Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-09-28

day at Professor Boynton's I saw some
wonderful experiments"
did they succeed? ?" inquired
Jennie, demurely.
Beautifully"
$50 will mine. / never botched a
job in my life
Il don't think [ quite understand
you," said Miss Kent, perplexed.
"No? [ always grow scientific
when talking about marriage, my
dear
Botherr' was all the little woman
said, but the tone was much better
natured than I expected.
The next week Cousin Mark arrived,
and | liked him at once. An unhappy
marriage would have been the last
thing thought of in connection with
the gentleman. He had accepted the
situation like man, Jennie told me,
and for fifteen years carried load of
misery that few could have endured.
DCcspll CeellIC W LILO IC1IC1 GU 1dtoU, 6tlio
now the poor fellow honestly believed
himself an alien from domestic happi-
ness.
Singular as it may appear, Cousin
Mark was the embodiment Of good
health and good nature; fifty, perhaps,
though he didn't look it, and as rotund
and fresh in his way as the little dress
maker was in hers. AS / looked at
him, | defied anybody to see one and
not be Immediately reminded of the
other. True, he had more of the pol
ish which comes from travel and
adaptation to different classes and in
dividuals, but he was not whit more
intelligent by nature than was the
bright little woman whom Jennie had
determined he should marry.
81 was surprised you should think
necessary to caution me about that,
Cousin Mark cooed the plotter, as
she stood by his side looking out of
the window. "The idea of my being
SO ridiculousw and in the same breath,
with wink at me, "Come, let us 90
to my Sitting-rOOm. We are at work
there, but it won't make any difference
to you, will ftp"
Of course Cousin Mark answered
mo-" promptly, as innocent as dove
about the trap being laid for him.
"This is my cousin-Mr. Lansing,
Miss Kent and Mr.. Lansing bowed
politely, and Miss Kent arose, dropped
her scissors, blushed and sat down
again. Cousin Mark picked up the re-
fractory implements, and then Mrs.
Jennie proceeded, with rare caution
and tact, to her labor Of love. Cousin
Mark, at her request, read aloud an
article from the Popular Science
Noaathly, drawing Miss Kent into the
discussion as deity as was ever fly
drawn into the web of the spider.
"Who was that lady, Jennie 2"
Cousin Mark inquired in the evening.
"Do you mean Miss Kent ?'' said
Jennie, looking up from her paper.
sob, she is a lady l have known for a
long time. She is making some dresses
for me now. Why?"
"She seemed uncommonly well post
ed for woman"
Under other circumstances Mrs. Car
Isle would have resented this, but now
she only queried, do you think so p"
and that ended it.
Two or three invitations to the sew
ing-room were quite sufficient to make
Cousin Mark perfectly at home there
and after week he became as famil-
lar as this:
If you are not too busy, [ should
like to read you this article;" and this
is what Miss Kent would say:
"Oh, / am never too busy to be read
to. Sit down by the window in this
comfortable chair and let's hear it,
| After couple of weeks, when the
| gentleman came in, hoarse with sud-
den cold, Miss Kent hustled about, her
voice full of sympathy, and brewed
him dose which he declared he
should never forget to his dying day
but one dose cured him. After this,
Miss Kent was really aUonderttl
woman.
Ay, Jennie was an archplotter. She
let them skirmish about, but not once
did she give them a chance to be alone
together-her plans were not to be de-
stroyed by premature confidences-un-
til the very evening preceding Cousin
Marks departure for California. Then
Miss Kent was very demurely asked to
remain and keep an eye on Master Car
| Isle, whom the fond mother did moi
| like to leave quite alone with his
| nurse.
! 1--WE are compelled to be gone a
couple of hours; but Cousin Mark will
L