Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-08-13
LOVES WHISPER.


know she was afraid you would moi
come if did there is a splendid cir
down here, accomplished, and all thai
sort of thing. She can ride the widest
mustang you ever saw. | know YOU
are an awful woman-hater, and an old
bachelor of the worst type, but come
on. never had happy day till
was married. | thought | did, but ]
didn't Come sure. Yours, FRED"
Yes. Tom Burton was an "old
bachelor" ut least, so his gentlemen
friends agreed, his lady friends feared,
and Tom himself, oh, he was absolute.
Is sure of it! He always intended tc
b. one-they are so free and independ.
cnt, you know-and had sworn a sol.
cnn oath with his college chum and
bosom friend, Fred Lang, that never
no, neycr-would he bind himself to
any woman's capricious will.
Fred had given his pledge in return,
aud had, so Tom said contemptuously,
made quite respectable sort of q
bachelor until he fell an instantaneous
victim before the bewitching eyes OF
Alice Gray.
But never mind. He shouldn't mar
~ not he! Nevertheless, he conclud-
cd 10 accept the invitation extended
Just to see you, and to shoot a trifle.''
he wrote, and in just week from the
receipt of Fred's letter he stepped
from the train into that worthy's ex-
tended arms, and in a trice was whisk-
cd oil behind a pair of mustangs black
as Ercbus
They passed but few houses of any
note, and Tom began to 'chaff" Fred
Il little, telling him he lived among
sayages and unciyilized people, when
they turned the brow of hill, and Just
before them, back from the road half
hidden among the trees, rose large
white mansion, which had every APP
pearance of being the home of a man
OF wealth. Tom frightened up.
who lives thcrc?' said he.
"Ihat's whore JUDGE Hilton lives
father Of that girl wrote you about,
y'u know. Perhaps we'll 70 glimpse
Oi hci; she ,, gcecraly OUT in the gar
dcu IcS, tu"rr She /, now. Don't
Nnu see lriP'
Tom looked II, unfortunately, the
lG 9tto ,r.vaui- ii5 appeared on the
~, ! dressed IA ribaons and
tissues, c."l ana: cnpr> which, us
i ul -a..., 90 "nN at Wguid make a
!. 10. .a...,. fchr i"r ;, seek.
Gt, iu. one .t.nc. he turned his
l. et @4a = disguised 'llmpu!'
Fred seeing Toms disgust and its
u,r. laughed til his eye, swami with
t. =, ia: would not ollrr an eXplana-
- OF his conduct. though cmphatlcal-
u commanded to do SO.
Tie next morning the two men start
Ell out TO view the land aud talk over
cd times. + Iilyanas which Fred
IrougHl forth took up their attention
for some tim b, but before long many
and loud were the pcals of laughter
brought forth By the calling up OF
"hunks, 4" bolts" hazing escapades,
AVID Thousand and one wild freaks in
du'ged in during the bygone days.
Wcaricd with excessive laughter,
they sat down to rest beneath the wide
spreading branches OF an oak.
Fired, said Tom, .'have you told
that very particular little wife of yours
all these scrapcs we got intoP'
"Ill tell YOU what, Tom" replied
Fred oracularly, don't you ever tel
Mary Hilton 4 single scrape until you
are tied up tight On, of course, you'll
Say. Never going to marry her, and
all that; but you will, know you will
that is, if you are discreet. Ii you
tell her one single one, she'd never
look at you again Why, told Alice
about our giving Jones that emetic in
his coffee, you know. and about you
~, hat
and showing the boys that old shoe
you claimed was in the soup, and she
said if she had thought was so baC
she would never have had me at all
Ugh!'
And he shrugged his shoulders as il
in recollection of curtain lecture.
Tom smiled contemptuously at thi:
long speech, and laughed coolly as ht
answered:
lyon needn't worry, Fred; | proba
bly, shan't have an opportunity-at al
events shall not seek one. And as t.
my ever marrying her, or anyone else
il is absurd. If there was nothing else
her name cuts off her only chance. Nv,
sworn an oath never to marry a cir
whose name is Mary. | won't marry
one who cannot waltz and play thu
piano | have seen your Mary-she i
as black as ebony, comparatively, is a
homely as n hedge-fence, and L d wage
my head she can't tell one note from
another. But to say nothing of al
this, | shall never marry anyhow
Come on, let's go back to the house. :
The two men had barely disappear
ed, when from the thick branches o
the oak came a laugh as clear as tn
tinkle of mountain brook, and an in
slant later 4 young lady swung light.
from the boughs to the ground.
As she touched the soft turf, agail
the laugh rang out, and she shook
small white hand after the unconsciou
unfortunates who had so innocently be
trayed themselves.
Mary Hilton? Certainly. Who els
would be out so bright and early
climbing into all sorts OF places wit
all manner of fancies running throug
her busy brain! Describe her? Nc
He who attempts to paint a beautiful
woman with words as his colors mus
needs be possessed of q skillful hand t
do the subject justice.
A month passed. Tom met Mar
Hilton, and was surprised to find he
SO different from the figure he had see
when they drove past the judges.
He had come to be quite visitor q
the mansion. 1T was so lonely Their
Mt the house. you off at the ranch an
Alice al her housekeeping, he woul
say to Fred in excuse.
lie found magnificent piano at til
Judges, and, although Mary professe
Ignorance or lack of skill, Tom was n
mean performer, and he would pla
for hours, while the girl reclined
some easy-chair near and listened Ell
traneed.
At other times they would read som
common favorite, Tom finding an ~
preciative listener when he read, or {
stretched at full length at her feet O
the grass. and found it very pleasar
10 look up into the brown eyes i
which was Swallowed forth ever
thought or fancy of the author an
hear the sweet voice which Tom insis
Oh could be made to sing, but whie
he failed to hear accompanied by a
instrument
Another month passed. The veI
best month for game in the year, Ere