Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-30

bought the wedding-dress, white reps
silk and a veil of tulle. suspended from
a garland of orange-blossoms; and
selected blue silk, and a peach-colored
silk, and maroon silk, and-dear mel
what is the use of cataloguing them all ?
Other girls have been brides-elect be-
fore me, and they'll know just how it
all was. And as for those that haven't,
Just let 'em wait until their turn comes.
And then, as the sun began to decline
on its westering way, felt excessively
and automatically hungry.
SIS there a nice ladies' restaurant
near here?" | asked.
And one of the shopmen went with
me to the door to point out glittering
establishment, with its windows full of
delicacies. / entered and sat down,
feeling very much as if | were an i'm
poster, and ordered mock turtle soup,
venturing meekly to look around after
the waiter had skimmered away. Dick
ems says that walters never walk. and
Dickens is always right. And then,
for the first time, [ noticed a superbly
dressed young lady one or two tables
beyond. in a lovely hat, with long
lilac willow plume, and hair like a
shower of gold.
"Oh, how pretty she isr' thought I.
''How proud her lover must be of her!''
And l leaned the least bit in tho
world forward to see the young man in
question.
Good Heavens! it was my Clarencei
And as sat staring completely con
cealed from his ken by the golden hair
and the lilac willow plume, [ could
hear light, peculiar laugh.
''You wouldn't have me yourself,
KateP" said he. ''You have only your
self to blame for it,
That's no reason you need throw
yourself away" pouted the lady.
'she's desperate old maid" said
Clarence, ''Old as the hills, and twice
as antiquated. But she's got money.
A man in my position has got to look
out for money, you know, Kate. Would
you like to see her Photographic"
And then the two heads were close
together for an instant and the young
lady's ripping laugh mingled with
Clarence's mellow tones.
''The idea of carrying such thing
as that next to your hearth said she.
1T does seem rather outrageous,
don't ftp" said he. but when we're
once married all that sort of thing will
be over. I'll see that she finds he1
level"
Yes, whenr' thought I, now
thoroughly disenchanted. And / got
up and hurried out of the restaurant
nearly stumbling in my haste over the
waiter, bearing on silver tray my
mock-turtle soup.
Give changed my mindr' said 1,
| fiinging a coin toward him-to this day
L don't know whether it was a shilling
or a sovereign. Never mind the
soupr
took the next train to Buttercup
Hollow, and wrote scathing note to
Clarence the same evening. Do you
want to know what was in itp OF
course, like all women's letters, the best
part of it was in the postscript.
Our engagement is at an end. II. FL.
''P. S.-The next time you examine
ladies' photographs in a crowded
restaurant it might be well to examine
your neighbors.n
Clarence had some sense, after all.
! He never came near me with useless
apologies. gave the wedding dress
to little Amy Miller, who was to be
married in October, and couldn't afford
a trousseau. l suppose l shall wear
out the blue and peach color and
maroon in time. Oh! l forgot to say
that Mrs. Richford was very angry. 1t
seemed that Clarence had promised to
pay her a hundred pounds that he had
borrowed of her, when he had got hold
of my money. And | am thankful,
from the bottom of my heart, that ]
still remain-Hattie Hyde.-EUeni'ag
! World.