Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-30


forever thCs-to glide down the stream
with this lovely youth, neither asking nor
caring whittier
'Your little cousin has told me some
thing of you," he said. HE is a very
bright boy. He told me what your first
name is. Shall I tell it your 1t is Cora"
The girl looked down and blushed.
Never had she dreamed her name was so
beautiful as it sounded from his lips
He told me something else, Tommy did,
which l would like to believe is not true
which it pains me to think of Shall tell
you what it is?'
Cora was silent.
'Shall tell your"
She let one hand drop over the side of
the boat into the water.
II know what it is"
"And it is true?" he said softly.
The poor girl had no idea even of the
meaning of the word coquetry If he
asked her a question she thought she must
give him direct answer. She raised her
great brown eyes to his, one corner of her
mouth trembled little, and the hand in
the water nervously opened and shut, as
though trying to clasp the shining drops.
Yes" she said.
The distress and sorrow in his face as he
with pity.
There were, of his friends who knew him
well, those who had seen this same express
sion on occasions when he deemed it fit to
employ it. They loosely referred to it as
"Fairfax's heartbreaking look" To Cora it
was just then the one serious thing in life
''Why should you care?" she murmured
thickly, you do not know me-"
Il do not know your" he repeated softly,
and looking into her eyes DIS though he
would search her scul-"I do not know
you, Cora?"
They had drifted down almost to the
dam. The girl looked about her wildly, as
though seeking to escape. Her eyes fell
upon bunch of lily buds just ahead of
them. ''There are the water lilies" she
cried, "let me get them;" and scarce know
| ing what she was about she stood up in
the boat.
BE careful, Cora, or you will fall" he
said. Il will get them for you"
AS she turned to sit down the boat tipped
and she fell backward. In a flash he had
dropped the oars and stood up to catch her.
She fell against his breast, and the boat
whirled half around. He clasped her close,
steadying them both, and as he held her
thus he pressed upon her lips long kiss
|
dam Numbered in her ears, and looking up
ward, past the locks of blond hair gleam-
ing in the sun, she saw the branches of the
trees which seemed to whirl in a mad
dance against the blue sky. Then she
heard TOmmy's voice calling:
'Cora-Cousin Co-ral'
She was sitting quietly in the stern, and
Fairfax was bending over the oars when
Tommy appeared on the rocks above them.
''Here she is, sis-Ive found her. Addie
come on. How do you do, sir, and I'll
say goodby, too, for Pm about going away"
The boat touched the shore and Maria
and Adelaide reached the summit of the
bank just as Cora stepped out
"You will come again in the morning
at the same placer he said in a low voice:
81 shall be there. | must see you before
you 60"
Cora made no reply, but clambered
quickly up the bank.
"My eye what a hunt we've had for you,
Corar' shouted Tommy; you'll only have
just time"
81 would not have believed such thing
possible" said Maria freezingly; "a cousin
of mine to go upon the water alone with a
strange man."
GLOW did it happen?"-from Adelaide
"Who is he?''
81 say, Cousin Cora, did he come behind
you and speak before you knew he was
there? That's the way we did the day l
was catchin' frogs"
"And you expect to be married in the
spring WeNr'
Cora heard only confused fragments of
these sentences, uttered as they walked
away from the river There was buzzug
sound in her ears and her cheeks were
burning She took off her straw hat and
| famed herself.
"Well, have you nothing to says' asked
| Maria
Eyes; he lost his oar and found it for
/ him." said Cora. "He thanked me and
talked to me for awhile, and then offered
to row me as far as the bridge, and | came
that is all"
'"rhat is all! And do you think that was
proper proceedings?
sit did not seem wrong to me at the
| time"
"Perhaps it isn't considered so in Greene
county," sneered Maria. FNew York girls
don't do that sort of thing We must
| hurry back now fast as we can; papa
| has had telegram, and we are to leave
| this afternoon instead OF tomorrow, so
| there is no time to be lost. We must get
our things together"
| Cora stopped.
| "You are going away this afternoonP
eyes; in three hours"
Then she would never see him again. She
had not said goodby nor spoken to him
even when he had asked her to come to the
river in the morning.
"Well, what is the matter"
81 must go back"
what for, in heavens manner"
81 have left my handkerchief"
LEFT it where?"
''In the boat"
"Why, there is your handkerchief in
your belt" cried Adelaide.
Maria came step nearer. "What Is the
matter with you, Cora; you are not like
yourself. What has happened"
Nothing But if | am going away to-
day l wish to go back and say goodby to
that gentleman. did not speak to him
when | left, and | do not want to be
thought rude"
Maria's long hand encircled Cora's
wrist. you will come with me, If you
please" she said in low voice.
Cora looked in her cousins face The
sun shone full upon it, and in the pitiless
glare Maria's skin showed of greenish
tiDge, her lips looked dry and bloodless,
and Cora gazed curiously at a faint, yellow
blotch under one corner of her mouth
which she had never noticed before. 1t
seemed to her then that she must have al
ways hated Maria.
81 shall do what seems to me right" she
said, doggedly.
''Then COP cried Maria, furiously fling
ing away her hand; "but neither my
mother nor my sister nor | will ever speak
to you again, and you will be a disgraced