn't worth breaking ones
heart over" and very quietly, without a
word of regret, but with many happy
smile for the tender eyes watching her,
10 tells her story, and she ends it in this
wise: II suppose his fear of Mrs. Grun-
dy wouldn't let him marry a shop girl"
For which I am very thankful. If
you hadn't been a shop girl am afraid
should never have known how much
womanliness there was in the world, and
perhaps if it hadn't been for those later
misfortunes I never would have learned
how much of this womanliness lay
in you, and not learning this
| might not have learned sWeeter
lesson. So you see what adversely has
done for you," adds Mr.. Hickman, with
truly masculine vanity; (Which, trans
lated, means that l am to thank adversely
for the loss of poor lover and the find
ing of better One," and 10 looks up
with an amused smile.
Exactly" answers 10.
But this was only the preface TO JOS
second courtship. The courtship itself
lasted through all the years of life that
remained to her.-I0Ledo Blade.