Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-01
s. Kiss AND TRY"
A TALE OF ST. VALENTINE.

be married LOT IuOutyy dHu L WO&i LldAI
at all; and when 1 do I'll please myself
Jane;'' and the willful little beauty
2 stamped her foot, contradicting herself
with wrathful energy that would have
done credit to an accomplished actress.
2 +" My dear
Don't my dear mel I'm not your
dear / can be dear to plenty OF people
if | choose"
MY dear, really you are SO impetu-
Gus, you'll never be married.
IA s-ssThere it is again, that hateful topic.
Can't you understand l don't want to
z Why should l? I've got plenty of money;
I've got carriage and two such pets of
- ponies and a hunter and house in the
q country; what more do | want? l wish
YOU would all let me alone. There's
! papa talking sorrowfully, silly old dar-
? ling, about his declining years and only
me, and me not married; and if you are
. my aunt it's no reason you should worry
me night and day. [ won't have your
{ lawyer if he's as rich as Crgsus-how
much has he given you to plead his
cause, eh?''
You need not insult me, at all events
l counsel you for your own good, Miss
Delaselle. Mr.. Marshe is a most eligi-
bic person, most eligible. His father is
in the front rank of his profession, and
immensely rich; your papa approves of
this suit. There is possibility of the
dormant peerage being revived in the
has rendered great services in high quar-
ters.''
"Thank you for your genealogical par
ticulars. Now please tell me all about
Capt Williams and Theophilus Bishop,
who will rise in the Church, and Sir Cor
-nelius Wilkes and Squire Thompson and
Mr.. Burnaby and Lieut.. Vane and Lord
Pauline, etc.''
Il 6 Really, you may well pause; the fir
tations you carry on are beyond all be-
s lief. There were a dozen soldiers in the
house yesterday"
"And there'll be two dozen tonight,
> and | shall have at least hundred val
entines tomorrow morning. Everybody
likes me; of course they do. All the men
know don't try to trap them into marry
ing me, like the other girls. All, there
the ring; sure to be somebody to see me-
"Shameful!'' groaned Aunt Jane, COM
posing herself to her work.
Marie glanced in the mirror over the
z mantelpiece, smiled, and adjusted stray
curl.
"Aunt, don't you think I look awfully
nice this evening?'
Charming'' said gentleman's voice,
as the door was thrown open and Mr..
Marshe was announced. " Pardon ME,
that dress is perfection"
"Sir, [ do not like personal remarks ;
they are extremely rude. However, your
profession, I suppose, brings you into
contact with vulgar people"
Mariei" reproachfully, from Aunt
Jane.
Miss Delaselle is privileged" said
Marshe, dapper young man, not bad
looking, but obviously conceited. Marie
said all little men were vain; and as for
: lawyers they seemed to consider it the
duty of heiresses to marry them.
-s@s" What divorce case are you engaged in
now, sir?" she asked.
1--WE do not undertake that class of
work. said Marshe, loftily.
Capt. williamson, and Lord Paul
inc. too! | am delighted to see you. We
have been so dull this evening, have we
not, Aunt Jane ?"
These newcomers hardly acknowledged
the lawyer, who on his part surveyed
them with intense scorn. Neither of
them has a hundred pounds cash, -
thought he to himself, $" and yet such
airs.n
Marie, however, was much more pleas
ant in her manner to them, which CALLED
him extremely, yet he could not tear him
self away, and, after twenty times resolv.
ing never to speak to her again, he had
actually opened a tacit understanding
with Mr.. Delaselle.
She was, indeed, one of those girls of
whom it may be justly said that there is
no living with them nor without them.
He turned to pay court to Aunt lane,
when the Rev. TheOphilus Bishop arrived
a fnr
in town till a valuable living, in the gift
of arelative, should become vacant by the
decease of the aged incumbent.
= You cruel man!'' said Marie: %
heard of your sermon; so, if poor lady
is deserted by her husband, and gets a
divorce, she IS not to marry again ~
g We are opposed to such unions on the
highest grounds, my dear Miss Delaselle
If we had only known that divorce was
one of the contracting parties, we should
have most certainly refused permission to
use the sacred editice''
''Well, it's very hard. Don't you
think so, Mr.. MaTshe?"
To refuse would be Illegal" said the
lawyer, glad of a chance of putting down
one of his rivals; "quite illegal, [ feel
sure, to say nothing Of the bad taste"
{" BY the ecclesiastical Law" began
E the curate, firing up in 1t moment.
Its COMPOUNDED shamer' broke in
Capt. Williams.
1.-THE ladies are deserving of every con
slderation,' said Lord Pauline, an aged
beau, but well preserved. g You may be
sure the lady was the injured party;
g Ecclesiastical law repeated the
. curate.
II ''Suppose it was me-" said Marie
suppose had brute of a husband
of course | never mean to have one, that's
understood"
The premises are very lucid" said the
lawyer, sarcastically.
"And-and / was divorced. Mustn'
1-have-well-'
You, of course, would be an excep
lon," said the curate; ''but, as a rule
such marriages are even more sinful than
those contracted simply with view tc
filthy lucre.''
This was cut for Marshe.
& hate women who marry formoney, >
said Marie; there's nothing so despica
ble."
g Nothing so despicable,r echoed Capt
Williams and Lord Pauline, neither OF
whom had a dollar"
g Except mans marrying a lady 70,
her money" added the curate, who was
well provided for as far ''as the good
things of this world went" "There
should be certain equality of position
and OF pecuniary means in order to in
sure mutual respect
Mutual respect he hanged - muttered
Capt. Williams, in his beard.
What did hear?' said the curate
the language of the barrack-room-,
say girl that marries the man she
opl