Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-11-13

said one day; bat perhaps it will do
me good. Shes nice little woman,
all the same, and ought to have made
some man a good wife long before
this"
''She may yet, SAID the credn man,
briefly; he happened'to overhear.
One morning, two or three months
| later, the cashier cast a knowing look
in the direction of Mr.. George Bailey,
and in the course of the next half hour
| inquired in a discreetly lowered voice
if Mr.. B. had any idea where he had
| been last night and what he b ad seen
by being there.
"No, replied George. Where were
you and what did you see?"
Theatre" said the cashier. II was
up in the first balcony, in the front
row, you know; best seats in the
house; wouldn't sit anywhere else;
and along in the second act [ happen
ed to look down, and there right under
me, SO help me gracious, wsls-who'd
you s'pose?"
''Couldn'tguess, responded Bailey,
briefly; "who?"
"Old John; that's who! Old John,
do you understand? | haven't seen
the top of that head every day for
four years for nothing. And who
who-who 10 you think was with
him"
so, that Dubuque man-Shank, Or
| whatever his name ISL"
"Not at all, cried the other, with
great citation; 'not at all The person
with him was an accomplished phono-
grapher and typewriter operator, g.s
I'm a living sinner. You ought to
have seen them. It was the Lady of
Lyons They mingled their tears
together. Old John hasn't been to a
play for years, and tender as chick
en- don't express it. And Miss Grant
WAS"
care you telling nae, asked Bailey,
''that Old John has been taking Miss
Grant to the theatre?'
81 am"
Bailey gave q prolonged whistle.
s'The dime museum is nowhere" he
simply said.
A week later he received another
surprise; this time from the boy who
was death On girls"
Bailey was in the deep recesses of
the stock when a juvenile figure came
siding up to him and a juvenile voice
asked:
''Say, have you heard the latest?
Do you know what he's been givin'
her? Shall I tell you?'
"Who the deuce is he and who the
deuce is 'her'?" severely asked the ex-
asperated Bailey. ''What are you Civ
ing me, anyhow?"
Its pair of canary birds in a gilt
cage, and a fine thing all around, I'm
telling you. [ know the fellow that
took them up to her place-on the
North Side, you know"
care you telling me, demanded
Bailey, torn by conflicting emotions,
''that John Boxtoe has been giving
Miss Grant o. cageful of canary birds?
Well, she won't want any parrot
now"
Yes, old John had been taking Miss
Grant to the play and had bestowed
numerous small gifts upon her, besides
testifying his appreciation of her in
numerous ways that never became
public; and late on certain Deem
| Der afternoon he took the final step for
which everything before had been
merely preparatory. On this occasion
he hastily entered his own private
Office with three Or four private letters
which had arrived by late mail and
must be attended to, he sand, before
the close of business hours. So Miss
Grant Immediately got out her book
and her pencils and was soon deeply
immersed in a communication relat-
ing to a case of overshOes that had
started for Peoria but had never got
there. Then followed two or three
others of general similar nature. They
all related to matters of very simple
character and were not especially diff
ferent from many others that had left
the establishment during the last
month or two; but the two made very
slow progress. Old johns usual
fuency seemed to have quite deserted
him; he kemmed and hawed, and
stammered, and altered, and repeated
and made very bad business of a
very simple and ordinary matter.
"Well, that's all for now" he said,
after long pause had followed the
completion of the last answer of all.
''Or, no" he went on, as Miss Grant
turned aside to uncover her machine,
''there'll be just one more yet. Now;
are you ready9 My dear madam;
dear madam; have you got that down?
Ny dear madam"
This is for lady, apparently,
said Miss Grant, looking up with an
amused smile.
Eyes, it is, replied old John. My
dear madam, | hope pou will not be
not be disagreeably surprised if
T.
Poor old fellow! how he stumbled
and Numbered How much he said.
and unsaid, and Tesaid before he had
even got fairly under way! How he
blushed, and fdgeted, and perspired,
until in his desperation he was forced
to boldly take the bull by the horns
and finally say his say in tive Or three