Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-24

good night"
Stay, Betty, the hour is early yet. :"
NAY, l think It's well [ bid you
good night"
She had opened the door, behind
which were abrupt oaken stairs that
led almost perpendicularly to her
| little chamber under the rafters, and,
with one foot on the lower step, she
turned her head, looking over her
shoulder to say good night.
mo, but you mas not CO." said he,
and he arose and went to 0etaln her,
Selling her by the hand, Then for
an instant the maid struggled, and
somehow, by chance it seemed, IN the
duration of that struggle the maid
became embraced by his strong arm,
SO that he perceived the exceeding
suppleness Of her slight figure; and as
her fair head for the time of one
| breath rested upon his broad breast,
and he caught the glance, half mod
est, half amused, from her untitled
eyes, then the strength he gleried in,
seemed TO depart from him, and the
maid, slipping gracefully, quietly,
from his OBTAINING grasp, fed up the
stairway.
Then the strong man stood there a
moment like one bewildered, and then
he heard the father laughing heart
lily.
Captain, said the old man, with
| all your strength the girl seems strong
er than you"
"Truly, she did give me the slip.
| My head is in q whirl, and nv heart
doth beat. What strange power hath
the maid9 Bid her come back, neigh
bar Lee"
Not tonight, captain. The girl, L
surmise, is better alone. She hath
said nay, [ think, tonight TO young
ii atthew, and it panied her to see his
grief"
'Yet Matthew is favored" said the
captain.
"Not for her.
81 wonder if Matthew ever felt her
soft touch, and her head resting for
an instant on his breast, though by
accidents Il SO. did it unman him
and take his strength away2 l will
not wait here any longer, neighbor
Lee. [ am strangely at unrest. I
wonder If the fever is creeping In my
veins. / burn SO hotly. ! will go in
to the cold air"
With mighty strides the strong
llmbed captain went down the high
way, for he was beset with strange,
peculiar excitement which he had
never before known.
Hath the maid the power of sorcery
that she bewitches me?'
''She doth unman me, and I have
no strength of mind Or body under
Der glance and voice. Yet strange it
is It's pleasurable. Truly it is. I lie
not unto myself. Ills pleasurable. I
know not the mystery of it. And
when she struggled to free herself,
and / did perceive her soft touch,
with SO much of strength withal, I
tingled, truly did, to my finger tips;
nor was it painful; ans when in the
struggle her head did rest here on my
chest for an instant | knew not my
self at all, but was unknown and
plant as q vine, Yet did like it,
Truly did, thong SO slight thing
as she could have grasped her in my
big fist, thus, and crushed-no, had
her in this hand, trow, had she
wished it, my fingers would have
been powerless.
Then the strong man unused and
was perplexed with fascinating per-
plexity. Then when the bedtime
came, he read his Bible, read the story
Of Ruth again, and then repeated his
evening prayer.
Suddenly he arose from his knees,
his face aglow with excitement. ''The
Lord hath instructed me! The Lord
hath instructed me!' he said, 1T
shall be done tomorrow" And with
that determination he slept peaceful
~.
Next morning, an hour after sun
rise, while Betty Lee sat at her loom,
weaving busily, she heard some one
calling: Betty Betty Leer'
There at the gate, in full uniform,
with cockadvd hat and sword IN his
belt, and astride his horse, high-spirit-
ed as himself, she saw the valiant
Captain Marvin.
Come here, Betty. I have a COM
munication to make, - said he.
She obeyed him now, going close
beside the horse and looking up to
that mighty Captain with inauiring
glance.
He took his hat from his head, and,
bending to her, said: Betty Lee, the
Lord hath commanded me to marry
you"
She searched his eyes an instant
and saw the truth in them; then, the
rich color tingeing her cheeks, her
eyes now downcast, she hesitated a
brief moment, and then in low bat
clear tones said gently: "The Lords
will be done, Reynold."
He quickly leaped to the ground,
and, putting both hands beneath her
shoulders, lifted her lightly till her
lips met his, and then, still holding
her thus suspended, said: 1--WE shall
be called in church the next Lords
Day, Betty"
''Your will is mine hereafter" she
answered gently, and then with
smile, added. ''out put me or the
earth again, Reynold2"
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