Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-02-23

vOced over the piano; they had griDs
and passwords in the hallway after
looking up the stairs. 1t was sheer
nonsense to attempt to hOOdwink q
! mother. Now, a father never suspects
until it is too late. But Il mother fol-
lows the development inch by inch. She
notices that this fellow always shuts
the front door at night very softly.
All the other fellows slam it with a
frank avowal that there isn't any cob
fusion. She notices that Lucille doesn't
like glaring light any more. She
notices that when other visitors are in
the parlor she can hear the tones of
the conversation in her room overhead.
But with this one not even the register
helps her. She has come down the
stairs and listened at the door-this is
a sacred privilege of mothers-and she
hasn't heard word Could it be DOS
sible that there We're great gaps in the
conversation, and that these young peo-
pie found some kind of esoteric delight
in staring mutely at each other? Induc-
lively. no.
\ mother not only uses the Baconian
method-she remembers. They are
whispering.
Why should they whisper?
That's what I call the regular thing"
Enter somewhere the hard-hearted
father, when this has been going on
for month. He takes beauty ON his
knee, and he, too, does the regular
thing.
He objects. He says, my dear. don't
do it. I've investigated it. 1t will not
The material is fiighty and ELUSIVE and
susceptible. Marry Snoggleson and
I'll be responsible"
| intended to have stopped this ac-
count of a love affair in real life right
here and offered prize to the girl who
could finish it correctly, but when I
bethought me that every girl would fin
ish it with her sympathies and not with
her Judgment and would make it end as
she wanted it, and not as it was, / said:
What is the use? The thing to do in
a newspaper is to come to the facts"
Well, manly enthusiasm planned love
in cottage. Claude laughed fathers to
scorn. Beauty thrilled and palpitated.
The mul1nur Of tropical waves, moonlit,
breathed for another month.
Eyes. and you run away from DR..
Mallowbone and told Dartover you had
headache-that was the best of ALL
"Yes," cried candor. clapping her
hands together, Just because wanted
to listen to you
And you did listen, too. Do you re-
member what | said?'
No, say it again"
Il told you that I loved you; that I
was poor. but | preferred to start poor
and achieve something if | had some
body to achieve it for; that when I
saw you I felt like a conquerer; that you
had hung your amulet on my better
nature; that l wouldn't have you unless
l could win you and wol. -. win you
unless I could deserve you. Do you know
what you said?'
No. 1 didn't say anything
Yes, you did. You said you'd let me
try--it was such an interesting expert
ment. l told you I'd stand afar of
and worship you till 1 proved it all"
'Oh! but you haven't. You have NOS
kept your word. Do you call it far off
now?" Why 1 can hear your heart
beat"
Are you sure it's mine"
Silence. They are listening.
Which is it?''
DO you know it sounds like both of
emp
There are some privileges reserved for
us, which even a mother can not ex-
ercise. We can look on. Enter, dear
dead head, into the temple of tradition
and sit down on the shrine of the old,
old story
Lucille is dangerously lolling in the
rocker.
In front of her and very close to her
upon low chair is the impudent ira
ditionalist who is working the strings
of the old lutte.
Think of it, $50 a week. His very
sleeve buttons are plated. But that
right royal beauty, who can marry
section Of Wall street, who has influ-
ence, power, social prestige, talent In
q queue behind her vainly trying to in
terest her, is listening with delight to
this fellow who hasn't anything.
And this is what he is saying In tho
most dove-ike tones:
My dear, fathers don't count. If you
have one, that settles it. We make our
fight without another soul on earth to
help us. 1T has always been so. Do
you remember that night on the lawn at
LenOX, when we sat under the trees
and we heard the music from the house
and moonlight made the pine trees
look as if they were snow sprinkledT'
ooh, wasn't it lovely?' exclaims sus-
cepibility. And the Madigan girls
looked just like nymphs when they came
out and fitted through the shrubbery."
Then, when everything was ready for
roses and rope ladders, Lucille married
Snoggleson.
She was a good obedient daughter,
and if you should go to their very fine
establishment you will find Snoggleson
reading that same article on tin-plate
in the library. But Lucille is not there.
I think she has gone to the Patriarchs'
ball with Charley Dartover.
STOOD EIGHT FEET SIX.
1.-THE strongest poet / ever had to in