Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-22
I had not strolIed far when I saw

1
s4tion, blonde of about sixteen, and
OF considerable beauty; accompany
ing her were two, evidently sisters,
but of an entirely different style of
beauty-decidedly brunettes, and OF
very graceful figures and easy car
riage
Feeling a little awkward in my
change of dress, ana thinking that
every one would notice it, l turned as
if 10 look at q sailing vessel, whose
graceful outline could be distinctly
seen rising and falling to the waves.
While standing 50 and waiting for
them to pass | was utterl y perplexed
by the blonde, who at that moment
seemed to see me, and with an ex-
clamation Of
"Why, Charley, you 4tnaughty
truant, where have you been?" She
threw a pair lovely arms around nay
neck, and before [ could draw back
had imprinted delicious kiss upon
my lips.
I was utterly dumfounded, but be
fore I could stanamer out any at
tempt at an explanation she added:
"You dear, stupid, Overgrown boy,
why did you not come direct to the
hotel and take us out to bathe2 Here
are my friends, Mabel and Annie
Gray. We would have gone with
you"-and adding Ia a whisper-''I
want you to admire Mabel; isn't she
lOvely9" And thea followed an intro
duction. while still I stood utterly be-
wildered.
What could I do? I felt myself the
reature of dream from which it
would be a cruelty to nayself to wake,
beside it would be useless then to try
to say a word, for as if she were car
rying out an already studied plan that
I, her supposed brother, should fall in
love with Mabel, she, whom I must
call the blonde had moved on with
the younger sister Annie.
For a few seconds [ walked along
by the side of nay companion, utterly
perplexed as to what should say or
do. Il was evident that I had been
mistaken for some ono else-the
brother of the one who had so singu-
larry saluted me, and IN ali probabil
ity the clothes that I was wearing had
been the cause of the mistake.
But what could I do2 It seemed to
me to be absurd to say to Mabel, who
appeared to be unconscious of my en-
barrassment, Or if she were conscious,
attributed my silence to the mex
perience of youth. Lady, I am not
he who you think I am-the brother
of the most beautiful beng who has
SO lovingly embraced me. tits true
| wear his clothes, ornamented with
fancy buttons, and scarf, whose pin
of hearts transfxed with arrows, had
led to this mistake. But it was by an
error of him to whom they belong
that ] am wearing them" It woula
have been awkward, to say the least,
to have volunteered this explanation
in a crowded fashionable thorough
fare to one to whom I ought to have
been an utter stranger, and further,
[ could not tell how she might act
1t might occasion &c scene of which /
had the fear arising from lnexperi-
ence
l therefore determined to maintain a
prudent silence and wait develop
ments. The sister was already out of
sight, probably in furtherance of the
desire to hurriedly express that her
brother should have the opportunity
to win the love of her favorlte school
friend Mabel.
But was I SO disposed, had I been
the brother that I was supposed to
be?
Such naight have been the case, for
Mabel was beauti full beyond a doubt,
with eyes that seemed to command
rather than woo ones admiration, and
with figure perfect IN movement as
in grace and form.
But had seen the sister of the un-
known whose clothes ( wore. [ had
felt her arms around my neck, [ had
seen her eyes look INTO mine, and had
felt the pressure of her lips, and was
conquered. / felt new life borne
within me, new hopes, new aspira-
tons and quickened impulse rising
into love that made nae blind 60
Mabel's beauty, had she been thous-
and times lovelier than she was.
The silence, however, was at last
broken by my companion, who said
Your sister has been uneasy about
you, she was afraid that you would
not be here in time for the hop this
evening"
Indeed" Iisaid, scarcely venturing
TO add more.
YES" said my fair companion,
''she told nae that you had overwork-
eel yourself and seemed afraid that
your health was yielding to the
strain, but [ think her fears were
oroundlrsS
To this | scarcely ventured any
reply for fear of bungling. I had my
clew, and that was this: There was
going to be a hop" at the-hotel
that evening, and my fair friend evi-
IDENTIFY intended to attend in company
with the Unknown" Fortunately
had brought with me an evening suit
for change. I determined therefore
to be there, and hoped, after an ex-
PLANTATION with the Unknown, who
had no doubt would be there, to OBJ
tain proper introduction to the sister,
for whom had obtained a most ar
\ i e