Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-11-07

go out this evening, my head aches"
But Mrs. Gray answers quickly: why,
my dear, you forget your solo" She
can't quite understand tie expression
of the ministers face, he almost looks
gratified at her suggestion, but her aunt
willznot hear to it. knowing the head
ache to be a subterfuge, so she goes
away to get ready.
When they leave the door Rex, not
in the least comprehending her looks
and gestures, goes off dutifully with
Mrs. Gray on his arm, leaving Juliet as
,usuaItO DIR. ;Speecham. Several times
during the walk she thinks she will in
troduce the topic that is uppermost in
both their minds, but he guides the
conversation SO easily and skillfully on
other subjects that she has no oppor-
tunity, and, after all, what can she say {?
In the sermon that evening, notes are
discarded, and the speaker breaches a
sermon straight from his heart that
electrifies and touches his hearers as
none of his rhetorical, fowerv dis
courses have ever done; and most of all
does 1t touch sober girl on the plat
form behind him, who is not at all
the restless puzzle that she was in the
morning. She makes up her mind that
she will speak to him about the matter
on the way home; but, again the ques-
ton suggests itself, what can she say,
since she has already told him, without
being. asked, that she didn't love him.
She is saved the trouble of answering,
for, after the service, the conversation
is taken up as skilifully and easily as
before, and one or two beginnings in
that direction are nipped in the bud, SO
| that, almost before she knows it, they
have reached the gate, and he has bid
den her a quiet good night and gone
home, Just the same as usual.
Ju let walks slowly up to the house
with many and conflicting thoughts, for
ike many another girl, she is at odds
about some things of which she says
little. .ss
She only stops moment in the par
Tor to say, "Auntie, | guess [ will &C
right up 10 my room and rest my
head" Then she goes onup the broad
staircase, through the long corridor and
into her room, locks the door and sits
down YEARLY in a chair to think. Deal
mel her thoughts roam like the Wan
dering Jew. But, in the midst of al
they find one resting place, and, as
thoughts have a way of doing, stick
there like grim death. Then She set
up an, imaginary self on a stool of re
pentance in front Of her and apostro
phiZes it as follows: "You little goose
why don't you love that minister;he is {
genuinely good man, and there arr
mighty few of them" Then she fall
into a reverie, but soon proceeds
'You ought to be ashamed to care any
thing for Rex Cant, you know he dom
care for you." Here the other sci
grows indignant, and speaks up
"What Ofthe evening you went boating
and the walk from Cables Hill, and ,
But at this juncture she becomes dis
gustcd with both selves, and rudel,
interrupts the dialogue by getting "
and taking off her wrap and hat.
Then she lights the gas and sits reso
lutely down to read, but after readiny
one page over some six times withou
the least idea of what it means, sh,
losses the book into the farther corne
of the room, turns out the gas again
raises the low French window and step
out upon the balcony. 1t has been {
delightful afternoon, and she remem
bers as if it were a long time ago, tn
soft sunshine and sWaying shadows bu
toward dusk the air had grown oppres
sive, and now the moon is put out b,
clouds that are gathering and scurryin,
across the sky. She drops YEARLY down
in rustic chair, puts her folded arm
on the balustrade, and leaning he
cheek upon them looks out over tn
lawn and thinks. The brisk breez
blows over her face, and lifts her hal
and she thinks In earnest now; of man1
an evening boating, of walk, and talks
and, oh, of thousand things; and un
der all, like the current that bears drift
ing rose leaves, flows the fear that thi
artist who has grown into all her life 81
closely will go out into the world ant
forget her. ...< -..n-
The current Of that fear grow
stronger and swifter, until finally sh,
finds that the breeze, grown to a gale, i
moaning round the corner of the hOus,
and IN through the open window behinC
her with 4 lonesome sound that she can
not bear; : and she rises impatiently ant
shuts the window down and herself GU
with the night. she has hardly dom
this when q familiar odOr greets he
senses, and, presto! the scene changes
for the odor is Enthusiastically that of ;
cigar. She stands perfectly motionless
and looks down III an opposite direction
from where she has been looking, an(
there, pacing up and down the wall
slowly. is her artist, with that mascu
line comforter between his lips. Their,
Is an old saying about his santani
majesty, but she adapts it to the easel
hand, as she thinks In her ignoranc,
and quotes to herself "Think of angel
and you hear the rustling of thei
wings"
She hardly dares breathe as sh,
watches this bright being, probably 70
fear of frightening him away. But h,
walks up and down without even F.;
glance at the balcony, and presently sh,
| breathes freer: but still she watches an(
he walks, and in the meantime tn,
clouds are growing heavier. Present.,
she hears a low rumble of thunder AM
at the same instant Rex losses away hi
cigar,and comes straight to the balcony
Striking a tragical attitude, he lifts hi
face to her and signs out:
" Bright angel, thou art as glorious t,
this night, being DER my head, as is
winged messenger of heaven'-but yol
had better open the window and go witt
in for there is a shower coming up anC
you'll get your wings wet Besides
/. you've been out too long already"
/" Thank you, sir; I will go in immedi
ately, since you have watched me 81