Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-09

and Joe whitfield little mower stIChs, Wnlle
Douglas read Browning aloud to Us.
have always remembered that as such a
lovely afternoon.
At dusk Aunt Cree and [ were setting
the tea-table, and the boys were in the
sitting-room next to US. L heard one of
them walking across the moor, and then
Joe exclaimed from the depths of the
eSsy-chair:
"What are you laundering about,
Doug? You'll upset those saucers on
the shelf if you don't take care"
"I'm looking for a match, said Doug
las: and in a moment more ne struck a
light for his cigar and strolled out in the
porch.
He was full of Jokes and mischief that
evening I had never seen him in so CAV
mood He teased Joe numerically
about some girl-a daughter of one Of
the professors-till Joe looked con-
| founded.
"What in the world are you driving at,
Doug >" he blurted out at last. Il only
know the girl well enough to take off nv
hat to her. and that's all. You know
| there's nothing in it, SUSIE"
Il don't know anything about it." I
answered. indiferently, with my eyes on
Douglas liked to look at him, he was
so cav and handsome, and had such an
easy way of holding his head. | think
Steerforth must have looked something
like him.
The next day the two went off on a
fishing excursion, and [ took that oppor-
tunity to plant my garden. | wore Aunt
Cree's BIC bonnet, and she told me how
much to cover the seeds. She could tell
better than she could do it herself, she
was getting so dim-sighted. | laughed
when | planted the medley bed, and
thought how funny it would be to see the
flowers coming up all in tumble, and
crOWding each other. L planted the
hearts last, and took just as much pains
with one as with the other | had not
supposed that the seeds Of the mignon-
cite and the heart's-ease looked so much
alike. 1t was lucky | had left the label
on each saucer so as to know them apart
In the afternoon our seniors came
struggling home, Douglas ahead with a
dozen fine fish, Joe coming more slowly
behind with only one. Some people diff
fer lust so in their luck all their lives
through. But Joe had brought me a
lily-of-the-valley root that he had found
in the meadow.
They went back to college that night
by the late train. Aunt Cree and [ sat
up to see them off They both urged us
to promise to come to commencement, and
Aunt Cree said we would if we possibly
could.
Take care of my mignonette bed,
Susie" cried Joe, as he started for the
door.
And please take care Of my precious
hearts-ease," said Douglas, merrily fol-
lowing him. d" shall look to see which
you have tended best when | come in
July. Good-by little Sue"
"Good-by, dear Susie; good-by, mother"
SAID Joe; and the door shut, and they
were off
Then Aunt Cree and [ settled down to
quiet ways again, and quiet ways are the
sweetest ways in the world. At least |
used to think so as | worked long, happy
hours in my garden, pulling up every in
vading weed, and giving the dear little
springing plants a good chance to grow
OF course | gave special care to the two
hearts, and it surprised me to find how
much alike the heart's-ease and mignon-
cite were as their leaves grew; but
Aunt Cree said they would look different
enough when they came to blossom.
1 thought good deal about Joe and
Douglas while [ tended my fowerbeds.
They were days of romance and of
girls foolish, happy dreaming. Some
times | would think most about Douglas
what a smile he had, and what
a step, and how he tossed his
hair back, and how handsome he looked;
and then | hoped the heart's-ease bed
would blossom beautifully to please him.
And then all of a sudden JOe's kind, hon
est eyes would seem to look into mine,
just as they did when he first came and
found me in my forlOrn city home; and
if he wasn't handsome he was good-sO
good that, when | thought of it, would
turn my back on the heart's-ease bed in
a sort of remorse, and begin to weed and
water and tend the mignOnette with all
my might. But perhaps, after all, neither
of them would care anything about their
flowers; perhaps they had forgotten them
already; but somehow did not believe
they had. l lived in romance all those
days-the bOrder-land of love, not love
itself. When that comes it is different
thing.
Joe wrote home regularly He was
working hard for the Latin prize, he told
US, and Douglas was aiming for the prize
Grafton They both expected us to come
to commencement and see them get their
diplomas at least. 1t got to be a settled
thing, finally, that we were to go, and
Aunt Cree bought me a pretty summer
silk to wear, and a new hat She had
friends living near the college with whom
we were to stop.
As he time drew near my garden be-
gan to look so pretty | really hated to
leave 1t even for few days. Everything
was growing finely, and the phlox and
candy-tuft were fairly in blossom. The
medley bed was crowded; some things
were growing up tall, and some were run
ming over the ground. The hearts were
tiourishing and in bud. | reported to
Aunt Cree that the buds were just alike
in both, but she said that couldn't be; and
when | made her look, she said it was
queer mignonette, but she could not see
it well without her glasses.
commemorative soon came, but
we did not 90 till the third day, as Joe
took no special part before that The
morning we were to start | ran out for
farewell look at my garden, and, 10 and
behold! in both the hearts there were
three or four pansieS in bloom, purple
and gold. | was mystified enough. Joe
had surely made some mistake; but L
gathered all that were in bloom, with the
dew still on them, and made brilliant
little bouquet of heart'S-eaSe to carry on
the cars.
1t was not a long rice, and when we
reached H the boys were waiting for
the car platform, and whispered in my
ear:
us with faces of welcome. Joe went for
the b9UU9pp and Do,4u1,c took us 10 a