Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-15
UNCLE HENRY'S WILL.


stood in the garden one bright June
morning, examining her rod and lines
with the air of an expert.
"Oh. | say, Nab, let me- 60 with
you. Wait minute for a fellow.
won't you?"
ALI right, Hurry up. though, for
| want to be off before the sun geSs so
high
Five minutes more and they are on
their way to the stream. Twenty min
utes more and behold Nab placidly
seated on one side of the brook while
Bob goes round to the other side a
little farther up, both wajIing for q
bite
For time silence reigns supreme:
but whoever heard of girl keeping
still more than five consecutive min
utes? So presently Mabel breaks out
with:
DO you know. Bob every time I
think of Uncle Henry I get madP
When you come 70 consider it wasn't
1t mean of him to let us live in that
house all these years, until it seemed
really ours, and then to go Off to Den
yer and die. Here we wake up one
fine morning and find he has sold it to
that doctor, while we have a paltry
four hundred a year and the rest goes
TO found an orphan asylum. Ugh!"
and here she curlS up her pretty nose
in high disdain
''1e s, it was d really shabby trick
Of the old gentleman's, agrees Bob:
then adds consolingly. Its good
that house Of Walkers was vacant
though. Just turned up in time, didn't
it?"
Bob, have you seen him?"
Yes I've seen MIN a couple OF
times. He was at the match the other
day"
WAS he? What's he like? Is he
nice?" she queries eagerly. in one
breath, with all the usual amount of
feminine curiosity in her voice.
We'll l suppose you girls would
call him real good-looking chap. I
think he's nice nothing stuck up about
him. He's real pleasant to talk to-
his voice is So"
80, just because he happened to
know little about a horrid old match
and by his talk you may think he
knew great deal more. | warrant
you fell right in love with him. Oh,
Bobby! l didn't think it of youl AS for
good looks handsome is that hand
some does [ say. | don't care if he is
as grand as Apollo. with the most an
gelic voice in Christendom, / for one
am not going to fall straight down at
his feet and adore him! I'm prepared
to hate him! I'll show him that
Well! what is the matter with you?
You act as if you had some nervous
diseasen
During this speech she had been
growing more and more excited and
her voice louder and louder. From
his position little farther up. on the
opposite side of the stream, Bob had
been making pantomimic attempts to
stop her, but TO no avail. Now he
gaZes disconsolately at a figure in
gray, which is disappearing down the
path directly behind Nab.
II say, it's real mean. Nab! There
he goes now! I'm sure he heard every
word you said. too"
Where?" she turns quickly, just in
time to see the vanishing form of DIR.
Duncan. Il think you might have
told me- Bob " with an air of injured
innocence.
How could r." Indignantly; he
was right behind you. If you hadn't
screamed so loud you might have
heard him yourself"
"Oh, l don't care! People that
come sneaking around never hear any
good Of themselves" Then she goes
on in q wheeling voice: do you
really and truly think he heard me?"
Heard you?" Bob replies with I'M
sympathetic boyish fraukness why,
anyone could have heard you clear
down at the other end of town, the
way you screeched. "
.Well | don't care anything about
it but she has the grace to blush all
the same.
Il think it's mean Nab, the way
you treat DR.. Duncan, said Bob one
day when several months had passed.
Such d nice fellow, too! I'd a sight
rather talk to him than to George
Houston, who can't do anything but
bang his hair pose in a tennis suit
and hang round the girls"
lit seems to me your doctor is not
particularly anxious to talk to me. l
suppose he does not consider it worth
while. - she retorts.
why, Nab! And if you only knew
what he said"
WHAT" demands she, with an as
sumption of Indifference but Bobby is
not caught.
90! l don't suppose you'd think an
opinion OF his any consequence, so I'd
better not tell you
Ihereupon Nab determines on
wicked plan of revenge, and says quite
feelingly: Never mind Bob. after
this III try to be real nice to bim."
Her brother is triie suspicious Of
such an unusually meek resolve. He
has a faint idea that Mab's. dimples
and big, brown eyes mean some sort
Of mischief; so he hasteus 10 say: See
here, Nab don't you be too nice g.
him"
.'Oh. never MAD me. Bobby. III
take care OF that"
You'd better! Perhaps you might
get scorched yourself"
True to her resolve, from the frigid
olGness OF an icic-e Nab turned to the
wa.m sweetness of a fresh summer
breeze. The doctor at first tried to
solve the mystery of this wonderful