Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-01-26

81 don't know whether she does or |
not. She's away now. but she'll be
home tomorrow, and perhaps she'll be
more reasonable"
The next day Mabel arrived. She met
me politely, went through the intro
duction gracefully, and acted as if she
had never seen me before. There was
not the slightest halfglance of recogni-
tion-she evidently intended to consid-
er me a recent acquaintance. With
curious inconsistency 1 could not help
being little disappointed, while at the
same time l was immensely relieved.
[ don't know what I had expected-a
start, blush, just the shy, pleased look
of a girl toward an old friend not yet
forgotten; or was it haughtiness, hardly
yelled anger, disgust? Whatever had
expected, | got nothing at all but pleas
ant, meaningless words, great polite
ness, great civility. [ had nothing
whatever to do with, and could have no
interest in, the intimacy that formerly
existed between Mabel Humphreys and
James w. Wolcott; he was one man
and | was another. And so the days
went on, and she was always friendly
with her fathers copyist.
Toward the end Of July Ned Hump
reys came home, and brought Mr.. But
ter-Scotch Steele with him. Mr.. Steele's
baptismal name was William, but he
had been rechristened by his friends
Butter-Scotch, on account of his fond
ness for that particular kind of candy.
Ned was quite boy, and capital
fellow at that, and he and [ soon be-
t came firm friends; but Butter-Scotch |
loathed. I really don't know why |
loathed him so much, unless because
there was a rumor afiOat that Mabel
was making up her mind to renOunce
the bangs and bangles of single life, and
: henCeforth stick to Butttef-Scotch. Oh
p course, this, of ITSELF was enough to
s make me contemplate placing an ex-
y traordinarily bent pin on his chair, OF
! converting his OyercOat pocket into a
= repository for a litter of baby kittens
: But independently of this rumor,
had distinct and positive impression
: that loathed the man just as he was
! whether he ever succeeded in marrying
: : Mabel or not. OF course, it was none o.
u my business, but it did seem a pity tC
: stand by and see her become the miss
e ing rib, thereby completing the anoto
i my, of such q mOlly-coddle.
One morning [ was standing on the
, piazza Just finishing a very nice cigal
Mr.. Humphreys had presented me
Z with the day before, with the remark
= = that he didn't mind man smoking once
in awhile, if he smoked tobacco, but
: he abominated cabbage-when Mabe
! came out.
e "Mr. Wolcott," she said, are yor
g going to be busy for few minutes ?"
J 81 think not" [ replied "Mr
j.. Humphreys doesn't want to begin fol
y " half an hour yet"
u "Then will you come to the croque
" ground and finish your cigar there ?"
7 Certainly" l answered; "witl
e pleasure"
:. Over to the croquet ground VIZ
i strOllod, and Mabel sat down on one o
u the rustic seats. Without a preamble
, of any kind, she began:
y g know you have a friendly feeling
II for us all Mr.. Wolcott, and [ want t.
+ ask your opinion and advice"
l bowed, for she was unquestionably
I right about my friendly feeling, but
u wondered what was coming.
She went on: "What do you thinl
VI MI. DJ0Sl6
d Well, that was q poser What did
l think of Butter-Scotch? That he was
/ fool, of course; but [ reflected i
wouldn't do to tell her so, particular
&c II She was going tom, no ! it wouIdn'
4 do at all.
q "Why do you ask, Miss Humph
y reys%
ie IL will tell you frankly. There is
q very strong inclination on papa's par
V to buy the stone house"
a eyes, [ know there is"
"And [ don't want him to-"
"May ask why not ?"
Because it's haunted"
= 81 don't see how that affects Mr.
> Steele he isn't haunted"
Mabel laughed. 81 don't suppose ht
4, is. But that isn't what | mean. wan
1t to know if he Is courageous enough tt
e go there and see if it is really haunted.
! ooh, guess he's pretty brave; he
IS says he is, and Mr.. Humphreys thinks
SO too, [ believe"
eyes, papa is SO enthusiastic ove1
Mr.. Butt mean Mr.. Steele's kline
: heart and religious feeling; he thinks
= he must be a good man, and not easily
= frightened" She looked at me square
iy. "And [ want to know if he's a mar
: fully to be trusted"
T ''With untold wealth ?"
mo; to see a ghost"
"Ah l see r
: YOU'RE brave too, aren't you, Mr.
, Wolcott ?"
you're very kind to say so, but
t assure you there never was worse
7 coward than 1 am. I've no courage al
! all-Tm all brain Now there's the diff
| terence between Mr.. Steele and my,
self"
I Mabel rose. eyes, I see the differ
ence," she said. "I'm very much
obliged to you, Mr. Wolcott, for your
3 good advice. | wasn't sure whether he
would undertake it. Brain is a good
thing, so is courage; prefer happy
mixture" And with pleasant little
/ nod she sailed off.
t l never saw until afterward what a
2 comparison | had made-one all cour-
age and no brain, and the other all
? brain and no courage. / had muddled
things badly, that was evident, and the
i worst of it was that she never gave me
an opportunity to let he1 know had
not intended any disrespect to her flu
: ture liege.
All this time Sol. Humphreys never
ceased talking about buying the stone
house. At last Mabel made the propo-
sitiOn that some night we three Ned