Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-05

! 1--WE did not think she had much mu-
steal taste. She has given it up entire
ly lately, and | only use the piano"
Given it up to wash miners
Clothes" thought the young man, as
he dashed into one of Strauss iveliest
waltzes, showing himself to be an ac-
complished pianist.
As he played an unaccountable de-
sire to see how the owner of the piano
got along with her heavy work seized
| him; but he could not tie himself
| away gracefully from the lively Leola
all at once, so he fingered until after
| dinner when taking his hat and num-
bling something about the station he
| followed the path Jette had taken in
| the early morning.
He passed rapidly along under the
cool shades, the path seemed to lead
| him toward u great rock upon the
mountain side; but suddenly it wound
around the base of this rock, where
! the messy plat by its side reclined Jette
| Hastings, fast asleep, her little face
resting upon her toil-worn hand. Her
work was all forgotten, the large kettle
| filled with garments put on to boil, but
the fire was early out beneath it.
Burt Fay took in the situation at
glance; the tired girl had been resting
while her clothes were boiling, and had
fallen asleep.
He looked with an eye of pity on the
fair young girl, all too slender for such
heavy work, and then without unneces-
sary noise he piled the dying fire with
fagots, and Selling the pail her fill
ed the waiting tubs with pure spring
water and cautiously retraced his steps.
Meanwhile Jette was far away in the
| land of dreams. At first these dreams
were confused and hazy, but after a
| time dreamland seemed to resolve itself
| into q certainty, and small, slight,
but coal black gnome stood before her
| His eyes were like points of light, and
he seemed made of the glittering coal
| Jette was so used to seeing.
She gazed steadily at him, SO strange,
yet seeming so benign.
''Jette Hastings" the curious being
| said, Il am the Coal Sprite. The time
Of your sorrow is short. You will think
| that you are WrOnged, but take that
which is offered you. The Coal Sprite
| has come to your assistance, and sOor
| Will bear your burdens from you"
And now he picked up her pals and
filled her tubs with the glittering water
Of the spring.
She stirred slightly and opened her
eyes, and what was her astonishment
to see young man working busily over
| her tubs.
Jette closed her eyes until he had
| finished his work and departed, and
then she sprang to her feet, saying to
herself
What a strange thing, and why
should he fill my tubs? He must be
one of those engineers, and is certainly
kind-hearted. And then the vividness
Of her dream drove ali else from her
mind. The Coal Sprite! What
strange dream! And | can remember
every word it said, too" And she re-
peated word for word the singular
dream, and finished by copying it in
her notebook.
Then she glanced at the well-filled
tubs, and laughing softly, said,-
"What must he til nix of me to sleep
in such an open place? l wonder who
| he can be?''
But she returned to the Mountain
House that evening with lighter
heart.
HAS the administrator been here?"
she asked when she met Mrs. Hastings
in the kitchen.
Eyes; and he has decided to give you
the highest part, and it will be settled
upon you by-and-by."
But [ want my property now"
said Jette, bitterly. And it's Just as
[ supposed; 1 shall have to take the
poorestpart.
You will take what the law gives
you, replied Mrs. Hastings, sternly.
"And the law gives us eighteen months,
and we have decided to wait the entire
time"
Jette felt very angry, but the words
of her dream came back to her with
strange force.
Take that which is offered YOU.
You will think that you are wronged.
but take that which is offered you"
She crowded back her anger, and
made no reply.
When Leola came in to tea that
night. flushed and triumphant, with
Mr.. Fay in attendance, Jette flushed
hotly; but she remembered that he had
thought her sleeping, and SO she feign-
ed utter uncOnsciousness.
The companions of Mr.. Fay joined
him the next day, and the work on the
new road began; but all his evenings
were spent at the Mountain House, and
in some way brighter days for Jette
Hastings began also.
The young man spent almost every
leisure moment by her side, proposing
to give her lessons on her mothers pi-
ano. Jette very gratefully accepted
unawed by Mrs. Hastings frown, and
she progressed rapidly in spite of every
obstacle.
One day Leola and her mother held
consultation all by themselves.
This must be put stop to- said
the young lady with tears in her eyes;
she fancied she loved Burt Fay very
dearly. "She is SO set up learning to
play that she thinks she will come be-
tween us if she can"