Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-23
NOT FALSE, BUT TICKLE.


knew how to use her eyes to the best
advantage; and she could never refuse
herself the pleasure of smiling her
sweetest on the man who happened to
be nearest.
She liked agreeable men, and almost
all men liked her. If any one found
fault with her, it was sure to be wo-
man.
Whether this was because women
have clearer insight into each others
characters than the opposite sex can
have, or because they were jealous of
her, / cannot say.
A little of both probably.
But it is certain that while girls,
whose mothers thought them vastly
superior to ''that CIaretta Burney,"
played Wall-fiowers at social gather
ings, and waited disconsolately for an
eligible match with serious intentions,
Claretta was always surrounded by
beaux, and had little album full of
photographs of suitors who had offered
and been refused, with the date of the
event written below.
In this album were faces smooth as
hard-boiled egg just slipped from the
shell, faces with great boards upon
them, and faces adorned by the ever
popular mustache.
In another album she put those who
"had not yet proposed" and under
them one of two words, possible or
''impossible.n
There were eleven heads in this lat
ter album, but possible was below
only three of them-those of Arthur
Dare, Henry Wynne, and DR.. Robert
Romer.
DR.. Romer was not an impulsive man;
he did nothing rashly.
He was very fond of Claretta, but he
felt that if he should discover that the
women were right in their estimation
of her character she was not the wife
for him.
Arthur Dare, on the contrary, was
madly in love, blind to the possibility
that his angel could have fault like
other women, determined to marry
her, and ready to wreak vengeance on
any other man who should try to super
sede him. While Henry Wynne firm
~ believed that if Claretta refused to
listen to his Wooings he should die of
broken heart.
Claretta herself scarcely knew which
she liked the best
Arthur Dare made her heart beat
and her eyes sparkle; Henry Wynne
inspired her with a gentle tenderness;
and her vanity was battered and her
self-esteem aroused when DR.. Romer
exhibited his preference.
What tlirt she is" those who
watched Claretta said, laughingly or
spitefully. according to their natures.
But Claretta did not intend to airt. 1t
was only impossible for her to make
up her mind which of the three she
liked the best.
When Arthur was present it was he.
When Henry came she was sure that
she had greater chance of happiness
with him. And in the presence OF DIR.
Romer she declared to herself: 81
should be SO proud of him. 1t must be
that one should feel thus to husband"
And so the time passed on.
Other men proposed and were re-
fused, and their photographs were
: taken from the gallery of 'simpossibles"
in one album and transferred to that
of rejected suitorsn in the other, and
still the only three who had the slight
est chance of winning Claretta's hand
refrained from asking for it.
Henry, because he feared too much;
Arthur, because he desired to be sure
of the girls heart before he placed
himself in a position to be refused; DR..
Romer. because he had not quite made
up his mind.
When Christmas time came about,
and the little world in which these peo-
pie moved was at its gayest, there came
great snowfall, and sleighing party
was set on foot.
Arthur managed to secure Claretta's
promise to ride with him by calling on
her before breakfast-time, and, as he
was splendid driver, and had the fin
est team in the town, she felt herself
most enviable person for several
hours.
However. when Henry Wynne. with
his tender chances and low voice and
lover-like humility, came in the after
noon to ask her to allow him to be her
escort, and felt his disappointment so
keenly when she told him of her prom
Use to Arthur Dare, she was so sorry
that she had hard work not to weep,
and when afterward rather late in the
evening, DR.. Romer, looking so hand
some in his great fur coat, with such
an elegant and self-possessed man
ner, made the same request. she grew
furious with herself for not having
waited for his invitation, and so retired
at last in temper, yeXed with all the
world.
However, in the morning, when she
had attired herself in pretty costume
which she had never worn before. and
saw how well she looked In it. and felt
the warm clasp of Arthur's hand as he
helped her into the sleigh, and met the
admiring glance of his bright eyes, her
spirits arose. After all, he was so
young and gay, so much in love with
her. He was the man she liked best;
for the moment she had no doubt of
that. not even when she saw that DR..
Romer had Miss Belle Lawton in his
sleigh, and that Henry Wynne had not
joined the party at all.
1t was merry ride, and ended with
a supper and dance; and driving her
home through the moonlight, that
made all the snow-clad landscape like
dream of fairyland, Arthur offered
himself, and was accepted, and Clar-
eta was SO happy. oh, so happy. and
he left her with kiss at her father 5
door.
Poor Henry Wynne, meanwhile, had