Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-08-25

swung at the most comfortable of an
giles. With these conditions it was
scarcely strange that Halcyon Hart
ford swayed delightfully."- between the
real world and dreaming that June at
ternoon, with the fleecy gold Of her hair
all gUiltless of pin or comb, and the
bell sleeves falling away enchantingly
from her round white arms, while one
trim sippered foot hung from the edge
OF the hammock.
''Halcyon! Halcyon! Where are you
now?"
1t was enc Of those eXasperating
voices which, once having been sweet,
had now a vibrant jar to its tones.
painfully akin to shrillness.
Halcyon frowned a little, and raised
herself on one elbow.
ooh, aunt Hal, don't scream sol l
was just in such a dream of delights
''Well, you should have answered,
theni'
Aunt Hal came out of the wide shady
hall with an effusive swing of her dra-
!.e1y and seated herself in bamboo
chair close to the hamOck.
She was comicaIly like her neice--
at least as much as a woman Of thirty
eight could be like q maid of eighteen.
! I here was the same yellow luxurience
of hair; but harsher, dryer and sug-
gestiye of dye; the same pink and
white complexion, artiicially height
ened; similar features cruelty sharpen
ed by the memorable hand Of time, and
teeth just one degree too white and
regular to be real.
The white dress she wore was
painfully trying, and she was COM
PEELED to use gold-rimmed eye-g glasses as
she held up a letter to the view of her
neice.
'What has happened?" drowsily de
manded the latter, lifting a pair of
blue eyes, fringed with dark lashes.
''The strangest thing!'
Another offer of marriage?" hazard
ed HalcyCn, settling on the unlikeliest
thing which could, in her opinion, hap
pen.
''Hcw did you guessF' with a little
eXultant chuckle. Exactly The dear
foolish lad-and he so much younger
than L. Why, he couldn't have been
twenty-one when he went to Bonn
bay, an oil was at least thirty then
'"Thirty-five, Aunt Hail." said Hal
cyon, the merciless.
''Was it as much as that? Well, he
seemed desperately in love then
though I never took any notice Of the
child. But 1 suppose in that country
of blackamO0rs one can't help thinking
about all the women one has ever
known at home; and he has written me
two or three letters"
HAS he?"
HalcyOn sat straight up in the ham
mock now. Her blue eyes glowed.
The heat had brought a flush to her
cheek which all Aunt Halls caramine
could not rival
"But I never told you," said the ell
der beauty, because 1 remembered
that there was a sort of boy and girl
affair between yc1 and Charlie Bles-
son, when you were at boarding school
and 1 thought you would be nettled.
And here's the proposal at last, DEAR
with his photograph enclosed
'Iet me see it,
What d brave good face it was
slightly older and sterner than she had
looked upon when the Avancanian
sailed away three years ago, but yet 50
strong and manly!
She laughed Historically.
Aunt Hal nibbled coquettishly at the
edge of the envelope; the new false
teeth cleaned in a smile.
misunderstanding
"And you fourteen years older than
he is?''
People don't think about such things
as they used to do reasoned Miss
Hartford the elder, eros is immor
tal you know
Halcyon sank back into the hammock
and reopened her book.
you must do as you please, of
course" said she "After that quota
ton about Eros, / have not a sug-
gestion to cffer.'
Jealous, poor darling" thought
Aunt Hal with thrill of pity. And
she said:
''Well, of course one can't help those
things happening to one, and your time
will come soon dear, never fear"
cts a good thing" she added to
herself, 'she does not know anything
about dear old Judge Flostroy There's
a difference in age, if you please, and
the old pet is so infatuated about me!
An old mans darling or a young mans
slave-which
While Haicyon thought on her side:
''That silly goose! He has done it
now! He has been making love to
Aunt Hal, thinking he was counting
me. Oh, I thought he knew her name
was the same as mine. Didn't she
stand god-mother to me at st. Chrys-L
dimes and give me a coral and bells
and an embroidered christening robe?
And now he has actually proposed to
her! Well if he is the man I take
him to be he'll stand by his colors, cost
him what it may. A man who would
walk upto the lannon's mouth at Bey-
donna surely won't shrink, even from
Aunt Hal. And I'd rather know he
was a true hero than have a poltroon
for my husbandp'
And Halcyon turned her face toward
the pillow and cried great sparkling
tears like dew drops.
$50 you're back again, lieutenant?
Beg pardon, I'd orter said colonel,
I do suppose" said the old cab driver