Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-13
LOVES WHISPER.

Dear Tom,-Come down and see
us. We have very pleasant place,
and there's lots of shooting off south
from here, and (well, will say it, for
all promised Alice [ wouldn' t-you
know she was afraid you would not
come if | did) there is a splendid girl
down here, accomplished, and all that
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 a happy day till /
was married. [ thought 1 did, but I
didn't. Come sure. Yours, FRED"
Yes. Tom Burton was an sold
bachelor" at least, so his gentlemen
friends agreed, his lady friends feared,
and Tom himself, oh, he was absolute
~ sure of it! He always intended to
be one-they are so free and independ-
ent, you knCw-and had sworn a sol
emn oath with his college chum and
bosom friend, Fred Lang, that never
no, never-would he bind himself to
any wOman's capricious will.
Fred had given his pledge in return,
and had, so Tom said contemptuously,
made quite a respectable sort of
bachelor until he fell an instantaneous
victim before the beWitching eyes of
Alice Gray.
But never mind. He shouldn't mar
ry-not he! Nevertheless, he conclud-
ed to accept the invitation extended
'.just to see you, and to shoot a trife,
he wrote, and in just a 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-
ed off behind pair of mustangs black
as Erebus.
They passed but few houses of any
note, and Tom began to F'chaff' Fred
little, telling him he lived among
sayages and uncivilized 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
of wealth. Tom frightened up.
''Who lives there?' said he
That's where Judge Hilton lives
father of that girl | wrote you about.
you know. Perhaps we'll get glimpse
of her; she's generally out in the gar
den. Yes, there she is now. Don't
you see her?"
Tom looked, but. unfortunately, the
mulatto eerVant-girl appeared on the
walk, gayly dressed in ribbons and
plumes, combining colors which, as
Tom said, ITO look at would make a
mans head ache for week
Giving but one glance. he turned his
head with disguised ''Humphr'
Fred seeing Toms disgust and its
cause, laughed till his eyes SWAN with
tears, but would not offer an eXplaua-
ton of his conduct, though emphatical-
ly commanded to do so.
The next morning the two men start
ed out to view the land and talk over
old times. The Hayanas which Fred
brought forth took up their attention
for some time, but before long many
and loud were the peals of laughter
brought forth by the calling up of
''iunks," ''bolts," hazing escapades,
and 4 thousand and one wild freaks in
dulged in during the bygone days.
Nearied with excessive laughter,
they sat down to rest beneath the wide
spreading branches of an oak.
Erred, said Tom, '.have you told
that very particular little wife of yours
all these scrapes we got into?"
IN tell you what, Tom" replied
Fred oracularly, don't you ever tell
Mary Hilton q single scrape until you
are tied up tight. Oh, of course, you'll
say, Never going to marry her, and
al that; but you will, know you will
that is, if you are discreet. If 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
getting up and making that speech,
and showing the boys that old shoe
you claimed was in the soup, and she
said if she had thought [ was so bad
she would never have had me at all.
UgbI'
And he shrugged his shoulders as if
in recollection of a curtain lecture.
Tom smiled contemptuously at this
long speech, and laughed cooiiy as he
answered:
you needn't worry, Fred: proba
bly, shan have an opportunity-at all
events | shall not seek one. And as to
my ever marrying her, or anyone else,
it is absurd. If there was nothing else,
her name cuts off her only chance. I've
sworn an oath never to marry a girl
whose name is Mary. | won't marry
one who cannot waltz and play the
piano. | have seen your Mary-she is
as black as ebony, comparatively, is as
homely as hedge-fence, and I'd wager
my head she can't tell one note from
another. But to say nothing of all
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 of
the oak came laugh as clear as the
tinkle of mountain brook, and an in
slant later a young lady swung lightly