Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-17
MON ICA.
A LOVE STORY OF MODERN DAYS.

"Ah! now, there you are wrong; they fly
beneath these nurky skies. We absolutely
reyel in them. What true Irishman but has
one tripping freely from his mouth on the
very smallest chance? And then. my dear
Hernia, consider, are we not the proud
possessOrs of the blarney-stOne?'
Il wish, dearest, you would bring your
self to think seriously of ROsSmOyne."
Il do think seriously OF him. II would be
impossible to think of him in any other way,
he is so dull and pomp0us."
He would make an excellent husband"
Il have had enough of husbands They
Sides
"Well?'
''ROsSmOyne has temper"
sand forty thousand year."
'Not good enough"
IF you are waiting for an angel, you will
wait forever. All men are
'Oh, Hernia! really, can't listen to such
naughty words, you know. IreaIly wonder
at your
81 wasn't going to say anything of the
kind" says Hernia, with great haste, not
seeing the laughter lurking i'll Olga's dark
eyes. Il merely meant that"
Don't explain !-don't" says Olga; Il
couldn't endure any more of it, And she
laughs aloud.
''Rossmoyne is very devoted to you. Is
there anything against him, except his tenn
peru
Yes, his beard. Nothing would induce
me to marry a man with hair all over his
face. 1t isn't cleG3l."
Give him FIVE minutes and a razor, and
he might do away with it,
''Giye him five minutes and razor. and
icrb+ 90
Olga, provOkingly. Really, I think one
thing would please me just as much as the
other"
''Oh, then, you are bent on refusing him?''
says Hernia, calmly. With very few peo-
pie does she ever lose her temper: with
0 ga-never.
81 am not so sure of that, at all,' says
Olga, airily. ct is quite within the posi-
bilities that may marry him some time or
Other,-SO0ner or later. There is a delight
fUl yaguenesS about those two dates that
gives me the warmest encouragement"
1T is a pity you cannot be serious some
times, says Mrs Herrick, mildly.
a little hand upon her gown saves further
eXpOstulatiOn. A little face looking up with
a certainty of welcome into hers brings
again ct wonderful sOfEneSs into Hermias
eyes.
".
"And where have you been? [ have watch
ed in vain for you for the last half-hOur. my
Fay"
Il was in the dining-roOm. But nurse
called me and now Ihave come to say good
night" says the child.
Goodnight, then, and God bless you, my
chick. But where is my Georgie?"
'Pmhere says George, geefully, spring
jvlCr in a yTiO 70 hat
would have believed hateful to the calm
Hernia, yet is evidently most grateful to
her. She embraces the boy warmly, andlet
her eyes follow him until he is out of sight.
Then she turns again to the little maiden at
her cide.
- must go with Georgia" says the child.
so you shall. But first tell me, what
have you got in your hand?"
Something to go to bed with. See, NAM
my! 1t is pretty red Plum" opening her
delicate pink fist. for her mothers admira-
ton.
where did you get it, darling?'
''ln the dining-rOOm."
From Lord ROssmoyne?'
''No. From Mr.. Kelly. I would not have
| the one Lord ROSsmoyne gave me-"
! Olga laughs mischievously, and Mrs. Her
| rick cOlOrS.
"Why?" she says.
''B ecause l like Mr.. Kelly best"
"And what did you give him?"
''Nothing"
''Not even a kiss?" says Olga.
NO" somewhat Shamefacedly.
Her mothers own danghterl' says Olga,
| caressing the child tenderly but laughing
| still. "A chilly mortal"
"G0od-night, my own" says Hernia, and
| the child, having kissed them both again,
! runs away.
Oga follows her with wistful eyes.
81 almost wish | had had baby?" she
! says.
''You? Why, you can'ttake care of your
solf! You are the least fitted to have
| child of any woman l know. Leave all such
| charges to stain people like me. Why, you
! are baby at heart, yourself, this moment"
| That would be no drawback. 1t would
only have created sympathy between me
| and my baby. would have understood all
| her bad moods and cOndoned all her
| crimes"
| ''If you had been mother, you would
have had a very naughty child"
| Il should have had a very happy child, at
least" Then she laughs. Fancy me with
| a dear little babyv she says,-''a thing all
my own, that would rub it's soft cheek
| against mine and love me better than any
| thingr'
And rumple all your choicest Partisan
! gowns, and pull your hair to pieces. I
! couldn't fancy it at ALL"
Il r. the door opens to admit the men, the
celestial half-hOur after dinner having come
to al end. With one consent they all con-
| verge toward the window, where Olga and
| Hernia are standing with Monica, who had
| joined them to bid goodnight to little Fay.
Miss Fitzgerald, who has returned to the
| draWing-rOom freshly powdered, seeing how
the tide runs, crosses the room too, and min
| giles with the group in the window
How long you have beenl We feared
| you dead and buried" she says to Kelly,
with eephantine payfulness.
I'VE have, indeed. [ thought the other
men would never stir. Why did you not
| give me the chance of leaving them? The
| faintest suggestion that you wanted me
would have brought me here hours ago."
IF / had been sure of that, should have
sent you message; 1t would have saved me
lecture" says Olga, flashing smile at
! Hernia.
Il should disdain to send message" saws
the proud Bella. II would not compel any
| mans presence. Come if you will; stay
away if you won't is my motto; and | can
not help thinking am right
you are, indeed quite right Coercion is
| of small avail in some cases. says Olga, re-
garding her with the calm dignity of one
who plainly considers the person addressed
of very inferior quality indeed.
| ga woman can scarcely be too Jealous of
her rights nowadays" says Miss Fitzgerald.
IF she has proper knowledge of her posi-
ton, she ought to guard it carefully
"a fine idea finely expressed p says Kelly,
| as though smitten into reverence by the