Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-29
"Why?" repeated bewiIdered Jessie.
Because you are Harry and she is

'sShe is used to the cultivated circles of
the city," said Harry. ''We are in an
other spere. | thought Of that when you
were reading her your little effusion. She
laughed; but are you quite sure that there
was not certain ladylike scorn mingled
with her merriment2 l, for one, am very
thankful that she had not the chance to
criticise my nonsense. I'm sorry l wrote
it, Jessie!"
"But she has had the chance" said
Jessie, coloring to the roots Of her crinkly
yellow hair. THAT burlesque was $50
funny | couldn't resist the temptation of
letting her see it! Oh, Harry, don't be
vexed with mel"
He bit his lip.
What did she say?"
81 don't know. | put it on her dressing
table before tea, She knows your writing;
she III understand what 1t is.
Harry gave sort of groan.
"What fool [ was!' he said. 'Well
| suppose there's no use scolding you
Jessien'
Jessie's lips quivered; she.looked timid
ly at her brother.
"Oh, Harry, nave l done wrong?"
kiss me puss. [ dare say you meant
me no HARM" he said with forced laugh.
Come, let's make haste or we shall be
late Stay though; run and get me that
silly manuscript. should like to see
it flying up chimney in stream of sparks
before | go"
Jessie overwhelmed with a tardy peni-
tence flew to obey his behests. Present.
iy she came back looking rothor diooora
fitted.
cts gone Harry" she said. 81 can't
find it anywhere. She must have put it
away"
Once more the young man groaned, then
he laughed.
"Kismet!' said he, dramatically. "Come,
lets CO."
Had he but known where his luckless
roll of manuscript was at that identical
moment he would scarcely have reconciled
himself with such philosophy to the de-
grees of 'Kismet, ;" the unalterable. At
the eleventh hour, after Miss Courthope
was already seated in the family carriage
she discovered that she had left the all
important lecture in her room.
"Arabella," to the little sewing maid
who stood gaping on the steps, run as
fast as you can to my room land get me
the pocket Of written papers on the
table.
"Yes, MISS" said Arabella; and off she
sped, proud to be of use to the literary
young lady.
s'Tdats two on en-, :" said Arabella. II
guess it's the toppermost one.
And so Harry's burlesque was going to
the lyceum safe inside of Miss Courthope' s
mink muff, while her own effusion lay
peacefully by the3 blue-satiE pincusion on
her dressing-table.
The building-no very spacious edifce-
was crowded with the literary aesthetic
world of Turtle Valley. The squire and
his family, the parson and his eleven olive
branches, the storekeeper and the mill
hands crowded up against the dressmaker,
the telegraph operator and the genteel ell
derry ladies who lived in the neat white
houses on the interest of their money. In
short, the indescribable conglomerat1on of
| VIII CHI one only sees IN an inland village.
Miss Courthope advanced graciously and
gracefully to the footlight-circled front,
with her roll of manuscript in her hand,
for it was one of her idiosyncrasies to be
enabled to dispense with written memoran
da--and openedit.
There WAS moments silence. The
audience sat GREATNESS; the lecturer SEEM
ond Harry Jermyn, whose eyes were mar
velously acute, recognized his own writing
in Ciarissa's hands. He half rose; then
sat down again. The conscious Jessie
sat tanning herself. The good farmer and
his wife stared with all their eyes.
But Clarissa Courthope was equal to the
emergency. She fell back on her memory
and her womaniy skill is improvisation
ho o,,HI loH Of crot tv 10
Inconsistencies of Love-" they got some
thing quite as brilliant and amusing
After that first brief pause that was no
further hesitation nor lack OF utterance,
and when at last she sat down the little
lyceum rang with applause.
ooh, Click! Oh, Ciick!' cried Jessie,
running into the miniature 'green-room"
at the side of the platform. I'm so
proud of you"
81 am very glad of that" said Click,
her cobweb of pocket handkerchief
But the next time Harry wants to play
practical joke on me, | entreat that he
won't select the time that am standing
before the most critical audience that
could possibly be selected-ones own old
friends and neighbors. 1t may be very
funny, but there is certainly spice of
cruelty about it that -that-well, in fact,
it came very near unwomaning me, if [
may be allowed to coin the word"
Il knew you were deeply offended,
said Harry Jermyn. ''And | should have
deserved it if | had deserved it. At all
events, you cannot be as mortified as l
was"
Miss Courthope colored and shrank back
flom the sterness of his tone. Jessie
looked from one to the other; then she
caught at the manuscript.
Its my fault" she exclaimed, sudden
ly. "All my fault, Click! l put it On
your dressing table for you to read. II
never thought of such a complication as
this. On don't blame Harry. He had
nothing whatever to do with it,"
The crimsoned blood dyed Clarissa's
cheek more deeply than ever. She hest
tated, opened her lips as if to speak, and
still remained silent. Harry rose
and left the room without further COM
ment.
go after him, Click! Don't let him
leave you in anger!' cried Jessie, and
Clarissa obeyed. Like deer she sped
down the hall, overtaking him just
where the moonlight s.reamed in white
glory through the crescent-shaped north
easement.
Harry! spoke inadvisedly!" she fall
tered. Wont you forgive me?"
Certainly. What have / to forgiven"
But the tone was far from satisfactory.
she stood looking piteously at him. ALI
of sudden she burst out crying.
In a second he had her in his arms,
clasped close to his breast