Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-01-23


man, l would have some spirit" and
then, very likely, she logan singing-as
she combed out her long hair, where a
line of sparks followed the comb, and
knowing that Will heard every word
where he sauntered up and down the
garden
"If had lover and wooing would 90.
would fall on my knees ana entreat OF her:
would bend from the saddle and snatch her
slim waist,
"And if you did," VIII would mutter,
beneath the window, "there'd be the
very deuce to pay"
1t was when affairs were in this pos
ture, VIII pursuing, and with the van
playground of residence in the house,
Betty retreating, yet halfrelenting, that
Mr.. Nalerino, the young exile, came to
FrenebOro to give lessons in music
and in his native tongue. OfcOurse, his
supposed story fired the Freneboro
heart-the feminine auricle Of it-and
all the romance Of Betty's dreams rose
to meet 1t. AS for the young exile him
self, he was the very creature of 10
nance; so tall and pale, and dark and
melancholy; his immense dusky eyes
seemed full of the strange, sad memo
ries of wonderful adventure and expe-
rience IN the Apprentices and on the
Campagna, and among the brigands Of
the Romagna; and the light of heroic
days and nights made, as one might
say, halo round him as he walked
Certainly, now, it was hardly Mr.. Va
hn h
exile; he never said he was patriot; he
never whispered of conspiracies among
old ruins and the catacombs; he couldn't
help being tall, pale and melancholy;
and there was no reason why he should
mention that his father had for forty
year played the piccolo in the orchestra
Of a New York theatre. If people chose
to take him up and make his way easy
for BIN, it seemed all right and natural
After he discovered the reason, his les
sons being nearly through, and his van
lty too sensitive for an explanation, he
quietly left town on ending his engage
ments. But, meanwhiie-this little
BettyWilmarth was frightfully beautiful
to man who knew she was as much
forbidden to him as though she lived in
one of the fixed stars, it was very pleas
ant to receive the admiration of such a
being; he had not the strength of mind
to undeceive her; and Betty went on,
making a simpleton Ofherself, studying
and conversing of such literature as was
o terra incOgnita to the teacher; asking
the youth unanswerable conundrums
concerning Italian history, which he
evaded, with what she deemed a delicacy
of reticent modesty; and when she saw
the slender, sinuous shape of the young
exile, and the proud, sad beauty of his
face beside Will Maunder's hurley thews
and sinews, his bluff, commonplace
honesty Of countenance, she grew i'm
patient at the contrast, and wondered
at herself to think she had once been
almost on the point of relenting and be-
ing kind to Will. 1t annoyed her at
that time, even to look at Will; the
sight of him may have been a reproach
to her folly; his hearty ways offended
her-so much higher breeding there
seemed to be in the insinuating air
of the Italian; and then his affection
lrrltated her, for she was on the point
of a grand, poetic passion for an I'M
happy exile, whose consolation she was
TO be. And thus the man who be-
longed already to her prosaic, every
day life, and would have bound her
down to 1.-THE life she had always
known, withouta charm ofimagination,
of the unknown, or the ideal on it, and
toward whom she felt kindness that
might possibly grow kinder, and make
her yield one day to his persistence, if
he were stu here to continue it-that
man was becoming intolerable, and she
wished him out of her way. And out
of her way she determined he should
go.
She couldn't stroll with Mr.. Valerino
down lonely lane, talking nonsense far
too high for the youths comprehension,
but there was Will just stepping over a
fence, or lying under a tree, or very
possibly laughing at her-if he was not
angry. What right had he to be angry?
She had never given him any. She
couldn't 60 into church on weekday,
and take her seat in pew alone, to
hear Mr.. Valerino practicing in the or
gan-loft, and making roof and rafter ring
and vibrate with delicious melody, but
there was VIII before her, in the porch.
81 like music, too" said Will. She
couldn't pass an evening with a friend
where Mr.. Valerino was one of the COM
pany but as soon as the time Of parting
came, the bell rang, and there was Will
TO act as an escort and spare Mr.. Valeri
no the trouble. Once, on such an Oc-
casion, she gave her arm to the exile,
and suffered VIII to stalk on in silence
beside them, while she talked a broken
lingo of Italian phrases with the young
master, which, for the time being, she
felt, put Will Maunder entirely outside
of the pale of civilization. 81 won't be
supervised in this way!" cried Betty to
herself, for her sisters We're not of full
age to receive the confidence. "It's as
bad as having a spy at ones feet. l
can't endure it another day, and
1 shall tell him so !" And unfortunately,
just as she was irately brooding over
these wrongs, her father sent for her,
that he might ascertain her feelings in
regard to a proposition he was in
clined to make Villa proposition to
take him into his business, allowing
him an interest now for his work and
oversight, and finally retiring in his
favor. Owing to her mothers i'll
health, her father had fallen into a
habit of consulting Betty rather than
disturbing the invalid, sufficiently oc-
cupied with her ailments.
"Oh, father, father! You don't mean
that you ever thoughtof doing such a
silly thing y cried Betty, in free disgust
And when he posters me so! never
should have another days peace in my
life. You might just as we'll put ME in
prison, with spy and a master over
me- Oh. no. indeed Give him any,