Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-02
AUNT CHARLOTTE'S STORY.


f" Now, Ida, my dear girl, take my adj
vice." said Aunt Charlotte to her giddy
young niece, "and don't imperil your
own future happiness nor be guilty of in
Justice by sighting the man to whom you
have given your troth or by foolishly teas
ing him in order to test his affection.
There is q story in my own memory that
| have never told you; and | could not
now bring myself 30 do so only that | see
YOU don't like me to lecture you, and /
wish you to learn wisdom by an easier
method than that of bitter experience.
i" When / was a young girl we lived, as
you know, in Canada, IN one of the small
lake-shOre towns between Toronto and
Kingston. Your grandfather was a man
of note in the town, and | was a good
deal sought after was giddy, too, and
selfish, though l did not then consider
myself so. | had many admirers and
suitors, among whom the one | liked best
was Harry Yane. From my very infancy
Harry had been my gallant, and though |
sometimes pretended to be, and sometimes
really was, jealous of him or otherwise
offended, and he the same with regard to
me, we always made up again and were
better friends than ever. There was not
really any engagement between us, though
11dTTN udi dSheNA Ilt 10 1Ollu OuC, DuG LILY
parents objected to long engagements, and
we were not ready to marry. Matters
stood thus when, early one spring, we had
an addition to our list of beauX in the
form Of a dashing young fellow, an En-
glishman, sent out by wealthy firm of the
mother country for the purpose of estab-
fishing an agency in their line of business.
His Headquarters had been in Montreal,
but he now announced his intention of
making our town his home during the
summer.
He had a good deal of leisure, and
spent no inconsiderable part of it at our
house, or in promenading the streets with
me. | could hardly set my feet on the
sidewalks without enCOuntering him.
His name was Downs, and he claimed to
be of aristOcratic parentage. ae was
handsome and atfable, though rather SUI
percilious, withal very distinguished in
appearance; so no wonder the girls OF
our set wished to attract his attention and
were envious of me. OF course | was
proud Of my conquest, and perhaps carried
myself little haughtily in consequence
For some time Harry pouted, then open.
ly demonstrated, even pleaded; but, as
angrily asserted my independence, he
finally desisted from all apparent notice
of the matter; and whenever we met ne
treated me with indifferent courtesy, and
altogether showed a manly selfcOmmand
which | did not fail to note and admire.
Still must confess that at that time
gave very little thought to Harry or to
any of my old admirers; it seems won
derful to me how completely | was faS
cinated by the prepOSsessing stranger.
ITO be sure, he flattered my vanity not
1itt1a apI my, prontv head turned
by his lavish, adulatory style of compli
ments. He raved about my eyes of heav
emily blue the golden color of my mer
maid locks, my swan-like neck, and an
endless flow of bathos that ought to have
disguised me, but did not; and so
listened and he ranted. About the middle
of August we made up among our set d
picnic party to drive out to Rice Lake
Plains and spend the day in boating on
the lake, gathering huckieberries, wild
flowers, etc, and generally amusing our.
selves.
you must know that there is an irreg.
ular chain of small lakes extending trans.
versely from the Bay of Quinte, near the
eastern end of Lake Ontario, to the east.
ern end of Superior. Rice Lake is the
first of the chain counting from Ontario,
and It lies at q distance of from two tC
four hours drive from several small
towns on the frontier. We had an early
breakfast, and set off at eight o'clock, sc
that we need not be on the road during
the heat of the day. There were several
carriages; the one in which l rode was 6
handsome barouChe hired from a livery
stable for the occasion, and by my side
sat the all-conG uering Mr.. Downs.
For some unexplained reason Harry
Yane did not 60 in any of the carriages
but was mounted on horseback, and he
rode gayly by the side of first one vehicle
then another. When we had gone little
distance out of town the country air
sights and sounds were so eXhilarating
that we in our carriages began to sing
Harry, hearing us, rode up and Joined IL
the song, he being particularly fond O
singing. Shortly we struck of into al
old ditty which he and | had sung to
gether countless times when we stood
each first in the esteem of the other anC
no cav stranger had come between Us
For q stanza or two Harry sang bravely
Int when we came to the refrain sudden
ly his horse bolted and he rode on
Catching at his hat with one hand an(
SEEMING to draw rein with the other
The remainder of the party thought III
horse bad SHE'D and run away with him
but saw thoroughly the whole maneuVel
and a sudden pang shot through m,
selfish heart.
CON reaching the lake at the pom