Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-08-31


everywhere take such mysterious de-
light. Millicent took it curiousiy from
her hand. On the back, in his familiar
manly hand, were the words, "Jack
Wendover."
"Why, Katie exclaimed Miss
Brunen, chow did you ever know Mr..
Wendover?'
She shook her head vaguely. In
her eyes was far of, uncertain look.
II don't know, Miss" she said, II
guess the Lord sent him. He came
into Bridget MONEYS house one day
that's the first house from Avenue
.C-and wanted to know where the
Widder Finnegan and her six children
lived, and Bridget sent him to our ten
ement. 1t was just the time, Miss,
Mickey was sick with the fever, and
Mr.. VIEWER he nussed him through.
If it weren't for Mr.. VIEWER, I guess
Mickey would ha' been an angel fore
this. It's Mickey as says the Lord sent
him."
But Millicent knew, if the child did
not, what had sent Jack to the widow
It was the Lord, no doubt, but the
Lord had seen fit to sand the message
through herself. She felt humbled
and convicted, not only that he should
be taking up what was certainly her
own unfulflled duty, but that he was
doing it for love of her.
"Mr. Wendover's a good man,
Katie" she said, softly.
The child nodded. "He's the best
man in all the world" she declared.
"Mother says he makes her think of
Samson, cause he knows so much; but
[ never think of him, Miss, without
thinking" hesitated for an in
slant.
without thinking of what, deal?'
The child's great eyes looked up
with an awed expression; the thin little
voice sank 1t reverent whisper With
out thinking, Miss-oft the Lord Jesus"
For an instant Millicent's heart stood
still. Was it not shockingly irfeligious?
Ought not the child to be rebuked !?
But before Millicent could command
words Katie had gone on:
cause you know" she said, 'he's
alters goin' about dom good. Your
folks don't know of it. He amt the
kind as goes round blabbin' what they
does but t'day you'll find him in Mrs.
Raffety's and t'morrer in Mrs. Bourk's
and the next day at the Kittendorf's;
and it's tay he'll be bringin' 'em one
day, and the rint he'll be payin' the
next, and last week when the praste
wouldn't bury Mrs. Muldoon's hus-
band, cause he pizened hisself, it was
Mr.. VIEWER as read the sarvice and
paid for the buryin'W The cnild's
tongue was now fairly loosed. "And
then, Miss, when every Sunday comes
there's a little top room over where
Mrs. Mooney lives, and us children all
goes there and Mr.. VIEWER he comes
and teaCkes us, and he's fixed it up
that nice There's a melojoon, and
some chrOmOs, and three or four tixts :;
and we sing songs, and Mr.. VIEWER he
plays on the mclOj0On, and he reads
us out of the Bible all about David and
Collar, and Jonah and the whale, and
the Lord Jesus. too, and tells us what it
all means. And oh, Miss Broom dyer
think? He's goin' to take us on a
picnic %
By this time Millicent had recovered
her thoughts. In the light OF Katie's
explanation the comparison did not
seem so startling. But admitting the
comparison. where were the ideals she
had been so tOndly cherishing? Ifpeo-
pie were to be measured by Katie's
standard, what of Sydney and Bayard,
Sir Percival and Sir Galahad2 The
thought was perfectly bewildering
She looked down humbly into the
child's face. her eyes moist and her
voice a little tremulous as she said
"And Mr.. Wendover brought you
your shoes and dress ?"
Katie nodded. "He's KEEP us out Of
the pOOr-hOuse, mamma says"
1t was just what her father had told
her he had done for them; and the re-
mainder was almost enough to upset
Mllhcents cOmpOsure. Perhaps all
her notions of what hero ought to be
were radically wrong, and she might,
as Jack had said, fail to recognize him
when ne came. Perhaps there was
the same kind of heroism in Jacks
keeping people out of the pOor-hOuse
and supplying their needs as in Sgd
ney's giving the cup of water to the
dying man. And maybe both were
initiating q higher example, pattern
of heroism which this little child had
led her to discover. She leaned over
kissed the pale little face.
Good bye, my DEAR" she said, "I'm
glad you've found so good friend"
When the child was gone and Mil
licent was left alone, all she could do
was to go over the problem again; and
W. hC1 70 so
conclusion. It involved mental revo-
lntiOn to substitute for the tall elegant
man with brown flowing locks, Van
Dyck beard and symmetrical NOUS
tache, who was the Sidney of her mag
inatlon, the figure of Jack Wendover,
tall and stalwart it is true, but without
a taace of sentiment in the firm set
mouth, or a particle OF elegance about
the smooth shaven face, the short black
hair or the steel-framed glasses which
repaired his undeniabie near sighted
ness.
1t now drew near the summer time
when Millicent and all her friends would
90 away from New York. Once out
Of the city she need not expect to see
Jack in more than three months. In
deed she bad quite given up expecting
to see him at all. In her sober Judge
ment she did not bIame him. There
had been no promise made that he
would keep up the acquaintance. ~
shall always be your frend," he had
said. And so he might, without seeing
her for the rest of his life.
One of the last days that she pro-
posed spending in the city, Millicent,
on her way down town. turned into
Fifth Avenue from one of the side