Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-19
help, and she would not refuse it.

| scraps OF ruled paper covered with ngures.
''Come avail come awa'r' he cried, his
| brow clearing; "Pm wearyin' to talk to
you. My puir head is just dazed with try
| ing to understand whaur Pm going, and
what it viii cost meP'
Gas to where you are going, uncle, may
help YOU to find out; but as to the cost, you
must ask Nine. Debrisay; she knows all
about French railways"
"And when will she be in?"
s.Not till six, or half past"
"Aweel, have something quite private
to saw to your own self, and I'd best tackle
that first''
He stopped abruptly, and began to gath
| er I'D the papers and books somewhat nerv.
ously.
''I am all attention, uncle.''
Its delicate matter to speak ABBOTT,
| but | feel bound to do it, for your ain good,
| and-and benefit; and so I'll just speak my
| mind"
| This with some hesitation, ending with
a sudden assumption of resolution, steadily
| avoiding his niece's eyes at the same time.
Certainly, Uncle Sandy"
| s'There's that lad Kenneth - he went on,
in his thin, hIgh-pitched, querulous voice;
''a fine young man, steady and weel-dis-
posed; what for Gamma you max up your
mind to wed him? He's awful fond of you,
and ye seem good friends together. Why
Gamma you make it up?"
II thought" returned Mona, gravely and
calmly, though she felt that the tug Of war
had come, 81 thought told Kenneth that
though liked and valued him, feared
| could not give him wifely affection. He
! ought to have been satisfied"
"And wha wad TAX lassie's first mop"
First or last, my dear uncle, my answer
| would be the same"
! "Dinna say iti'' cried Uncle Sandy, earn
estly. 81 am just in a difficulty. Ye see,
[ always promised to look after Kenneth
| before [ knew / should ever see my poor
! brothers grille. AweeI, I'd like to leave
my bit o. money to both of you, and ye see,
| if you were wed, it would be keepit to-
gether."
Dear uncle" said Mona, smiling, "do
not let that trouble you. Leave everything
| you like to Kenneth; men want money
much more than women, and am young.
L think can earn my own bread with
Madame Debrisay's help; SO do not let any
| thought of me interfere with Kenneth. I
have made up my mind to be your escort
| to Contrexeville, and I hope you will return
SO well as to be quite independent of us all
| ''Eh! that will never be, my lassie-ney
eri But you have di-anpointed me; only
| don't give up yet. have just set my heart
on match between you and Kenneth.
Eli we'd a. be happy at Craigdarroch; he'd
! look to the lands and the basties, and you
would mind the house and watch your
puir auld uncle's last days. Then a. would
! be yours-I'd know you were both settled
and comfortable, and that the place would
| be in the hands o. my ain kin"
eyes; it would be very pleasant ar
rangement. wish I could encourage you
to hope for its completion"
81 dinna like unreasonable contradiction,
an will not put up with it." said Uncle
Sandy, angrily. "What for will you be so
| foolish?"
"Do you believe that human love is the
growth of human will, uncle?"
ppm sure Gamma tell" He paused and
thought for moment, change passing
over his face. Eyes; but [ did, though"
he said. 81 tried hard to keep frae loving
my old masters daughter, and could not.
Eth! L had a sair heart in those days. I
daured ma speak, for she was arich heiress
and but puir lad Yet / think-I al
ways thought she cast kindly look upon
tleman from England, and they married
her to him. She did not live long after.
May be she'd have had a longer and hap
pier life if she had been my wife, and lived
! in her ain country"
Eyes, uncle" she said softly, sit must
have been a trying time That useless
struggle ought to teach you how hard it is
to govern 'unruly wills and affections, and
! to leave Kenneth and me to follow our own
Devices
answer me one question. Have you
fancy for any other man, or are you pledged
to any other?"
Neither, uncle; l can assure you unhes-
| itatingly."
'Aweel, then, I'll just possess my soul
with patience; but it's bad takin' you AVA
| just when you and the lad are good COM
| pany to each other; but | must. l must, aud
! / Gamma go without YOU"
Here Nine. Debrisay made her appear
ance and sentiment was merged in finance.
Uncle Sandy was positively aghast at the
torrent of information poured forth by the
capable -Irishwoman.
'Let mo see" pulling over the map
'Contrexeville? 1 can't make it out here,
but was at Domremy once-when my
| poor husband was alive-and it's not far
| from ContreX. l dare say the fare will be
close on forty francs-that's eighty for the
! two of you-and the through fare by Calais
! you must take the shortest route, Dieppe
| or Havre would be the death of you-is
| something like seventy-two, say seventy
! that's a hundred and forty, and q night in
Paris sixty or seventy; and cabs; and tGcres,
| and luggage, and dOLcelTs, and refresh
ments on the way will run into fifty or
! fifty-five more; that's hundred and forty,
and eighty; two hundred and twenty, and
sixty; two hundred and eigbty-three hum
dred and forty in round numbers"
Lords sake, womanp' cried Uncle San
! dy, startled out of all propriety, ''if you are
| counting by hundreds, I'd better stay here
and dee, while have siller left to carry
my puir bodie back to Strathairlie."
'tOh, don't take fright, my dear sir; re-
member the hundreds do not represent
pounds. I'll tell you the total in English
money; we will just make it three hundred
and fifty to save time and trouble (that is,
reckoning four pounds to the hundred
franc, and you may get trifie more If the
exchange is favorable), that is just four
! teen pounds-first-class to Paris, and see
ond on to Contrexeville."
! 'Ahr' he returned, with a sigh; 'that is
possible, though it is desperate costly; and
as much more to come back. Twenty-eight
pounds sterling-for how long?-less than
month";
Perhaps, my dear Mr.. Craig, you might
feel equal to prolong your ramble, and go
on into Germany; little change of scene
and--and diet might have most beneficial
effect"
s'Perhaps: if she will come WI me- point