Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-04-04
"Well, then, 1 tell YOU fatty 7 do not

But hoped you would consider it
reason. [ would quit any habit that
offended you, and feel glad of the
chance of pleasing you"
Eff adopted that principle, mercy
knows what there would be left for me
to do. You always object"
/ beg your pardon"
Which, I fancy, is your polite way
of telling me that 1 fb.''
" As you please"
Dicks eyes began to light up.
FPoppet, | rel-Iember distinctly that
you agreed with me that it is an I'M
pleasant sight to see a woman smoke.
1t is useless. hoydenish, fast, and you
know it. [ expressly ask you to throw
away that cigarette"
"And l say expressly that | shall do
no such thing. To dare to come here,
before my first friend, and ask me to
give up one of the few pleasures [ have,
simply because your Highness has come
to the conclusion that [ do not show off
to advantage in a cloud Of smoke 1t
is preposterous absurd ldioticw
"Poppet !"
L" And wish you to understand, sir,
that [ shall retain as many Of my hab-
its as pleases me. 1t SO happens that
[ enjoy smoking, therefore [ shall
smoke on all occasions, and what like,
whether It is a cigarette, or cigar, or
a meerschaum or a clay pipe-it is all
the same to me-"
Mr.. Dick Redfern arose easily to
his feet, took off his hat made a low
bow, and went away; leaving his
sweetheart Tuning and glaring and
smoking, while in her friends eyes there
was a faint trace Of tears.
4" / believe it is you who are the idiot !"
said She
AT any rate, 1 shall now enjoy my
cigarette without interruption" replied
the other, and to show him how little
[ care for what he says, [ shall go this
evening and smoke a good Havana I'M
der his window. He will smell it, look
out, see me and come down. and [ shall
forgive him."
But Dick was savage 1t was the
middle of the afternoon. and it was hot,
and SO he brought a jug of lemonade,
and sat down in a corner of his room,
upon Japanese fauteuil, to think over
his situation.
He sat until the hotel bell rang for
tea. He felt neither like eating nor
drinking. A man who feels he must
give up his sweetheart rarely does. He
sat until dusk He heard them dane
ing, and he knew that Miss Preston was
in the middle Of the rout. He grew
more and more indignant, and more
sure that he was right and that she was
wrong. He nursed his troubled mind,
and recalled all her words. 1t was not
the miserable cigarette, but it was the
disposition she showed. If she would
act thus in the delicious moments of
their courtship, what would she not be
capable Of doing when in the midst Of
the humdrum of married life? He rea-
soned with himself that there was moth
ing to do but to surrender her-to send
back her letters and pictures. and then
to go away on a sea voyage.
1t grew dark. His room was but
few feet from the ground, and they be
gan to take down the Chinese lanterns
from the trees outside. Then it grew
very dark. A little breeze sprung up,
but still he kept his three windows wide
open, and sat looking out at the lonely
picture.
He began to feel miserable, wretched,
deserted. To be suddenly bereft of that
thing that gave his life a motive and an
object, was to make his heart sink and
his spirit fail him.
1t grew to be II o'clock. The notes
of the huge bell sounded frightfully
loud. As its last stroke sounded, he
thought he heard noise in the room.
He looked about cautiously. By the
faint glow of the stars, which came down
through the overarching trees, he per-
ceived a mans head rise cautiously
above the sill of the furthest window
The body followed. Then it sank back
again Presently he heard footsteps in
the grass just outside the window close
beside him. Then whispers. 1t seemed
that there were three men.
One said: care you sure she isn't in
there?
eyes," was the reply; 81 saw her in
the grove, not minute ago"
"Then go ahead. Get in, you two;
you'll find the box in the top drawer of
the bureau, on the right-hand side"
Dick then remembered that Poppct,
or rather, Miss Preston, had once oc-
cupied this room, and that she always
carried great deal of jewelry about
with her at the watering-places.
Dick began to remember his boxing
lessons. He slipped off his shoes, and
took position behind tall chair in
the corner.
Slowly and noiselessly two men en-
tered the room through the first Win
dow, and in a moment the third fol-
lowed. Dick heard them at his
bureaus.
"Gad, they won't find much there
though" reflected he.
The men fumbled everything, and
| ransacked every drawer, meanwhile ut
tering halfsuppressed sounds of
anger.
Dick thought he had better com.
mence operations He crept on silent
ly, and approached them slowly. He
got behind them, and, with a savage
blow, knocked one fellow into the fire
place, and another toward the window;
but, before he could recover to attack
the third, the chief, who was as good a
boxer as himself, dealt him a tremend-
Gus blow and Dick staggered and fell.
In an instant all three were upon him,
and a handkerchief was forced between
his teeth, and he was gagged, and his
hands and arms pinioned.
The one struck a match, and, while
secreting their own faces, they examined
him, and took possession of his watch
and wallet, and then made the COM
plete tour ofthe apartment Dick heard
them at his ring-box, and he knew his