Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-01-31


had been sent to one of the mines, and
after the first meeting between him
and Florence he made it convenient TO
see her often. Young love is eager and
| impatient. He had won her consent to
his proposal, and was urging her to
allow him to see her father, but she
feared her fathers anger when he
should learn that she not only rejected
Bill but had accepted the engineer
whom he SO hated.
She had told her lover of her fathers
nlanS and be bad tried TO nersuade her
20 marry him privately and then tell
1er father when too late for him to
prevent the marriage, but Florence
persuaded him to be patient, and to
hope with her that her father did not
mean to force her into a marriage with
his friend, but of late she was COM
PEELED to feel that unless she escaped
from her fathers power he would COM
pei her to the hateful marriage.
As she stood in the doorway she saw
the 1.-the form of her lover coming
towards her, and she was soon in his
arms. Above the average height, with
the bluest, tenderest eyes, broad, low
brow over which fell waves of dark
hair, clean cut, oval face, sweet, melo-
diOus voice, a winning manner, gentle
manly, intelligent, educated, chival-
rOus, devoted, could any woman hope
for better favored lover? Not Flor
for he was the idol of her heart.
''Why SO pale, Flor? Has your father
been tOrturing you, my sweet?"
''He says | am to marry Mr.. Preston
next Thursday, and what shall do,
Harold? What shall / do?"
That's easily answered, my love.
You must marry me before Thursday.
It's no time to turn from me. | have
: yielded to your sweet will as long as |
safely could; now you must yield to
me for | am not going to lose my bonny
bride. III bring a minister and q
couple of friends and you'll marry me
tomorrow night. | would take you
away entirely if | could, but | can not
leave the mines till the company sends
on another man to take my place. AS
it is | will take you to my room at the
hotel as soon Us you're my wife, and
defy Bill Preston to come near you
there, for all the miners are my friends,
you know"
She consented to all his arrangements
except leaving her fathers home during
his absence. She finally persuaded
Harold to allow her to remain until her
fathers return which would be on We'd
nesday, the day after her marriage to-
Harold. She felt that as soon as her
father and Bill knew that she was
Harold S wife they would yield to the
inevitable, and though they would be
angry, they would see the uselesSness
of reproaches, and her father might be
persuaded to receive Harold with at
least as much kindness as he had ever
shown her.
Harold on the other hand had no
such hopes. He knew that he would
not be forgiving, but as he feared no i'll
usage of Flor by the two men he yield
ed to her entreaties and consented to
leave her till Thursday when she was
to 90 to him at his hotel.
At last he left her and she entered
the lonely hut. She felt no fear for
she had passed weeks alone, and pre-
ferred the solitude to the companion
ship of her father and Bill Preston.
The morning of Flor's wedding day
dawned. Poor, lonely For! How she
longed for her loving aunt or gay cous-
inst How she wept at her MOTHER
lonely grave under the ever-sighing
pines! At last the sad day ended. She
dressed herself in the tleecy white dress
she had worn on the eve Of her gradu-
alton. As she lay. on the rude cot,
sobbing in unrestrained emotion, her
head was lifted and PillOwed on the
shoulder of her lover.
''Why darling! Ny ownr' and with
softest words and tenderest caresses he
sOothed and Gained her. He had come
IN advance of his friends, and they en-
tered by the time Flor was composed
enough to greet them.
The ceremony was soon performed,
and not long after the strangers left
the welded couple by themselves. The
next morning after fond and encour-
aging words Harold left his bride and
fastened to the mines.
Early in the afternoon her father and
Preston appeared. Preston assumed
the air of an accepted lover and ex-
pectant bridegroom, attempting caress-
es and using rough terms of endear-
ment, and Dick and he made many
coarse Jokes to each Other and to Flor
about the wedding of the next day.
Flor was filled with vague alarm, and
regretted not yielding TO Harold's
pleadings of the morning, and she de-
cided to elude the men and seek Har-
Odds protection soon as possible.
As soon as it was dark she stole TO
large rock which she and Harold had
used as a post-office, for he had said he
would leave note there at sunset.
Kissing the note she hid it in her bosom
and turned to retrace her steps, so that
CHI io-,+ 1r-bo TO
find him, if she could escape her per-
secutors that night AS she turned
strong arm encircled her, and Preston
frowned upon her.
You can give me that precious note,
my dear. I'm kinder anxious to see a
note that's worth so much kissin', an
its no ways right, to my notions, for
my wife that's to be, to be gittin' notes
secret and unbeknown to me. Won't,
eh? Well, guess [ can take it, my
/ bCl, no ~