Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-30

their set
He could have counted his friends then
by the hundred, and now-"poverty does
make a difference" he thought bitter
ly.
All who had it in their power to aid
him had turned cold shoulder. He was
simply poor man seeking employment,
and he felt at odds with the world.
Rhetta, grown suddenly shy, pulled
away the dead leaves. Newport! Nahant!
And people like the Porters for intimate
friends.
It seemed to remove Ralph far from
her quiet life, and to set him where she
had no part.
The basket ph@ton was now seen re-
turning down the street, with it pretty
occupant, who stopped her ponies oppo-
site the cottage with such an evident in
tention to speak to Ralph Calender that
he at once went out of the garden and
stood in the road at her side. Rhetta saw
them shake hands in the most friendly
manner, heard Roses musical laughter
| and sweet voice, though she could not
distinguish the words; and in few mo-
ments more, to her surprise, Ralph step
ped into the ph@ton, sat down by Rose,
took the reins IN his hands and drove
and smile, which to Rhetta seemed to
say:
''She is an old friend, you see.''
But when he did not come home to din
ner, she thought it strange. Her father
and Aunt DOrcas made no comment, for
Ralph had often been absent at that hour
when seeking for employment. Rhetta
did not mention that he drove away with
l,
watched them came during the" afternoon
and spoke of it with great interest.
Aunt DOrcas at once felt great inter
est, too, and Rhetta found it so trying to
listen to their remarks and surmises that
she slipped out of the house to her gar
den, and did hard work wedding in her
flower beds for two hours without spar
ing herself. But she heard every step
that passed on the sidewalk, and knew
that Ralph Calender did not come.
The afternoon waned restlessly away.
He would surely come back by supper
time, and Rhetta, in fresh gown, with
pansies at her belt, hummsd little songs
as she moved about setting the table for
Aunt DOrcas.
81 wouldn't put on that dish of honey"
said Aunt Dorcas, mot till you see wheth
er he's coming.
ooh, he'll come" said Rhetta, but she
stopped singing.
Mr.. Wood came in, washed his hands
and face at the sink, and sat down to his
place at the table. Aunt Dorcas passed
PIN cup of tea.
'Where's Calender" he asked looking
around.
"Why, haven't you heard?" said Aunt
Doroas. "He drove off with Rose Porter,
and we haven't caught sight of him
since"
s'Tha Porters are old friends of his,''
said Rhetta, flushing up.
alum! hum" muttered her father, as
he drank his tea from the saucer, in which
he had cooledit.
Aunt Dorcas now questioned the girl as
to all she knew about this old friendship,
and at the close said, with the air Of one
who meant to do her duty by all, no mat
ter how msroilessly:
"Well, like as not they'll make a match
of it. Birds OF g feather flock together"
Supper was over, cleared away, and all
the dishes washed, but still Ralph Callen-
der did not come. AS it grew dark, Mr..
Wood strolled off to chat with the neigh
borS, and Aunt Dorcas, putting on her
bonnet and black silk shawl, went to the
from comment, went up into her little
garden and leaned against the plum tree,
with strange, dull pain gnawing at her
heart. 1t seemed like days and weeks
since Ralph dove away with smiling
pretty Rose Porter. And she herself had
begun to think of him as somehow her
own. That very morning, under that
very tree, there had been in his looks
nd in M
that had filled her heart with happiness.
But now it was all over; in an instant she
had lost him. Rose Porter has taken him
away, and though he might come back, he
never, never be the same Ralph again.
She felt girlish certainty of that. The
little pright dream was over.
At first she did not blame Rose Very
probably she had loved him two years ago,
and hadsbeen Influenced to give him up
on account Of his poverty, and now, re-
GREETING the step, had come to reclaim
him.
"WeI, | can take my tarn, and give
him up, too thought Rhetta' with great
hot tears springing TO her eyes. "Only
never can drive after him and bring him
back in pheton."
And at that she threw herself upon the
dewey grass and wept unrestrainedly. She
was too young to be capable of the ter
rible fearless sorrow with which an older
woman may meet bereavement and heart
break. She only knew that everything
had changed since morning. that Ralph
had gone away, that she was very, very
wrectched, and that no one must know
of it.
The frefies flashed in the grass, the
flowers were heavy with dew, the full of
the fragrance of mignonette, heliotrope
and roses, but Rhetta did not heed them,
she only felt that night was kind to make
such darkness and solitude in the garden
that no one could hear her, or see her,
poor miserable little Rhetta Wood, crying
for lost happiness that had really new
er been hers. And now 1T seemed to her
that Rose was cruel, from the midst of
her wealth, her luxury, aud her dozens
of lovers, to come swooping down upon
this one chance of bliss in a lifetime.
For Rhetta was sure that in all the years
to come she should never, never marry
That was all over from this time forth.
The crickets humme3 about her, the
NIGHT moths brushed by her unheeded: