Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-03
MON ICA.
LOVE STORY OF MODERN DAYS


"Ihan1 morrow you are to come here
qO,.'"stt t..e roses heard you promise Miss
F., raid .his a.ternopA.''
!! zone is quite composed, but two little
br i"I, tleckS Of color have risen hurTiedly
and Gre DOW Haunting themselves on either
pre- \ cheek. She is evidentlyvery serious
ly in earnest
''SIe asked me for them; she will think it
so un5enerous, so rude" says Desmond.
''Not ungenerOus. She will never think
you that, or rude either" says Monica,
gaug'ng the truth to a nicely. "CdrelesS, if
20" will, but no more; and-I lyunt you to
seem "areless where she is concerned"
but why, my dearest?"
Because | don't like her; she always
treats me as though were some insignifi-
cant little girl still in short pet,icoats," says
Miss Beresiord, with rising indignation.
'And because-because, too"
81" pauses in some confusion.
$50 on; because what"' with gentle en-
couragement.
''lYell, then, because know she wants to
nad,Ty y0u," says Monica, vehemently, but
In a chOked voice.
'What extraordinary idea to come into
your head ~ says Desmond, in choked
tone also, but from different emotion.
"What are you laughing at"' severely.
tAt me?''
Ny airing, it seems so absurd, and"
u forbid you to laugh, i'll tone replete
with anger but highly suggestive of tears.
SD0n't do it,
'pll never laugh again, my pet, if it of
tends you 50 dreadfully."
But your eyes are laughing; can see
them. | can see Il great deal more than you
think, and l know that hateful girl has
ma. = up her mind to marry you as soon as
eY2E She can"
"That will be never"
mot if you go on bringing her roses and
tlin@s."
"Hnat harm can a simple rose do?'
'lf you are going 10 look at it in that
liSal, shall say 10 more. Bat in a very
litti" time yOu will find she has married
"" and tiCn where will you be?'
ilr jealousy is too childishIy open to be
m isunderst0Od. Mr.. Desmond's spirits are
rising with marvellous rapidity; indeed, for
the past two minutes he feels as if he is
treaumg on air.
AS you won't have me, [ don't much care
qUlCre l Shall be-" he says with the mean
hope of reducing her to submission by
threat. In this nope he is doom d to be dis
appointed, as she meets his base insnuatiOn
with an uncovered front.
Very good, 90 and marry her. she says,
calmly, as if church, pars0n, and Miss Fitz-
gerald are all Waitin5 s0r him, in anxious
exp ctaton, round the corner.
"No, sha'n.t," say, Desmond, changing
his tao les without a blush. Catch me at
1t! AS you persist in refusing me- shall
never marry, but remain a bachelor forever,
for your sweet sake"
linen say you will not bring those roses
tomorrow. Or, better still, say You will
bril- them, and'-all women, even the best,
are erUal-"give them to me before her"
"My darling! what an unreasonable thing
to aG'l me!'
',On! dare sayI when people don't lone
people ,hey always think everything they
do Urea enable"
This rather involved sentence seems to
cut Mr. Desmond to the heart
'Of course, if you say that, must do it,"
he says.
Don't do it on my account" with a will
fui ,.ir.
~ ,, on my own, of course"
''Well, remember l don't ask you to do
It," with the most disgraceful ingratitude.
"Do as you wish about it,"
Your wishes are mine," he says, tender
ly. Il have had no divided exist nee since
that first day saw you,-how long ago it
seems now
Very long. Only few weeks in reality,
but it seems to myself that have known
and-liked you all my life"
''Yet that day when | saw you on the hay
cart is hardly two months old" says DeS-
mOnd, dTeamily.
As breath of half-fOrgOtten perfume, or
lOng-loSt chord fresh sounded, brings back
the memories of lifetime, so does this
chance remark of his now recall to her a
Of % til
frn"ght with recollections terrible to her
SeIt-'ovP.
",Wo MONTHS only twO?-Oh, it must be
more" she says, with a pang. Surely time
ouat 10 lessen the feeling of shame that
o},.. ."NerS her whenever she thinks of that
fla, day.
so wearsome a time, my own?" asks he,
reproacmully.
mo, it is not that. It is only. Oh,
Brian, that day you speak of, when | was
on that hOrrld hay-cart, did you'll mean
did that iS-did look very lm-rac fuI?'
The word she is dying to say is disgrace
full, but she dares not.
''Ungraceful"'
"les. Terry says that when we were
passing you that day waS-was," with a
desperate rush. kicking up my heelsv'
She is trembling with shame and confu-
sion. Crimson has sprung to her cheeks,
tears to her eyes.
Il DON'T believe word of it," says Mr..
Desmond, COmprthending the situation at
last. But, even SuppoSing you were, and,
after all, that is the sort Of thing Cu2r,y one
does on bundle of hay, AS though it is
quite the customary thing for people gcner-
ally to go round the world seated on hay
CARTS! Didn't see you-thGt is, your heels
/ mean; saw only your tacc,-the pretieSt
face III the world. How could look at any
thing else when had once seen that"
'Bgiar!' turning to him impatuouSly, and
laying both her hands upon his shoulders,
II do think you are the dearest fellow on,
earth"
"Oh, Monica! am | the dearest to you"'
He has twined his arms round her lissome
figure, and is gazing anXiouSly into her eyes.
y eS,-yrS, certainly" And then, with
ndtrGte ndescrlOa0lc, and with the ut
most compoSure, she says
Il think should like to give you a kisS!'
is the blue dome still over his head, or has
the Sky fallen! The thing he has been long
Ing for, with an intensity not to be portray
ed, ever since their first meeting, but has
not dared to even hint at, is now freely of,
fered him, as though it were a thing OF
naught.
'Monicaw says her lover, the blood rush.
ing to his face, do you mean it?'' He
tightens his clasp round her, yet still re-
Trains from touching the sweet lips so near
his own. A feeling of honest manliuess
makes him hesitate about accepting this
great happiness, lest, indeed, he misunder
stood her. To him it is so great boon she
grants that lie hardly dares believe in its
reality.
'Of course 1 do" says Miss Beresford
distinctly offended Cat least [ did