Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-31
five han Inc distant horizon npc0me.

SIG GobStU. OLE SldI t6G Will SuFDTtSS.
what do you want herep said she.
"To speak to you."
"How dare you speak to me after
your vile suspiciOns?"
well. but. Julia"
"How dare you call me Julia?"
"Well, Miss Clifford, won't you even
hear me?"
"Not word. It's through you poor
dear Mary and have both been insult
ed bv that wretch of a father Of hers"
(Which father"
81 said wretch. To whom does that
term apply except to BARLEY, and"
with sudden vigOr) ito you."
"Then you think am as bad as old
Barley" said Percy, firing up.
mo, I don't"
@Ah," said Percy, glad to find there
was limit.
But Julia explained: II think you are
a great deal worse. You pretend to
love me, and yet without the slightest
reason you doubt me-"
what did doubt? I thought you
had parted with my bracelet to another
person, and so you had. never doubt
ed your honor"
ooh yes, you did; ] saw your face"
II am not irresponsible for my
face"
Eyes. you are; you had no business to
look brOken-hearted, and miserable,
and distruStful, and abOminable. 1t
was your business, face and all, to dis
trust appearances. and not me-"
Appearances were so strong that
not to look m-miserable would have
been to seem Indifferent; there is no
love where there is no jealousy"
"Oh," said Julia, ''he has let that out
at last, after denying it hundred times.
Now | say there is no true love without
respect and confidence, and this doesn't
exist where there is jealousy, and all
about trUmpery bracelet"
Anything but trump ump-ump-
cry; it came down from my ancestors"
"GOu never had any; your behavior
shows that"
Il tell you it is an heirloom. It was
given to my mother by"
ooh, we know all about that" said
Julia. "'This bracelet did an Egyptian
to my mother give But you are not
going to play OthellO with me-"
Il shouldn't have very gentle Des-
demOna."
NO. you wouldn't, candidly. No man
shall ever bully and insult me, and then
wake me out of my first sleep to smoth-
er me because my maid has lost one of
his handllerchiefS at the wash"
Percy burst out laughing at this turn.
and tried to inYeigle her into good-hu-
NOR.
Say no more about it," said he, "and
I'll forgive YOU"
Forgive me, you little wretchl" cried
Julia. "Why. haven't you the sense to
see that it is serious this time, and my
patience is exhausted, and that our en-
gagement is broken off, and [ never
mean to see you again-eXcept when
you come to my WeddingW
"Your weddingl" cried Percy, turning
pale. with whOmp
That's my business; you leave that
to me, sir. Hold out your hand-both
hands: here is the ancestral bracelet
it shall pinch me no longer, neither my
wrist nor my heart; here's the brooch
you gave mel won't be pinned to it
any longer, nor youneither; and there
is your bunch of charms; aud there is
your bundle of lOveletterS- stupid ones
they are" and she crammed all the
aforesaid treasures into his hands one
after the other. So this was what she
went to her room for.
Percy looked down on his handful
ruefully. "My very letters! There was
no jealousy in them; they were full of
earnest love-"
Fuller of bad spelling" said the re-
lentless girl. Then she went into de-
tails: you spell abOminable with two
m's-and that's abomminable; youspeu
ridiculous with k-and that's ridick-
ulOuS. So after this don't you presume
to speak to me, for | shall never speak
to YOU again"
very well, then" said Percy. 81, too,
will be silent forever"
oh, l dare say" said Julia; "a chat
ter-bOX like YOU"
even chatter-bOxes are silent in the
grave" suggested Percy; "and if we are
to part like this forever to-day, tO-mor-
row l shall be no more"
well. you could not be much less"
said Julia. but with certain shame
faced change of tone that perhaps, if
Percy had been more experienced,
might have given him a ray Of hope.
We'll" said he, Il know one lady that
would not treat these presents with
quite SO much contempt"
ooh, [ have seen her." said Julia.
spitefully. "She has been setting her
cap at you for some time; it's Miss SUI
san Beckly-a fine cOnqueSt-great,f fat,
red-haired thing"
Auburn"
eyes, album. scarlet, carrots, fam
me q 'e1yer. Well, go and give her my
leavings, yourself and your ancestral
paste"
We'll" said Percy, gloomily, 81 might
do worse. You never really loved me;
you were always like an enemy looking
out for faults. You kept pOstponing
our union for something to happen to
break it off. But | won't be any wo-
mans slave: III use one to drive out
the other. None of you shall trample
ON me-" Then he burst forth singing.
Nobody stammers when he sings.
"Shan I, wasting in despair,
Sigh because a woman's fair?
Shall my cheeks grow pale with care
Because another's rosy are?
If she be not kind to me,
What care how fair she be?'
This resolute little gentleman passed
through the gate as he concluded the
verse, waved his hand jauntilv by way
Of everlasting adieu. and went off whist
ling the refrain with great spirit, and
both hands in his pockets.
You impudenti" cried Julia, almost
choking; then, authoritativelY," percy
Mr.. FitZroy;" then, coaxingly, Percy
dear"
Percy heard, and congratulated HIM
self upon his spirit. That's the way to
treat them" said he to himself.
"Well?" said he, with an air of indif-
ference, and going slowly back to the
gate. What is it now?" said he, lit
tie arrogantly.
She soon let him know. Directly he
was quite within reach she gave him a
slap in the face that sounded like one
plank falling upon another, and march
ed off with an air of royal dignity. as if
! she had done the most gls.ueIu and
ladv-like thing in all the world.
How happy are those choice spirits
| who can always preserve their dignity!