Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-04-12
THE RING AND THE ROLL.

Of all the people that make trouble
for themselves, the jealous can take the
palm; and of all the jealous, Mr.. Donald
Mcdonald was able to get the most tor
ture from the least materia
When Lucia fell in love with him she
did not dream of this affiiction. She
did not fatter herself that he remem-
bered her when out of his sight till one
day on the piazza, party of them hav-
ing been talking gayly of their possible
futures, and all having left but herself,
he came back, and leaning up against a
pillar and pushing down a roseVine, he
asked
"What is that you are doing, LuciaP
does it require all your attention? Look
at me, Lucia" And she thoughtlessly
obeyed. ''When we were all speaking
of our paths in the future, was there any
seriousness in what you said? Did YOU
suppose l would ever listen to any plan
of future for you in which was not
part?"
your looking up at him where he
lowered above her; dark and superb as
Lucifer.
81. And tell you now, Lucia, you
are going to marry me or nobody. You
are to be my wife, or no mans wife -
And many of L11cia's distresses came
from the acquiescence in which her glad
heart stood still moment before it beat
upon her lovers, in which her hand lay
trembling in his, while he slipped upon
its fingers curious gemmed ring of ru-
bies and brilliants.
For Lucia was really happy. She de-
sired no indiscriminate admiration; her
husband was enough for her. She had
his alteration, and she knew it, and he
was her all in all; nothing more grand,
and noble, and beautiful than he was
possible to her conception of human
being. She loved him so that if he had
trampled her heart out of her body, she
would have thought it but fit service
she rendered him in suffering it. And
it cost her nothing to relinquish all COM
panionship but his for she wanted no
other.
Nevertheless, Lucia almost forgot her.
self one day when the servant announc-
ed Mr.. Dunstable.
tom Dumstabler' she exclaimed be-
fore she thought 81 am delighted. y
And she held out both hands to this old
schoolmate, and sort of cousin, her Gag
er face aglow, to hear what account he
had to give of himself asking if he re-
membered this and replying as to wheth-
or she remembered that, laughing over
circumstances occurring before her hus-
bands reign, and all at once starting
looking about for her husband, beckon-
ing him and, when he would not stir,
taking Mr.. Dunstable over herself, and
introducing him, with another grand
mistake, as q dear old friend who was
one of the family, but not scrap of re-
lation.
A dear old friend, one of the family,
further was needed to kindle Mr.. Me
Donald's altar fires. He was flint and
steel already. ''Wasting her sweetness
or curmudgeon, said Mr.. Dunstable
to himself. And if for minute he had
mind to give Mr.. Mcdonald something
to fret about, in another minute he
thought he would cut off his hand before
making Lucia any trouble.
$780," he said to her, when Mr.. Nc
Donald had walked off and left them as
n great dog leaves a couple of children
that have disturbed him, 'you have a
jailor-"
81 have the best of husband'sr' she
exclaimed. ''And adore him. Be-
side
Beside, mustn't talk to you that
way. Well, won't. / shouldn't like
him to speak so to my Kate. am go
ing to be married to Kate Despard-the
sweetest girl! ] must tell you about her
tomorrow. What hour will you be
alone?'
Tomorrow? Lucia had begun to re-
collect herself sufficiently to know that
her husbands wrath would be bright
and shining light tomorrow if such an
interview took place.
Tomorrow" she said. s'But have
an engagement. How long are you to
be in town. Only two daysP Let me see
I shall be at Aunt Marbury's to-mor-
row at three"
She knew the drift of her husband
thoughts too well, and he need not have
taken the trouble TO formulate pro-
pronunciamento. as he did at dinner.
"a married firt," said Mr.. McDon'
aid, apropos of little or nothing, franks
with the monstrous. Once convinced
of such deformity in a woman's char
acter, would not live with her al
hour
"By-the-way," said Lucia, the leas
bit TREMENDOUSLY, ''Tom Dunstable is 90
ing to be married"
"You are very familiar, Lucia; bu
why 'by-the-way?' Is Mr.. Dunstable I
firtp"
.'He? Oh, no! but Kate Despard is
and he is going to marry her"
He is to be pitied then" - =,
Eyes, Tom is the most faithful fellow
in existence. He will never forget tn,
time / saved him from Master Brown
lows's rage by taking the ferruling my
self"
.You, Lucia? And the hound let you
Well, I would thank him to forget
want no man with "reminiscences of m,
wife,
But the next day she was at her Aun
Marbury's to find Tom there before heI
and to listen to his enamored account Q
Kate Despard, his marriage, his hopes
his plans.
81 gave Kate q plain ring to wear a
a ruoddi,or rinor hy-apd-hvb said Tom