Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-03-06
LOSS OR GAIN.

ed cane, was seated in a summer house
situated upon the grounds of hotel at
a fashionable Waterlng-place. He was
in a corner hidden by dropping vines,
and his face expressed deep and appar-
emily painful thought. The refrain of
his sad musing was, "Only one person
in the whole warld to love rae, and [
shall lose even that love noww
On the other side of the summer
house, divided from the side the old
gentleman occupied by rustic parti-
ton, two ladies, young and fair, rustled
in, and taking out some fancy work, set
tied down for a chat.
One was tall and dressed in q pretty
costume that was at once youthful and
matronly; the other was petite, blonde,
and not more than eighteen. Mrs.
CORTLAND spoke first.
Embroidery, Alice?" she said. "A
handkerchief corner. For your trous-
seauY'
Yes" and the sweet voice faltered,
while a burning blush crimsoned the
fair cheek. els it not prettyw
Very. [ want to talk to you about
your prospects, child. Your aunt Mary
tells me you are making a splendid
match"
did she? l think so, Blanche NAL
colin is so noble and good"
g But your aunt tells me he is the fa-
vorite nephew of the great merchant,
Hubert Bates, whose wealth is some
thing enormous. You have only to
help him play his cards we'll and he will
probably be heir to magnificent for
tune. But what ails you? You look as
if | was telling you a piece of news"
think aunt Mary has been misin-
formed; that is all"
Then he is not Mr.. Bates nephew"
never heard him speak of rich
uncle, and l am quite sure he has no
hope Of inheriting money. He has a
good salary, and my little fortune will
furnish a small house; so we can make
comfortable, and, l hope, a happy
home"
Did he never speak to you of his
uncle?"
Not of rich uncle. He has told
me of lame uncle, his mothers broth
er, who has been very kind to him, Civ
en- him his education and q start in
the world. He always talks of him with
the deepest love and pity"
Pity?"
He suffers tOrtures from the effects of
a fall that has famed him for life and
often causes him weeks of agonizing
pain. Malcolm tells me with tears in
his eyes of his fear of losing this friend"
q / wonder if it is the same ~ muir
INJURED Mrs. CORTLAND.
Tell me, Blanche, some of the best
places to go for furniture and carpets.
1t will be new work for me to buy
household goods, and aunt Sophy is not
we'll enough to help me much"
Oh, | will go with you. But | declare,
ifIwere you, would wait and see if your
aunt Mary is right. Your fortune will
never buy or furnish such a house as a
future millionaire should live in"
MY fortune" said Alice Hunter,
with ring in her clear voice, "will fur
nish a house suitable for bank clerk
with $500 year salary, which is what
my husband will have. IfMalcolm has
a rich uncle he is not the man to live in
expectation of money to come to him
over grave. If this Uncle Hubert is,
as you say, very rich, Malcolm would
hate money won by the death of the
nearest relative and dearest friend he
has. But | don't believe in the money.
for he never spoke of it to me-"
Then the talk drifted into discussion
of bridal fnery, of furniture, and stories
of the young wife's content in her own
married life.
But the old man leaning upon the
cane was thinking: "Can it be true
n L. Il. =, l. ,t&l.o e
money that will be his, that he has
never even mentioned it to his promis-
ed wife? Can it be that | shall gain q
loving, tender niece, instead of losing
my nephew when Malcolm marries p
Loving his nephew so deeply, Hubert
Bates had felt keen pain at the news
of his betrOthal. He had never seen
Alice Hunter, but he knew she had
been brought up in a circle of fashion
and was the orphan niece of one of So
ciety's gavest votaries, Mrs. Mary Hay
don.
While he unused upon the converse
ton he had overheard, the silvery
voices of his young neighbors still
sounding beside him, there was sud-
den crash. Something struck him
upon the head, and he lost conscious
ness.
Cries from the summer house, from
groups of people collected in the
grounds, brought a party of men speed
lily to the spot. The rotten posts sup
porting the roof upon one side had given
way and the side and roof had fallen in.
Mrs. CORTLAND and Miss Hunter were
buried under the fallen timbers, the
doorway being completely blockaded,
but were uninjured. Not so the old
gentleman, who had been their unsus-
pected listener. He was taken out pal
lid and senseless..
Nobody knew him. He had come
by the morning train, had taken break
fast, but no room, and asked the hour
for the return train. A surgeon, sum-
moned as speedily as possible, an
nounced broken arm and injury to
the head, making likelihood of long,
tedious illness. There was some ami
mated discussion, some suggestions OF
hospital, search through the pockets
of the unconscious victim, resulting in
the discovery of small sum of money,
but no letters, papers or cards; and fl
nally a desertion of one and another,
each SOtllS HIS VI u6I way, Will Tue COL-
selling reflection cts none of my bust
ness"
But when they had all deserted the
injured man, the surgeon, still busy
binding up his arm as he lay upon a
bench brought from a ruined summer
house, felt light touch on his hand and
looked up.
Can 1 help your Alice Hunter
asked