Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-09-26
A LOVERS QUARREL.

| have felt, that means also that yo7
can not care much for my good opinion
But, Miss Chapman, l.
1T is really of no use to discuss the mat
ter
Pardon me, but there is use in discuss
ing it. That will at least give me a chanc
to see how far you are determined go carr,
your injustice
MY injustice!''
THAT is what | said
Then it is your intention to be imper
tinent.
Nonsense! Come, now, Kate, doesn'
it strike you that we have gone fast anC
far enough on this road? For my part.
am sure that do not find quarreling will
anybody very entertaining, and least o
all cuarreling with you.
You speak as If we were two children
who had fallen into petty broil. y
mot quite; but we have come uncom
fortably near it.
II am sure it is not my fault. -
ut is nobody's fault Kate; and | an
anxious that it do not prove to be anybody
misfortune
But why do you persist in doing wha-
| have asked you not top
Am | trying to please myself in taking
Miss Dennison to the shore?"
''You are certainly not trying to please
me-"
You would be better pleased, then, i
| broke my promise to her aunt, who is ont
of my mother oldest friends, and did mo-
take her after | have agreed top
But you need not have promised? ?"
''What has that to do with the question
now? If [ have promised I must fulfil
my engagement, must not?''
You seem to think So.
Il seem to think so! Good heavens
Kate, you are evidently trying to show me
that, contrary to my firm belief, you car
be one of the most aggravating women
alive.
1T is well to learn in time.
I'm time?''
Eyes, while you can yet draw back"
And | have given you right to tall
like that?''
Oh, no; I don't require a right.
assure you that when | make up my minC
TO be disagreeable | do not wait for any
excuse.
Then you are only giving me an exhi-
bition of histrionic talent. | am glad Of
it; am sure you do it well, but am toe
fond of you to enjoy it. -
80 you think | am acting. | am as
thoroughly in earnest as | ever was in my
life. .
But you cannot be so foolish as to insist
that | should break my engagement tc
drive Miss Dennison to the shore 1t is
after all no great matter; we shall be back
In an hour.
"A great many things may happen In an
hour. [ know how rapidly you can get
ahead"
'Kater'
''How do you know that In the course OF
an hour you may not become engaged tc
this Miss Dennison! am sure you did to
me in half that time,
Perhaps she will not be so easily per-
suaded as you are.
Captain Duncan!'
"Well?"
And you pretend to call yourself gen.
tlemanl Very well, sir, if | was so easily
persuaded to become engaged to one who
is capable of INVITING me with it, have at
least the spirit to free myself from the en-
gagement quite as quickly"
There, there, Kate, | was only forced tC
maize back stroke in self defense. Imear
nothing at ALL
But | do.
'1Then am to understand that
you are to understand that everything
is over between us.
''forever?'
Certainly"
And not to be made up tomorrow
morning?'
''Of course not
Nor the day after?'
Never.
''Then am, of course, free to do what
I like in the way of making new ties?'
1t is nothing to me what you do. Il
you are not sustained by sense of decen.
cy, there is nothing to prevent your becom.
ing engaged again within twenty-foul
hours.
very we'll thought I would like tc
understand thoroughly just where I stood
before | started for the shore with Miss
Dennison. She is so COMPOUNDED handsome
and her aunt did drop hint that the cir
was greatly taken with me. y
''Or your uniform. >
"Well we will say with the uniform; the
fact remains that there is no telling what
might happen before we got back again
and | wanted to be sure that it would be
quite honorable for me to follow my incl
nations in the matter
Miss Dennison is bold, forward crea
ture. and the way her aunt has thrown hel
at your head since you came here is enough
to disgust anybody.
''Do you really think SOP
You know | think so.
well, had hoped that you might b.
above the ordinary narrowness of your sex
but ! should not have expected it, sup
pose.
Very well, l persume it is idle for US t.
talk longer, Captain Duncan. | will senC
you your letters, and here Is your ring.
''Oh, it is really no matter about the ring
the letters | should like, so that may cop,
the good things out of them if should eve
have occasion.
You are too, too horrid, and I hat
you!''
Really Miss Chapman, why should yol
cry? You certainly broke this engage
ment to please yourself, not to please me
and do not see what you can care abou
my conduct hereafter =
You know l care, and you are just try
ing to make me miserable.
Il did not flatter myself that l had tn
power.
You know you have
by taking Miss Dennison to the shor
as | have promised?"
You have no right to promise withou
asking me- -
But it did not enter my head that yol
would care the least In the world
But | do care. y
'.And | did not realize that by becomin,
engaged to you l had put myself in tn
position of not being able to do favor t
/ my mother friends.
Not even when that meant going off t