Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-12-12
MRS. BLAND.

was a modest, cOuntrltled hotel, at
which food and mosquitoes could be
had at a minimum cost. With two
weeks holiday and very limited
amount of money to devote to my
pleasures, after due consideration, l
had selected Ripping Beach for my
fairing. As a third clerk in a bank,
my vacations were few and far between,
and I had determined to make the
most of the occasion. When Mr.. How
land, the assistant teller. whose duty it
was to pay the employees their salaries,
had given me my check, he had cas-
ually asked me where | was going, and
/ had expatiated on the charms of Rip
pling Beach, and its being one Of the
lost places on Long Island.
Visitors at the Beach House were,
though goodish people, not congeinial.
| was indifferent, however, to society.
Boatmen and fishermen were my boon
companions. | had been a week at
KipplingBeachw when | became acquaint-
ed with Mrs. Bland. This lady was a
late arrival. How | came to talk with
Mrs. Bland [ can hardly tell. / rather
think that, hearing the lady express a
desire to see a city paper, | had handed
her the Times, and III this way some
commonplace conversation had COM
menced A certain pleasant way the
woman had, a fairly well bred manner,
Discrimination to indulge in tittle-tattle
with the rest of the boarders, made her
society rather agreeable than otherwise
Mrs. Bland was diminntive, had
graceful figure and dressed with quiet
taste. Though Mrs. Agnes Bland was
fully thirty, she impressed me with q
certain childishness Of expression, in
which vague description | hope | am
not paraphrasing Mr.. Bret Harte. The
lady's eyes were pale blue, without a
fixity of expression. No one would
ever have been rude enough to even
attempt to stare Mrs. Bland out of
cOuntenance. 1t would have been, APP
parently, too easy a thing to do. With
out having evasive eyes, they seemed
subdued and the least bit furtive. An
immense volume Of fair, blonde hair,
which she wore in one big braid, added
essentially to her charms. For any trace
of fixity of purpose in Mrs. BANDS reg
ularly oval face, the only indication OF
it was slight wrinkling of the forehead
between the eyes. Such burrows had,
however, no permanenCe. You might
see such little winrows on child's face
when some passing matter had for
brief moment engaged its scattered
wits. COnversationally Mrs. Bland was
fairly amusing. Educated she was not;
but having q good amount of intuitiye
perception, her remarks were clear and
1nfi T I'll +
had given her the paper, when I said to
Mrs. Bland:
Has your budget failed to reach
you? 1t is one OF the annoyanees of an
out-of-the-way place. Mails are dila-
tory, or come in patches.
What do you know about my
mails? said Mrs. Bland, the little
wrinkles roughening her forehead.
"Why, Mrs. Bland" 1 said, eff you
do not have many letters, at least you
have 4 famous collection of newspapers
coming to you every day at least a
Dozen"
"How do you know that?'
The only groceryman in the little
town, who sells me fish-hooks, is also
postmaster. | go there early in the
morning, before the mail is sent to the
hotel. The grocer generally runs the
mail before me into Il bushel basket
prior to handing me my occasional cor
respondence. [ see Mrs. Agnes Bland
on ever SO many journals. Have | the
honor of addressing a lady correspon-
dent-a literary woman 2"
Nonsense! what an idea! My hus-
band sends the papers to me. 1t is
delicate attention on his part. In read
ing them time passes away during his
absence"
Then there is Mr.. Bland, / said to my
self.
81 expect Mr.. Bland will be here in
few days. | hope you will like him.
he Is n great fisherman. Now, notice
you carry u fishing-pole to the water
side every morning, and bring back
nothing. My husband has sent his fish
ing tackle down, so if you want hooks
or lines | can spare you some. You
come here every season, do you not?"
"No; this is the first time in my life
Good morning, Mrs. Bland, and thanks
for your offer"
'Good morning, sir; but excuse me a
moment. Would yon kindly look at
this bill of mine which the hotel clerk
has sent me? | am an idiot about ac-
counts. Here are some items which |
have no doubt are correct, with express
charges on some trunks and things paid
for by the office, and the string of fig
ures puzzles me. Then the handwrit-
ing Is so bad Would you, now, just
make the addition for me? Oh, amt
afraid Of your looking at the bill. There
are no sherry cobblers on the account.
and one doesn't trust muslin dresses to
seaside washerwomen."
Mrs. Bland had hanging from her
neck a delicate chain, and among nu-
merous rafting appeudages there was
4 dainty gold pencil. With as pretty a
dimpled white hand as | ever saw, she
bent over and offered me the pencil.
The calculation was so simple that [
ran it over in my mind without the use
of the pencil, and gave the total. 1t
differed few cents, the advantage be-
ing in Mrs. BANDS favor.
at is a trihe in error, Mrs. Bland, but
the people are honest. 1t should be
S2S.67, instead Of $2S.65."
'Thank you; but l never could re-
member the figures pray set them
down. 1t will give Mr. Bland so much
pleasure to know that l have my bill
exactly right. He is ruch strict man
of business"
Willingly" 1 replied, and 1 wrote
at the foot of the bill, "2S,67. Kor-
rect"
Thanks" said Mrs. Bland "What
wonderful head you have for figures"
She scrutinized the bill closely, land
what 4 Queer WAY of making seyensl,'