Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-11-25

".
so | shan't fall in love. May [ ask, how
ever, who the youth is what's his name
or where's his homer"
No; don't tell her, Sue" cried Katie,
stopping her companions mouth with
dimpled white hand.
Let's hang up wish-bone over the
door for Winny, and then see if the right
one comes in under it first"
but supposing it's the aorong one-Dr.
Gray may come frst-what them" asked
Winny.
Why whoever it is We'll give up our
interest in him. You shall have the first
man who comes in under the wish bone
shan't she, Sue" and the ripples Of laugh
ter reached Aunt Rhoda again, and made
her sigh.
Such dinner. Old Gobble in state az
one end, chiclken-pie that melted in ones
mouth at the other, to say nothing OF
Aunt Rhoda's famous canned corn and
peas and beans; then the mince-pies and
pumpkin-pies and plum-pudding! All,
Aunt Rhoda knew what girls liked, and
helped them bountifully; and there wasn't
a merrier table anywhere round the cOun-
try that day than Aunt Rhoda's. To be
sure, when they first sat down Aunt Rhoda
was a trife pale and looked as though
very little would make her cry instead Of
laugh but the girls kept back the tears
and, with their happy faces before her,
she put her sad thoughts away
''And now, girls, this is Winny's wish
bone, and we'll hang it right over thepar-
lor door and We'll all watch to see who en-
ter8 first, and Katie Crafts, thetallestoftLe
three, mounted chair and hung old Cob
ble's breast-bone over the parlor door.
1t soon grew dark enough for lights,
and they were all sitting round warm,
blazing fire, listening to Aunt Rhoda tell
how Joel came to go to sea, when steps
were heard coming up the walk and a
knock at the door announced the arrival
Of some of the expected guests.
&" Now, HYinny, take a good look at
your future husband, -" whispered Kate;
and, as she spoke, tall, handsome, sun
Drowned man rushed into the room and
took Aunt Rhoda in his arms and kissed
her again and again.
g And to think it's Joel, after all,'' said
Aunt Rhoda, after the excitement Of his
unexpected return had subsidized and she
had finished hugging and crying over her
BOY and had introduced him, twice over,
to all three girls.
Why, who else would it be, mother?
Surely you wouldn't welcome any other
man as warmly as you have met" and
Joel looked at lis mother in avery natural
sort of surprise.
" No-no-but old Gobble, you know
and Winny's breast-bone-" Aunt
Rhoda began, in her usual bewildering,
mixed-up fashion.
. Oh, auntie-pleasew whispered Win
ny in q beseeching tone; and then auntie
laughed and stopped Short and just then
the two young gentlemen and DR.. Gray
arrived, and Joel forgot, in the introduce
tions that followed and the merry games
that made the evening all too shOrt-for-
got his mothers mysterious half eXplana-
ton of her strange wonderment that it
" should be him, after alln'
I" Let us know if it comes true, Winny,"
cried the girls as they babe their friend
good-by, and Winny shook her curls at
them and echoed, " IF it comes truen'
That night when she had gone UP to
her room Winny thought to herself, as she
combed oIt her long, brown ringlets
What an improvement the sea must be
to ugly boys. Here is second-cousin Joel
a handsome man-and he used to be
hideous boy! Not so old either. He
can't be more than twenty seven. l was
five when he used to take me to the barn
yard to see him milk. Nine years are a
big gap when one is five. Wonder if he
thinks have changed % and Winny held
the candle close to the glass and scruti-
nized her pretty, dimpled, rosy face very
closely.
Strangely enough Joel's thoughts
seemed to run the same way that night.
"What pretty girl Winny has grown
into. How the years change one," he
said to his mother after Windy had babe
them goodnight.
4" Indeed she is-and as good as pretty
| only wish I had a daughter just like
her." answered Aunt Rhoda warmly.
"Would you like a daughter, mother?"
asked Joel, taking up Winny's picture
that lay on the table and studying it in
tently.
Yes-one just like Winny, Joel-and
if you'll look on top of the parlor-door
maybe you'll find one" replied Aunt
Rhoda in her rambling, queer mode of
speech and with these words she kissed
her boy good night and went to bed.
"What on earth does mother mean? Is
she crazy? Look on top Of the parlor-
door for a daughter! Well, I'll lock-"
and, reaching up his hand, Joel found
Winny's wish-bone.
"Ah, ha! That's the answer to the
riddle, is it? l am agreed! I'll keep it
for a talisman;" and, with laugh to him
self at the thought, he put old Gobble's
bone in his vest pocket.