Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-13
FIIZHERBERT.

My name is John Smith-plain Smith,
without change or addition of vowel
and was in no way discontented with it
till fell in love with Kate Rogers. Kate
had never sneered at all, but her elder
sister Miranda, had more than once hint
ed that it was neither romantic nor un-
common; and her father in his somewhat
lengthy discourse about the British
aristocraoy, had an aggravatiDg way of
looking apologetically at me every time
he spoke of "a go0G name"
In our commercial community, Smith
was counted a better name than Rogers,
and young Smith, the rising cotton brok
er more distinguished member of society
than old Rogers, ex captain of Dragons,
who could scarcely pay his $50 rent and
never wore decent hat
Iquite agreed with my neighbor on these
points till L fell in love with Kate and
grew familiar with Miriam las sentiments
above "the ignorance of PhiIistine River
bank"
Captain Rogers was decended from Fitz
roger, who came over with the conqueror,
and, as listened reverently to the history
of the family progress through eight CEN
turtles, there was q total collapse of my
once foolish pride in beloning to what a
local paper called zone of the Oldest fam
lilies in Riverbauk." For Riverbank was
scarcely as old as my father, having
grown into a town which speed rarely
equalled on this side of the Atlantic.
In general way 1 did not undervalue
myself, but it was with deep sense of
humility that I i'm plored the defendant
of Fitzroger TO become my father-in-law.
We were alone together in the dining
room of the thirty pound-house, he sit
ting in the shabby armchair, ] standing
on still shabbier hearthrug. He looked
at the Battle Roll of Hastings" which
hung over the mantlepiece, and down at
the fire, kept low bysecomical Miranda.
Then, having weighed the past glories of
Fltzroger against the present price of
Goals he accepted my proposal with the
magnificent condesensiOn of king con-
senting, for certain state reasons, TO be.
stow the hand of royal princess on an
aspiring subject.
So Katie and L were engaged, and for a
time l was supremely happy. 1 was not
quite vain enough TO share my darling's
opinion that 1, John Smith, was better
worth worshipping than all Carlyle's
Heroes" put together; but | was rather
easily convinced that was far too fine a
fellow TO fear any rival. So when Katie
went on visit to London there was no
bitterness in my regret, for believe in
her-snd myself.
At first / was not disturbed by Miriam
da's boasts about the advantages her
sister was enjoying in 1.-The BEST society,""
but when the London visit extended for
weeks and months beyond its original
limit began to feel vaguely uneasy. Ia
those days Katie's letters, though loving,
were not long, and she more than once
apolog' zed for their brevity by plead
ing "a particular engagement" the
nature of which she never explained
Ky confidence sank, my jealousy arose.
AT last she came home, and then
aotIced change in her that seriously
alarmed me. She was paler and quieter
and at times there was wistful look in
her eyes, suggestive of something in her
mind. Il could not be anxiety about
her fathers pecuniary affairs, because
about that time he appeared in a new hat,
and Miranda kept better fires. These
outward end visible signs of prosperity
@ould lave given me sincere pleasure if
it had not been for the suspicion that old
Rogers was more than ever disposed to
take the Norman Conquest tone with me,
and for the certainty that Miranda's
sneers at "people who could not count
their grandfathers" were all for my bene-
lit.
What did this sort of thing mean?
Had Katie been tempted away from me
by a lover with q longer pedigree?
Would Rogers tell me some day, like the
father In old fashioned romanoe, that he
had 'other views for his daughter
One evening l called much later than
usual, having been detained by an i'm
portant busin ess matter in the neighbor-
ing ci'y of Shipley. The outer door of
the house was open, and I, in my usual
way, turned the handle of the vestibule
door and walked into the drawing room,
which appeared to be empty. L was Just
going TO ring the bell for the servant
when l heard a pleading little voice be-
hind me:
ooh, / say, Jack, don't do that"
1t was the voice of Bob, the youngest of
Kstie's many brothers and turning sharp
~ around, ] saw his scared little face
peeping between the curtains drawn a.
cross the bow window.
''Come here, dear, old Jack" he eu-
treated, land stay with me until she goes
past"
"What she?" asked, as 1 stepped be-
hind the curtains to find Bob.s hitherto
invisible form clad in a nightgown.
Miranda" he added in a tragic
whisper.
Bob had blue eyes and golden hair and
in his white array he looked like an angel
in picture. But rightly guessed that
he had descended from the upper regions
that night on no angelic mission.
Il thought she was safe up in the lum-
Der room for the next half hour" he ex
planned, ''and l got out of bed and was
slipping down in the kitchen for taste
of the new jam. knew it was my only
eharce. She's so beastly mean about it
when it's in pots. just got to the hall
when 1 heard her sneaking down stairs,
so I ran in here. She's IN the dining
room now and 1 don't know whether she
is going up again now or down to the
Kitchen"
"Don't be q coward, my boy" l said,
feeling it my duty to be moral. ''Of
course Miranda will scold you if she finds
you, but you must bear it like man."
s.Scold," repeated Bob, with sc m in
his subdued tones. do you think I'd
care if it was only thatf"
I understood the full peril of the situa-
ton now. Miranda prided herself on
doing mothers duty to the motherless