Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-08

IOmDey, VINO, being caUed III to console
and bless, cursed with such extraordinary
vigor. 1t may even strike the discerning
reader-and ell readers, or at least nearly
all readers, are of course discerning; far
too much so, indeed-that there must have
been a reason for it, and the discerning
reader viii be right. Augusta's gray eyes
had been too much for Mr.. Tombey, as
they had been too much for Eustace Nee
son before him. His passion had sprung
up and ripened in that peculiarly rapid
and vigorous fashion that passions do on
board ship. A passenger steamer is Gu
pid's own hotbed, and in this way differs
from sailing ship. On the sailing ship,
indeed, the preliminary stages are the
same. The seed roots as strongly, and
grows, and flowers with equal vigor; but
here comes the melancholy part-it withers
and decays with equal rapidity. The voy-
age is too long. Too much is mutually re-
yecled. The matrimonial iron cannot be
struck while it is hot, and long before the
weary ninety days are over it is once mora
cold and black, or at the best glows with
but feeble heat But on the steamship
there is no time for this, as any traveller
knows. Myself, the historian-have,
with my own eyes, seen q couple meet Cor
the Cape, and go on as man and wife in
the same vessel to Natal. And, therefore,
it came to pass that that very evening a
touching, and, on the whole, melancholy,
little scene was enacted near the smoke
stack of the Kangaroo
Mr. Tombey and Miss Augusta Smithers
were leaning together over the bulwarks
and watching the phosphorescent foam go
q
and i'll at ease; Miss Sn1ithers very much
at ease, and rejecting that her companions
mustachios would very well become q
villain in O novel
Mr.. Tombey looked at the star-spangled
sky, on which the Southern Cross hung
low, and he looked at the phosphorescent
sea; but from neither did inspiration come.
Inspiration is from within, and not from
without At last, however, he made
gallant and DESPERATE effort.
Miss Smithers," he said, in q voice
trembling with agitation.
eyes, Mr.. Tombey," answered Augusta,
quietly; what is it?'
''Miss Smithers," he went on-'tMiss
Augusta, don't know what you will think
of me, but l must tell you, can't keep it
in any longer. I love your'
had been very, even remarkably, polite,
and she, not being a fool, had seen that he
admired Ier; but she had never expected
this, and the suddenness with which the
shot was fired was somewhat bewildering.
''Why, Mr.. Tombey," she said in a sur.
prised voice, ''you have only known me for
little more than fortnight
81 fell in love with you when had only
known you for an hour, he answered with
evident sincerity. ''Please listen to me. !
know am not worthy Of you'll But I do
love you so very dearly, and l would make
you good husband; indeed l would. l
am well off; though, Of course, that is
nothing; and if you don't like New Yea
land, I would give it up and go to live in
England. Do you think that you can take
me? If you only knew how dearly / love
you, am sure you would
Augusta collected her wits as well as
she could. The man evidently did love
her; there was no doubling the sincerity Of
his words, and she liked him, and he was
gentleman. If she married him, there
would, be an end of all her worries and
troubles, and she could rest contentedly
on his strong arm. Woman, even gifted
woman, is not made to fight the world
with her own hand, and the prospect had
allurementS. But while she thought EuS-
tace Nelson's bonny face rose before her
eyes, and as it did so faint feeling Of re-
pulsion to the man who was pleading with
her took form and color in her breast
EuStace Meeson of course, was nothing to
her; no word or sign of affection had passed
between them, and the probability was
that she would never set her eyes upon
him again. And yet that face rose up be-
tween her and this man who was pleading
at her side, Many women, likely enough,
have seen some such vision from the past
and have disregarded it, only to find too
late that that which is thrust aside is not
necessarily hidden; for alasl those faces Of
our departed youth have an uncanny trick
of rising from the tomb of our forgetful-
ness. But Augusta was not Of the great
order of opportunists. Because a thing
might be convenient, it did not according
to the dictates of her moral sense follow
that it was lawful. Therefore, she was
woman to be respected. For woman
who, except under most exceptional cir
cumstances, gives her instincts the lie in
order to pander to her convenience, or her
! desire for wealth and social ease, is not al
| together woman to be respected.
In a very few seconds she had made up
her mind.
81 am very much obliged to you, Mr.
Tombey," she said; you have done me q
great honor, the greatest honor man can
do to a woman; but / cannot marry YOU
Are you sure?" gasped the unfortunate
Tombey, for his hopes had been high. 'tIs
| there no hope for me? Perhaps there is
| somebody else?"
''There is nobody else, Mr. Tombey; and,
am sorry to say, you don't know how
| much it pains me to say it, I cannot hold
out any prospect that L shall change my
mind"
| He dropped his head upon his hands for
a minute, and then lifted it again.
| very WELL" he said slowly; ''it can't be
| helped. I never loved any woman before,
and never shall again. 1t is a Pity
| with hard, little laugh)-''that so much
frst-class affection should be wasted.
But, there you are; it is all part and parcel
of the pleasant experiences which make
up our lives. Goodbye, Miss Smithers; at
/ least, goodbye as a friend''
eve can still be friends" she faltered.
''Oh, no." he answered, with another
! laugh; sthat is an exploded notion Friend
| ship of that nature is not very safe under
any circumstances. Certainly not under
these. The relationship is antagonistic to
| the facts of life. and they, or one or other
| of them, will drift either into Indifference
and dislike, r-something warmer. You
are a novelist, Miss Smithers; perhaps
some day you viii write book to explain
why people fall in love where their affec-
| ton is not wanted, and what purpose their
distress can possibly serve. And low,
once more, good-bye" and he lifted her
hand to his lips and gently kissed it, and