Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-30
to splash wildly with the oars.

"lf ever | come out on the water again
with rude, noisy boy" began Maria as
soon as they were out of hearing-"row to
the shore at once"
! "What makes you so cross this morning,
sisS" said Tommy plaintively. II haven't
done anything, have I?'
LET US get out below here and get some
marguerites,'' said Adelaide
| As they stepped out of the boat Cora put
her arm around Tommy and kissed him.
Hes sittin' up in the boat" said
| Tommy.
Tommy, don't you dare to look back, "
said Maria.
Il know him." said Tommy; "he livesin
the big house across the river He talked
to me yesterday while was catchin' frogs.
| He showed me where he lived and asked
me to come see him, and Pm goin He
asked me if all three of the young ladies
were my sisters"
| 81 hope you told him nothing about u.s."
81 said you two girls were my sisters and
/ Cora was my cousin, and then he asked if
! the dark young lady was Miss Cora, and l
said yes and that she didn't live with US;
that she lived IN Greene county, O., and
that she was engaged to be married, but
that neither of you girls was-oh, lookl
there's frogr'
They staid for some time gathering
marguerites, but Cora wherever she looked
saw only two flowers, side by side, and of a
deep blue color. When they rowed back
she saw them in the water, but the boat
was gone.
The next morning she came alone to
walk by the water. Adelaide had a head
ache and the children were off somewhere
with Maria. She was glad to be by her
self, in the quiet of the woods and away
from the sound of their noise and bicker-
ing.
She walked down the stream as far as
the dam, and returning sat for long time
under the overhanging rock. Suddenly
boat glided around the bend and came di-
rectly toward her. In it sat young man.
He rested on the long oars and looked at
Cora. The boat slid into little cove Just
above the rock, and kneeling On the seat
the young man began to fasten it with a
chain. One of the oars dropped from the
rowlock and fioated down the stream to-
ward Cora. She had risen to go, but see
ing that he did not miss the oarshe stopped
and lifted it dripping from the water. He
turned at the same moment, and seeing
what had happened sprang from the boat
and came toward her.
"Thank you, very MUCH" he said, but
am sorry you have wet your arm"
at is of no consequence" said Cora, dry
ing her hands on her handkerchief.
He stood before her, slender, graceful
figure, holding the oar lightly in one hand
and his hat in the other, until Cora had
dried her hands and tucked her handker-
chief in her belt Then she turned to go
away.
''Please don't go just yet" he said, tax
ing step forward. IL haven't thanked
you enough. have driven you away from
your place too"
''Oh, no." she replied, 81 was just 60
ing"
Wont you sit down and talk to me,
only for few moments?" he said smiling;
''then l won't feel that | have dispossessed
you. | have been out rowing for two
hours, and it is very lonely, not having
soul to talk to-"
Cora was greatly embarrassed, but
feared to appear rude before this hand
some and polite young man.
81 must go back" she said irresolutely,
for my cousins do not know where l am"
Then she sat down. He flung himself on
the grass near her. "Now," he said, 1--WE
can talk like two old friends"
He began to tell her of the Bronx region
river. He pointed out the gable of great
white house just visible above the trees on
the other side of the stream, where he
lived in the summer with his mother and
sister.
eve are very quiet now," he said, ''but
a little later we shall have a house full of
company, and if you are to be here this
summer | want my sister to know you.
What! you are going away tomorrow?
Oh, | am sorry for that-ju as we have
become acquainted How often it is SO;
the beautiful and charming things IN this
life scarcely come to us before they are
gone"
He looked down into the water as he
made this commonplace remark, and Cora
stole a swift look at him. His face was
serious and had an expression of real pain.
She thought him very handsome. Little
by little her constraint disappeared. In
the rapid flow of his talk there was little
required of her by way of reply, and she
spoke mostly in monosyllables, but she no
longer felt i'll at ease. She was sorry she
mad not met her companion a week ago.
After awhile he talked more slowly and
paused between his sentences as though to
give Cora an opportunity to say some
thing, but she remained silent. After one
of these intervals, during which she had
gaZed up into the swaying branches above
them, he turned his eyes to Cora's and
said:
"Isn't there something fascinating in the
| thought that we have met like this, have
sat together on the banks of this river and
talked as two friends, neither knowing
even the name of the other-when, until
yesterday, you had no knowledge of my
existence even, nor l of yours, and tomor-
! Io for
we shall never meet again, but, no matter
what happens, in this hour that we have
spent together our lives have touched and
| Joined; nothing can change that, or take
the memory of this day from either of u.s.
It must have been written that we should
meet, for have wished it very earnestly
since yesterday, and all this morning have
been rowing up and down the stream hop
! Ing to see you"
He was leaning on his elbow now, look
ing intently into her eyes. For the first
time a vague feeling that it was not right
| for her to sit and listen to this beautiful
young man stirred within her.
| 81 must go now," she said, standing up;
"goodby."
He sprang to his feet. "Ah, do not 90
yet," he cried, sit is our last, our only
morning together! You don't know how
much it is to ME, and it is SO little to ask?'
! Cora was alarmed at the earnestness in
bis blue eyes, but still more at the strange.
new feeling in her own breast.
| mo, cannot stay any longer" she said,
and turned away.
| "At least you must let me row you up to
the bridge: then you will not have to climb
this steep hill to get to the path. Come"
| He had already turned and was leading
the way to the boat. She followed him,