Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12

going in the opposite direction wheE lit
tie May called aloud:
Don't you know he, Mr.-Mr. Stran
ger? I'm the little girl who lost hel
pennysyesterday, in the village, and you
were the kind gentleman to find ii foI
me?"
Grace would have given the world if the
child had not spok en-, for she had recog-
nized again, only too well, that tall, 1.-the
form and that free, swinging step. She
said TO herself: "He saw me; he was
hurrying away, and now this vexatious
child has called him back again; he will
think whispered to her to do it, and he
and his bride will jeer at me all the
more"
Stuy vesant Mortimer turned at Nays
call and coming up to the cart with quick
impulsiveness, cried, holding out MS
hand to the child:
'Why, so it is, absolutely my little
fairy, but now discousolate no longer
We are going on gate an expedition, too
aren't wef A picnic, or som ething like
it?'
Grace's whole body was a culver OF
nerves. She sat with her eyes downcast
and her face half averted, apparently
absorbed in studing her right hand, which
held the reins.
ooh, yes," answered May, son picnic,
And we're going to have such a jolly
time. Dom you wish you we're coming,
! too?"
"Of course do" with hearty sym
! pathetic laugh. Jolly times are not SO
frequent with me, I assure you, that
can afford to miss chance of one. But
will Miss-Miss-I beg pardon for not
knowing her name, allow mcleod God!
it is Grace herself"
! Up TO this moment he had been so en-
! crossed with the child thai he had only a
vague idea that there was a governess
sitting next to her; out who the COVER
ness was, or even if she were pretty, he
had no thought. But now, as he locked
up, rather expecting TO see some sour Wis
aged, middle-aged spinster, he beheld the,
downcast profile of the only woman who
had ever touched his heart, and who was
| looking all the more lovely because of her
! half-mourning.. dress and the traces of sor-
row and suffering on her face. Hence the
broker calculations with which he checked
! the request he had been about half sport
! lively to proffer.
| His hat, too, was off in moment. He
| looked SO eager, SO astonished, so glad,
so rapturous, all IN succession, that Grace,
who had turned to him colby at first was,
| herself astonished, and-shalI we say it?
stirred also to her Utmost heart.
"Miss Courtenay," said Mortimer, OBJ
| serving her agitation, and mastering his
own emotion with great effort, 81 have
been seeking you for months-ever since
my return from Europe, indeed. May
I" and the pleading tones of his
voice were eloqUence itself-"do in err
nest what | proposed just now issjest?
May join your little party? see that
you think hardly of me. Perhaps [ de-
serve it. But oh! give me chance at
| least to explain. Tha vilest criminal is
allowed that. Afterwards, if you say so,
[ will go away-forever-"
/ He did not wait for a reply in words.
He had always been masterful, and Grace
felt the old spell on her. She had no OBJ
| lection, therefore, when he went to the
dOnkev's head, and, muttering something
about "helping it to the HILL" took it by
the bride and led it to the top of the as
cent. Her heart was in such a fiutter that
she could not have spoken if she had
tried. Of course he found his opportrni-
| ty, and that before long. The beach was
only quarter of mile off, on the decliv-
| Iby O1 ble lllii D6LOW, anu When Ju0 cQIt
dren shoeless and stockingless, and with
many a shout, were dabbling in the water,
| he drew Grace's arm within his own, and
told his story, as he paced to and fro on
| the sands, with her by his side.
At first she had been cold, even haugh-
ty; for, after her surprise was over, she
| told herself that there could have been nc
mistake, that he was false to the core
that he was only, even now, seeking tc
amuse himself. But when he drew hel
arm within his own, when he looked into
| her eyes with his fearless look of limo
conce, and when he told his story in his
frank, manly, yet impassioned way, she
broke utterly down, and would have fallen
into his arms if it had not been for the
children playing so near. As it was, the
tears rolled along her cheeks, and he1
! eyes emphasized the low whisper in which
she begged forgiveness for having wrong
ed him, even when things seemed so pro
nounced against him.
"When your father failed and died,
he said, for we tell his story in his own
words, though less disjointedIy by fa1
''my impulse was to fly at once. But as
1 was not an accepted lover-as I did not
know, indeed whether | ever would be
your manner now makes me fear I have
and ever have had, but little to hope for
I had to wait the customary conven-
tionaI period before calling on you
Meantime thought it my duty to tell my
| father that [ loved YOU and that intend.
ed to tell you Sd the first moment 1 saw
you. l had expec ed some opposition
My father, also! good as he was to me
worthy as he was in some respects, had
that excessive love Of money which sc
many successful bankers acquire. He was
DESTROYS that I should marry an heiress
! RumOr had once linked my name with
that of Miss Marlton, but l had never
seriously thought of her. In fact, after
I saw you, at that first Patriarchs' ball
oh, shall ever forget it'll knew there
was but one woman in the whole world
that I could ever love. Stay, do not
shake your head. Hear me out. I owed
something; even you must admit, TO my
father. 1 was bound by duty-in some
degree, at least. Well, my father, after
stormy interview, proposed a compro
mise. If l went to yoL, he said, would
never forgive me. He did not believe il
my affection: it was only youthful fame!
were his words; as for you, he mad under
stood from your father, that an aliianct
for you had been settled elsewhere
False, you say? Thank you for the words
They are the first kind ones-do 5o1
know?-you have spoken to me. NJ
father, then, had been misinformed
But it staggered me. All! you say there
was some ground for it, as your father
had really wished such a match. AnG
YOU would have nothing to do with it