Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-17

nor night"
"Oh," cried Julia, "that never did.
cannot afford to stop my circulation
altogether; its much too little" Then
she flew at him suddenly. Your acces-
tors were pigmies."
Percy drew himself up to his full
height, and defed the insinuation. They
were giants, in chain armor," said he.
What" said Julia, without a mo-
ment's hesitation, "the ladies? Or was
| it the knights that wore bracelets"
Some French writer says, "The tongue
of a woman is her sword" and Percy
FitZrOy found it so. He could no more
| answer this sudden thrust than he could
win the high leap at Lille Bridge. He
stood quivering as if a polished napier
had really been passed clean through
him.
Mary was too kind-hearted to laugh
in his face, but couldn't help turning
/ her head away and giggling little.
At last Percy recovered himself
enough to say;
"The truth is you have gone and given
| it to somebody else"
ooh, you wicked bad-hearted-yo
that couldn't be jealous!"
By this time Percy was himself again,
and said, with some reason, that 'in-
vectives were not arguments. Produce
| the bracelet"
And so can," said Julia, stoutly.
| "Give me time"
"Oh," said Percy, eff it's a mere ques-
| ton of time, there is no more to be said.
| You'll find the bracelet in time, and in
| time L shall feel once more that conf
| dence in you which induced me to con-
| fide to you as to another self that pre-
cious family relic, which value more
| than any other material object in the
| world" Then Percy, whose character
! seemed to have changed, retired with
| stiff dignity and an air of indOmitable
resolution.
Neither Julia nor Mary had ever seen
| him like that before. Julia was unaf-
! fectedly distressed.
ooh, Mary, why did 1 ever lend it to
your"
Now Mary knew very well where the
| bracelet was, but she was ashamed to
say; she stammered and said, you
know, dear, it is too small, much too
| small, andmy arm is bigger than yours"
"There!" said Julia; you have broken
the clasp"
Mary colored up to the eyes at her
own diSingenuOuSneSs, and said, haSti-
| ly, "But I'll have it mended directly; III
return it tomorrow at the latest"
81 shall be wretched till you do" said
Julia, eagerly. 81 suppose you know
what want it for now?"
why" said Mary, "of course 1 do; to
soothe his wounded feelings"
"SOothe has feelings!" cried Julia,
| scornfully; "and how aboutmine? No;
the only thing want it for now is to
fling it in his face. His soul is as small
as his body; he's a little, mean suspi-
| ciOus, jealous fellow, and I'm very glad
| to have lost him." She fi0unced off all
I1A1 e. ~ IL,
quite out of sight before she began to
| cry.
Then the truth came out. Mary, alb
sorbed in conjugal bliss, had left it at
the hotel by the Lakes. She told Wal
| ter.
ooh, hang i'll" said Walter; that's un-
| lucky; you will never see it again"
ooh yes, shall" said Mary: 'they are
very honest people at that inn; and [
| have written about it, and told them to
keep it safe, unless they have an OPP
! pOrtunity Of sending it,"
Walter reflected a moment. "Take
| gallOp off this afternoon and get it for
| you"
ooh yes, Walter" said Mary. "Thank
you so much. That will be the best
way"
| AT this moment loud and angry voices
! were heard coming round the corner.
| and Mary uttered a cry of dismay. for
| her discriminating ear recognized both
those voices in moment. She clutch
ed Walters shoulder.
"Oh, Walter, it's your father and mine
| quarrelllng. How unfortunate that
they should have met! What shall we
| dOr'
Hide in Hopes office. The French
! window is Open"
"'Quick, then!' cried Mary, and darted
| into the Office in a moment. Walter
| dashed in after her.
When she got safe into cover she be-
gan to complain.
This comes of concealment-we are
always being driven into holes and cor
ners."
81 rather like them with you" said
the unabashed Walter.
1t matters little what had passed out
of sight between BARLEY and Colonel
| Clifford, for what the young people
heard now was quite enough to make
what Sir Lucian O'Trigger calls very
pretty quarrel. BARLEY, hitherto known
to Mary as very oily speaker, shouted
at the top of his voice in arrogant def
ance, YOU'RE not child, are you? You
are old enough to read papers before
| you sign them"
The Colonel shouted in reply, 81 am
| old, sir, but | am old in honor. I did
not expect that any decent tradesman
| would slip clause into a farm lease
! conveying the minerals below the sur
| face to a farmer. 1t was a fraud, sir:
| but there's law for fraudl Ny LAWYER
shall be down on you tomorrow. Your
chimneys disgOrge smoke all over my
fields. You shall diSgorge your dishon-
est gains. III have you off my land, sir;
III tear you out of the bowels of the
earth. I on are sharper and knave."
At this Barley rOared at him louder
still, SO that both the young people wine
ed as they crouched in the recess of the
window. @Yo GU foul-mouthed slanderer.
III indict you for defamation, and give
| you twelve months in one of her Ma
jesty's jails."
mo, you WON'T" roared the Colonel:
L know the law My comments onyour
character are not written and signed
| like your knavish lease; it's privileged
communication VUl0in! there are no
Witnesses Shaaperl BY Jupiter, there
are, thought"
He had caught sight of male figure
just visible at the side of the window.
who is it? Ny son."
"My daughter" cried BARLEY, catch
ing sight of Mary.
"Come out, sir" said the Colonel, no
longer loudly, but trembling with emo
ton.
Come here, Mary" said BARLEY,
At this moment who should open the
back door of the office but William
Hopel
SIR .1,l,1