Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-06-04
MON ICA.
A LOVE STORY OF MODERN DAYS.

That Will be out OF your pow1r, 90 ,va
Will never see me-
do you mean to tell me may not call at
Moyne?''
Certainly do. They wouldn't hear of
It. They wouldn't, in fact, receive YOU"
"But why must they visit my uncleS sins
upon my shoulders? / have heard Of a
fathers sins being entailed upon his heir,
but never an uncle's.'
at is your name," says Monica Then
she laughs little, in spite of herself, and
quotes, in a low lone. "Oh! Romeo, Romeol
wherefore art thou ROmeop'
But he takes no heed Of this frivolous
quotation.
''You mean me to understand, then, that
am never to speak to you againw
Il do, indeed
What. Do you know we are to be close
neighbOrs for the future, you and |? This
is to be your home. Coole is to be mine.
at the most, only mile ofroad lies between
US, and here not quite yard And yet you
calmly tell me [ am from this day forth to
be only common stranger to you"
Y gu look as If you were angry with me-"
says Monica, with sudden tears in her eyes
at his injustice. "Itisn't my fault; I haven't
done anything wicked. Blame your uncle
for it ALL"
1.-THE whole thing is simply absurd" says
the young man, taking now the superior
tone that is meant to crush the situation by
holding it up to ridicuIe. ''You forget, per
haps, that we shall haze to meet sometimes.
suppose the people down here give balls
occasionally, and tennis-parties, and that;
and when | meet you at them, is it your
wish that | shall pretend never to have seen
hpf0rp tO h9Ua I'm
YES, says Monica, with as much hesita-
ton as lets him know how she hates saying
1t. 'When next you meet me, you are to
look right over my head, and pass OnP'
Il couldn't do it," returns he, gazing at
her steadily. II couldn't, indeed. In fact,
feel it is just the last thing in the world
could do.''
''But you must" says Monica, imperious-
ly, terrified to death as she conjures up be-
fore her Aunt Priscila's face as it will sure
ly be if this PhiiStine dares to address her;
81 tell you my aunts would never forgive
me if they knew | had interchanged even
one syllable with you. From this moment
you must forget me. There will really be
no difficulty about it, as our acquaintance is
but of an hours growth. You have seen
me for the first time to-day, and chance
meeting such as this is easily driven from
the mind"
''That is your opinion" says the young
man, mOOdily. sit is not mine. / dare say
yolC will find it very easy to forget. I shan't.
And this isn't the first time have seen YOU,
either. 1t seems to me as if years have
rolled by since last looked upon your face.
| was standing at the gate Of CO0le, and saw
you pass by, the day of your arrival in Ross
moyne. SO, YOU see. we are-in spite of
you almost old friends
A bomb-shell flung at her feet could hardly
have produced a greater sensation than this
apparently harmless speech. All at once
there ruShes back upon her the recollection
of that fatal day when she lay upon cart
load of hay and according to Terence) kick
Ell up her heels in the eXuberance of her joy.
Oh, h0rrorl she grows crimson from her
soft throat to her forehead; even her little
ears do not escape the tint, but turn warm
and guilty pink.
The one absorbing thought that he was
nephew to Aunt Priscilla's bugbear had
swallowed up all others; but now, as he
himself reveals this other truth to her, she
feels that her cup is indeed full. Deicately
but haughtlily she gathers up the train of
her white gown and casts one expressive
glance upon the way she came. This glance
says much.
While he is still sore perplexed by her
sudden change of demeanor, she turns away
from him. Then, pausing she turns again,
and bestows upon him so indignant a look
as completely finishes this ill-used young
man.
81 object to hasty frendships,' she says.
icily. And" pausing as if to make the
effect greater eff [ were yOlJ, | think l
should seek some better employment than
standing tdling all day Tong at your uncle's
gate"
With this parting shaft, and before he can
recover from his CONSERVATION, she goes
swiftly away from him, up through the
meadows, home.