Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-03-31

| Sn6 Sll1lSu.
Ned is not afraid, and he can tend
the light as well as l."
VERY well, l will go with you"
He waved smiling adieu to the boy,
and followed his guide down the mar
row stairway.
Two days later a small sail boat put
out from the island, which, when it re-
turned, brought McIntyre's luggage.
Lizzie's father who was laid up with
an attack of rheumatism, had taken
fancy to the young man, who express
ed a desire to spend a few weeks there
at any price they might charge. Capt.
CLYDE straightway ordered Neddie off
in his new boat to the mainland for the
gentlemans traps. The youngster
obeyed this order with alacrity, for the
good humored ease of the stranger, to-
gether with his evident appreciation of
7our Liz" had wrought favorably on
our Neddie. Even the maiden aunt,
who kept the house smiled frostily at
the prospect of this pleasant addition
to their family.
Mcintyre who had been wandering
about three or four hundred miles
from home in search of q quiet place
to spend the summer, congratulated
himself on having drifted to the very
place
although it was an expensive style
of drifting" he remarked with a smile
as he enclosed bank note in an en-
velOpe to be sent to the owner Of the
little craft which had slipped him out
into the waves abreast of the light
house.
A week later as he sauntered shore
ward, there came to his ears a wildly
sweet strain Of melody. AS he listen
ed in amazement, for he had seen no
musical instrument about the place, he
began to realize that it was part of
Strauss artist life waltz4s that he heard
"a strain that he often Whistled. He
stepped round the jutting of the cliff
and there, leaning against the granite
wall. was Lizzie, her chin dropped
carelessly on little red violin, as she
drew the bow across the strings. She
flushed like guilty thing when she
saw Mcintyre.
'You whistled that the other day."
she faltered, "and liked it so much
it haunted me ali the time"
He stepped forward.
''Why, Lizzie! Is it possible you play
like that without notes?'
II don't play much now" she said
: drawing her dark brOws over her eyes.
"a party of ladies and gentlemen came
here to visit the lighthouse, once, and
overheard me playing. I heard one Of
the ladies say, The idea OF q girl with
fiddle. So thought perhaps it didn't
look we'll"
''Not look well, indeedr' and he
laughed in merry scorn. "Why, child,
did you ever hear of Camilla Urso?"
E'No."
sWell, she is a lady, and she makes
the most exquisite music on a fiddle
and thousands of people go to hear
her. Why, Camilla Urso herself would
listen with pleasure to your music,
Lizzie" said Mcintyre, eXtravagantly.
"Who taught you to play?"
"No one. This violin belonged to
my father, and he learned me how to
tune it. l pick up tunes that hear,
but [ never heard anything half so
beautiful as the things l hear you sing
and whistle"
Mcintyre smiled; his repertoire of
music consisted of snatches of operas,
waltzes, redowas and German airs,
which had dimly associated in his
mind with nights of brilliant gayety;
and he wondered dreamily how this
pure-minded, healthy-souled girl would
look upon the elegant dissipation car
ried on by the set of which he was the
favorite. A sudden glow warmed his
heart as he thought that not one of the
fine ladies who had swung languidly
through the mazes Of that very waltz Of
the great composers could have res
cued him so bravely from the jaws of
death as Lizzie had-Lizzie, who stood
there SO quietly, with her little violin
hanging from her breast, and her fin
gers straying lovingly over the strings.
. Tell me about Camilla Urso," she
said presently. odd you ever hear
her play"
eyes, indeed! 1 have a paper in
my trunk containing little sketch of
her life, which you may read for your
self, and which will tell you better than
, I can of her talent"
For moment Lizzie's ewes met his
own, a look Of shame and distress gath
ering in them.
"Mr. Mcintyre, that will be of no
use-I cannot read"
"Lizzie p
Her violin slipped from her grasp
and would have fallen to the ground
had not Mcintyre caught it, and she
covered her face with both hands.
''But Lizzie" persisted her compan-
ion, In some perplexity, II do not I'M
derstand There are good puplic
schools in the city, and surely your
father must have known that it was
his duty to give girl like you an ed
ucation, to say nothing Of Neddie, who
is growing up such a splendid young
fellow"
cit is very kind of you to say such
things of Neddie and me, we are COM
mon people, and ours is a common
life. Neddie did spend two years with
our uncle who lives in York state He
went to school there. But father
doesn't think much of book learning
Aunt Jane never had time to help me,
and Neddie is too restless to keep still
long enough, suppose" She csntin-
ued quantity, "You who live out in the
world look at these things in different
way; but | know of many who are just
where | am. Why, there is a whole
family on that island" pointing to a
tiny speck away to the eastward, who
cannot read or write. Once in three
months, perhaps, they 60 to the main
land. scarcely ever go. | suppose shall
always live here, and [ am contented-
think and a look of doubt gathered
in her eyes; Eat least was. But late
" I have wished so much that | could