Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-05

with its carpet taken up and It's
curtains taken down, in preparation
| for the woman who was to come on
the morrow to scrub and to purify
the cold bread and fruit for tea, &C
cording to Walters simple tastes; the
impossibility of adding anything more
except cold meat and a salad, which
there was scarcely time to prepare;
her own unfinished toilet, when the
kitchen and pantry demanded her
presence on the instant, if the credit of
her tea-table was to be saved; her eyes
still red from tears, and that hateful,
hateful stripe of gray hair on either
side of her temples, while blonde hair
seldom change it's hue-all these
troubles massed themselves together
in one vast heap in poor Mrs. Hazel
deans mind, driving her nearly
distracted, as her husband knocked at
her bedroom door.
1--WE have an unexpected guest to
tea, darling" he said in low tone,
for she had not unlocked the door.
''On the boat [ met Miss Pontifex-
my cousin Mildred, you know. my
dear. She is going to Hyde Park on
a visit, and her luggage is there by
this time. But I persuaded her to
stop few hours with US and take tea,
and afterward you and will see her
to Hyde Park by the 9 o'clock train,
if you like, love-"
Mrs. Hazledean listened to this
agreeable programme in silence, COM
manding herself at its end sufficiently
to say.
Every well, Walter I am not
quite dressed. You must entertain
your cousin till tea is ready, and after
tea We will consult together about
your plan"
Cali right, love. Don't be long"
replied her husband, gaily, as he
| went down stairs.
Mrs. Hazledeau gave herself no
further time for thought. Dashing
| down into the kitchen by the back
stairs, she concocted salad as speed
lily as possibly, cut thin slices of cold
meat, and thicker slices of fruit and
sponge cake, sent the girl flying into
| the darkest recesses of the store room
for choice preserves, and with a last
order or two 10 the bewildered girl,
hurried back to her toilet.
The waving. curling tresses were
speedily BRAIDED and fastened up IN a
mass at the back of her head-a white
muslin dress, dotted with points, and
trimmed with pink ribbons under
lace, was quickly assumed; and after
bathing her eyes IN rosewater till the
/ traces of tears were entirely washed
away, the little wife tripped into the
cool parlor to welcome her unwelcome
guest.
A few moments afterward they
were seated around the tea-table, and
in the duties that devolved upon her
there, Lizzie had ample excuse for
silence.
But her husband and his guest con-
versed constantly. their talk going
back to the days of old, of which she
knew nothing, to persons and places
unknown to her, but familiar to their
earlier lives as household words.
She felt shut out from their very
existence, and sat in her place, grow
ing paler and paler, with every word
| that was exch anged between the two.
Once or twice she saw her husband
| looking at her, with an overcast and
troubled face.
Then he would turn once more to
the beautiful guest, and his eyes and
smile would brighten again; his voice
would take livelier and gayer tone.
She could not blame him; yet it cut
her to the very heart.
Tea over at last, and they adjourned
to the parlor. Unbidden, Mildred sat
down to the piano. She touched the
keys with a mastery skill and let her
rich, full soprano voice float out upon
the evening air, in operate love songs,
canzonets, ballads and old familiar
melodies known only to our eager days
of youth.
Walter leaned over the piano like
ore entranced. Mildred would say:
do you remember this?" ''Have
you forgotten that?" and then would
come another old-time song, to which
the lawyer seemed to listen with his
heart and soul.
'Hark! what was that?" said he
at length starting from the piano to
listen.
''The whistle of the last city train,
I fear" said Mildred, glaneing at the
toy watch at her girdle my train
will be here in very few minutes.
What happy, happy evening this
has been, and what a dear little home
you have here. Cousin Walter. And
dear little wife, too, if she will allow
me to say so in her presence" added
the siren approaching the corner
where poor Lizzie had sat alone, be-
lieving herself quite neglected and
forgotten.
Lizzie rose and received the compli-
ment, and made her adieu with rather
a CHASTITY smile.
No, she would not 60 with them in
the train to Hyde park, if she would
excuse her. She had bad headache
it had been coming on all day-and
she would be best in bed.
Sc the siren parted from Mrs. Ha-
zledean with well expressed regret
and light perfumy kiss, and Walter
went with her to the station and
thence to Hyde park, where he was to