Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-05

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alone" he added, seeing the tide of
crimson that swept back so suddenly
to her white cheeks.
Rose offered but faint objections;
and thus began the acquaintance which
was destined to prove so eventful to
| both.
For to Rose life seemed dull and
commonplace no longer; and as for
Wilbur Severance, he came often after
that first meeting, until he knew at
last that the lovely, golden-haired CO.
quette-as many called her-had drawn
| his heart into her own keeping for
evermore.
And she knew it, too, for his eyes
had told her the sweet story long ago,
| perhaps before he was really aware of
| it himself.
And Rose was happy.
Now that she knew what true love
was, she gave her whole heart up to it,
and she no longer wondered what her
| answer would be when he should ask
| her for it.
1t was just in the flush of her happi-
| ness that Rose met at a village hotel,
| whose landlady's daughter was one of
her girl friends, a lady who had come
| there hoping to regain her lost health.
Pale and delicate, but still very love-
| ", was Caryl Stewart, and very soon
| she and the betwitching village belle
| were fast riends.
| e Rose, watching the slow. languid
movements of the graceful, wasted fig
ure, attired always in some pretty
esthetic gown, looking into the soft,
dark, mournful eyes, or listening to
the low, sweetly modulated voice of
the interesting invalid, felt great and
| tender sympathy for the bright life
which had been so pitilessly blighted
by disease.
She was so happy herself that it
seemed cruel that any one should be i'll
or suffering.
my physicians say that my ailment
| is consumption, said Caryl Stewart
one day, smiling that slow, sad smile
that always went straight to Roses
heart; "but [ know better than they,
Rose. l know that I am dying of a
broken heart. Some day l will tell
you. You will come in again to-mor-
rowP" she questioned, lifting her dark
eyes with wistful look.
| ''Oh, yes,n returned Rose, with q
sweet, bright smile. Il will come in
any day-every day-if / can help to
cheer your loneliness, Miss Stewart. :"
She was thinking of that conversation
when Wilbur Severance came to see
her later in the evening.
But she could not remain melan-
| choly long in his presence now, partic-
ularly as he had come for the express
| purpose of asking for her hand.
Rose had often pictured this mo-
ment to herself, and she had honestly
resolved to be all sweetness and sim
cerity to this man whom she loved
with all her soul.
But-how it was she never could tell
somehow her wilful spirit of coquet-
ry seemed to take possession of her all
in moment, and she laughed, teased,
and evaded her lovers questioning
with a persistent wilfulness that
amazed herself.
| 81 will answer you tomorrow eve
ming was the reply which he final
ly coaxed from her saucy lips, Il
must have little time to reflect upon
| so dreadfully serious matter, Mr.. Sew
erance."
| But there was that in the happy,
laughing blue eyes that belied the will
full red lips, and Wilbur Severance
went away with cheerful heart in
spite of all.
81 know she loves me, the pretty lit
tie WITCH" he smiled as he walked
homeward with a light, proud step.
''Others may call her a tiirt, but they
don't know her real heart as | do. She
is as true as gold, God bless her."
The following day Rose paid her
promised visit to Miss Stewart, and it
was then that the delicate, pretty in
valid made her the contidante of her
| sorrows.
1t was love story, simple enough,
but wondrously sad, thought happy
Rose.
Caryl Stewart had been betrothed
when scarcely more than child to a
| youth but little older than herself.
The arrangement had been made en-
| tirely by the parents of the two.
But as they grew older, with bet
| ter understanding of the situation,
| Caryl realized that her whole heart was
| involved in the matter while her fiance
/ proved Indifferent, and finally rebelled
outright against the bonds which he
| udu HO pdtG III Creating.
In her pride Caryl had granted him
his freedom, though she broke her own
heart by doing it.
Other suitors she had had, but she
would never love again to her dying
day.
'sAnd that will not be far off," she
ended pathetically, unless | can win
his love. And | don't quite despair of
doing that yet, Rose. Away from all
| rivals and free from the business-like
letters that once prejudiced him against
, me-more than ALL when he realizes at
last that his love and only that can
save my life. Do you think, dear little
Rose, that my hope of yet winning him
is such wild one after allp''
And she turned her dark eyes, filled
with the passion os her soul, upon the
girls fair plying face.
mo, indeed. / do not, Miss Stewart. y
| she earnestly replied. Il don't think
he could help but learn to love you did
he know all the truth. If he could be
here to See-h
He is here, and [ have met him sew
eral times, though he doesn't know the
strange, mad hope that brought me
| here-as yet. / have merely told him
that [ came here for my health.
| think you know him, also, Rose" she
added, slowly, watching the girls face,
with kind of breathless eagerness
from beneath her long, dark lashes.
His name is Wilbur Severancer'
Wilbur Severancei'
The sweet, red lips which echoed that
name suddenly grew white as death.