Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-30

myself to be beguiled into the promise not
to stipulate for a delay OF more than a few
months
At the.appointed hour Mr.. Clanronald
came, and we soon arrived at an under
standing that the projected union was
suitable in every respect; but it was at my
instigation, and not at the instigation of
Mr.. Clanronald, that the business aspect
of the affair was postponed for future con-
| sideration. l had the best of reasons for
this postponement.
There will be no difficulty, presume"
said Mr.. Clanronald, and his eyes wan
dered to the evidences of wealth by which
l was surrounded.
'None whateyer,"I replied "Eunice's
great uncle, whose heir I am, is absent
from England, and it will be naturally
agreeable to him that he shall have voice
in the matter. He is very wealthy, and
! the postponement will be in the interests
of the young couple"
Quite so,' said Mr. Clanronald. ST am
prepared to do what is necessary and
proper, and you will meet me in q like
| spirit?"
He put this in the form of a question,
and l replied, ''You may rest perfectly sat
! isfied."
He expressed himself so, and then we
went to join my wife and daughter at
lunch. He shook hands cordially with nv
wife, and kissed Eunice, who knew BY
that sign that all was well. She blushed
and trembled, and moved close to her
mother, whose tenderness towards the dear
child we were to lose was redoubled.
Excited and eager Harry Clanronald
came in the evening, and had an interview
with Eunice. in which mutual love found
expression. Happy, sacred hour! Never,
never to be forgotten in all the after ifel
Harry stopped later than usual, Eunice
had disappeared; and was waiting in the
garden for her lover.
Goodnight, Harry" said. ''You are
fortunate young fellow to have won the
heart OF our darling child"
81 am the happiest man in the world,
SIR" said Harry. you may trust her
safely to me; [ will prove myself worthy
of your confidence and her love-"
Joy and sadness are strangely mingled
on such occasions. Parents wistfully re-
call the sweet "reminiscences of the child
life which illumined the past, and touched
the hours with golden light Memory
fingers upon the solemn bridge, beyond
which they see a little bed, with flushed
face sleeping in frame of sunny curls,
and from beyond which floats the prattle
OF voice melodiouS as heavenly music.
The bright eyes look up into their own;
the slender form, in its dress of snowy
white, kneels by the bedside; the shadows
gather round it; the little hands are clasped
in prayer. Alas! the loving guardianship
is coming to an end, and the dear one is
going to the arms of another, for veal or
woe. My wife and 1 shed some natural
tears at the impending separation, but we
were grateful that Eunice's affections were
fixed upon man of sterling honor.
On the following day Eunice informed
me that she had promised Mdlle. Rosalie
that she should remain with us till the
day of the wedding; and, moreover, had
promised that her governess should be one
of her bridesmaids l would rather not
have had it so, but had not the heart to
cross Eunice's wishes at such happy
time of her life as this.
"What does Harry say to it?'' / asked.
Harry says yes to everything" replied
Eunice, with delicious emphasis. ''He is
enchanted with her. And what do you
think, papa? She is going to make my
wedding dress!'
"a dressmaker as wellr' I exclaimed
''She is a paragon, this Mdlle. Rosalie of
yoursn'
Indeed she is, papa!'
''She can do everything, it seems" 7
said, except teach languages and paint
ing"
II don't want them now, papa"
"Of course not-now that you have
Harry"
eyes, papa" said Eunice, with perfect
seriousness
1 pinched her cheek. ''What if the dress
shouldn't fit, my dear?"
''Oh, but it will, papa. MdIle. Rosalie
declares it shall, and it will be made weeks
and weeks beforehand"
If anything could have induced me to
hasten the wedding-day it would have
been the thought that we should be the
sooner rid of woman to whom, despite
the glowing eulogiums of my wife and
daughter, had taken an unaccountable
dislike-unaccountable for the reason that
l could find no just cause for the feeling
she had inspired. I did not attach i'm
pOrtance to the fact that Mdlle Rosalie
was at some pains to obtain direct from
me and my wife the ratification of the
promise made to her by Eunice. Whether
the events which led to my peril-a peril
as deep as that in which mortal man
could possibly be placed-would, but for
this promise, have taken different course
in my favor | cannot say, because the tes-
timony against me came from both friend
and foe: but it would have been better for
me if Mdlle. Rosalie, on the day of my
daughters engagement, had turned her
back on my house forever.
CHAPTER III.
1 must make mention of popularity
in my habits to which 1 have been subject |