Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-12-13
ROMANCE OF A GLOVE.

Does IL please you, hltty!
'.Oh! it is splendid! I should not
have suited myself half SO well had |
been left to choose"
But you have not seen the wine Gel
lar yet It is a treasure Of its kind.
Let's 90 down again"
They went down the stairs together,
he talked gaily, she with troubled
look on her face After duly admiring
the place she put q timid hand on his
arm and said: But, Arthur, dear, let 5
have no wine in it.
''Why?' he asked in surprise.
Because, | have resolved, if | am
ever the mistress of house there shall
be no liquors kept in it-no social
glasses for friends
''Why, Katy, you are unreasonable
did not know you carried your tenn
perance opinions so far as that Of
course | shall keep wine in my house
and entertain my friends with it, too -"
She raised her face appealingly.
''Arthurn' she said, in a tone of
voice which he knew how to interpret.
Arthur's face grew clouded.
but you can not fear for me-" he
said, with half-offended pride.
=! must fear fer YOU Arthur, if YOU
begin as he did. And | fear for others
besdes-for the sons and husbands
and fathers who may learn at our cheer
fuI hoard to love the poison that shall
STAY them.
Thy went UP stairs again and sat on
q sofa in the dining-room for a few
moments, while Katy put on her hat
and drew on her gloves
TIE argument was kept up. 1t i
unnecessary that we should repeat all
that was said on both sides 1t ended
1T last as similar discussions have
ended before. Neither was willing to
yield Katy, because she felt that her
whole future happiness might be in
volYed it; Arthur, because he thought
that it would be giving way to wo-
mans whims, and would sacrifice too
much of his popularity with his friends.
He had bought this house, paid for
it, and furnished it handsomely, and in
a few weeks was to bring Katy as its
mistress. All the afternoon they had
been looking over it together, happy as
two birds with new finished nest.
But when Arthur closed the door and
put the key in his pocket, in the chill,
waning light of the December after
noon, and gave Katy his arm to see her
home, it was all 'broken up" between
them, and a notice, ITO Let" was put
over the door of the pretty house the
very next morning.
1t was the most foolish thing to do;
but then lovers can always find some
thing to quarrel about.
~
ing" She went up to her room to cry;
he went home hurt and angry, but
secretly resolving to see her again and
give her a chance to say that she was in
the wrong. But the chance never came.
When he called again she had left
town, and he could find no trace of her.
All this happened more than year
before l saw Katy; but we three ''facto-
ry girls, who lodged at Mrs. Howell's
with her, of course, knew nothing about
it. She came to the factory and APP
piled for work. The superintendent
thought her too delicate for such labor,
but she persisted; and, in fact, she i'm
proved in health, spirits and looks
after she became used to the work and
She was a stranger to us all, and it
seemed likely that she would remain
so. But one day Mary Bascom' dress
caught in part of the machinery, and
before any one else could think what to
do, Katy had sprung to her side and
pulled her away by main strength from
the terrible danger that threatened her.
After that Mary and Lizzy Payne and /,
who were her dearest friends, were
Katy's sworn allies.
We all lodged together then in the
big Factory Boarding house" But
Katy took it into her head that we
should have SO much nicer time in q
private lodging by ourselves, and when
she took anything into her head she
generally carried it through. In less
than 2 week she had found the very
place she wanted. arranged matters
with the superintendent, and had us
sheltered under Mrs. Howell's vine
and fig tree. We four girls were the
proud posSessors of a tolerable large,
dou5le-bedded apartment with a queer
little dressing room attached
the liberty of the parlor to receive call
ers ina proviso at which we all
laughed
This was ''home'' to us after the
labor of the day. In deed, and in truth,
Katy made the place so charming that
we forgot we were factory girls
when we got to it. She improvised
cunning little things out of tritles that
are usually thrown away as useless,
and the flowers growing in broken
pots in our windows We're a glory to
behold. She always had fresh book
or periodical on the table; and better
than this, she brought to US the larger
cultivation and the purer taste which
taught US how to use opportunities
within our reach.
''What made you take to our style of
life, Katy?" asked Lizzie one evening,
as we sat in the east window, watching
the outcoming of the stars, and telling
girlish dreams.
DESTINY, my child" answered Katy,
STOPPING to replace the little boot she
had thrown off to rest her foot.