Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-14
\ FIN DE Steele LOVE STORY.

''Lucretia, exclaimed Mrs. Conrad
kissing her guest effusively again and
seating herself in rocking chair in
her guests room, I'm so glad TO Sec
You, DEAR And some one else will be
| Just as glad as l am. I'm determined
You shall fall in love with him. As
for him, he's already devoted to YOU y
'Really?' said Lucretia, taking of
| her hat. Its too kind of you. Alice
and | wish you'd give it up. I'm not
You needn't be cross, I.ucretia,
He's delightful! But l shan't tell you
who he is, because you're so hateful
| that you'd only dislike lim because
Of my plan. You'll meet him in 4
crowd tonight at dinner
Alice, you're absurd I haven't the
fainteSt intention of being coerccd in
to matrimony. I'm comfortable as /
am. And if you don't give up match
making on my account I'll stop visiting
you! Do you hear, madame?'
We'll, I've done nothing hut tell
him about the charming artist who was
coming. But I'll do nothing more.
Don't be cross. I'm going off to give
you a chance to dress"
Lucretia was annoyed. 1t seemed
To her as she dressed for dinner that
most Of her thirty years had been
spent in trying to escape the matri-
monial SnareS Alice set for her
She fastened the Old-fashioned cameo
brooch i'll her silver-gray dress with
4 vicious snap. She had purpoSely
dressed herself as maeSthetically as
possible because Of the annoyance at
Alice, and it pleased her to think how
extremely commonplace she looked.
The man who took her out to dinner
seemed commonplace also. When they
had been seated Il few minutes. he
remarked:
DO tell me if Mrs. Conrad's pet
lioneSs, the famous artist, is here and
if you see her anywhere?"
Lucretia started slightly Then size
glanced about the table.
Il do not see her." she answered
I'm glad of that" said her compan
truth, Miss Er-er-," he paused, but
Lucretia did not help him out, so he
resumed Il copied from Greece,
Rome and medieval Conrad has done
nothing but sing her praises and eX-
hibit her sketches ever since we've
been here. Some Of the others who
know her say she is really charming,
but personality do not want to see
herr
oh she isn't bad said Lucretia,
pleasantly. Il know Mrs. Conrad's
capacity for praise, and l dare say
she's quite overdone the matter, but
really this Miss Benton is nice, or
binary woman:
The unfortunate man, thus lured on,
continued:
Il cannot believe it. l assure YOU my
eyes were glued to the dining room
door tonight expecting to see woman
with loose, rough hair, and & fiimsy,
greenish- gray ish- sort of Il
lress, and a girdle or necklace of some
thing, floating in. l can't tell you how
relieved l was when Miss Benton failed
to appear"
"Oh! What led you to think size
dressed that way?
Mrs Conrad and all the women
here rave over her aesthetic frocks.
Does she ever wear anything that be-
longs to the nineteenth century? Or
are all her gowns the same? l have
simply dreaded to meet her. Mrs. HOl-
land:'
Really, I'll have to stop YOU" laugh
ed LlIcretia. Miss Benton frequently
wears such commonplace things as
tailor-made frocks. But what do you
think Of her paintingsT'
"Oh, the cOloring is fair enough, but
the drawing is eXecrable! | wonder
why it is that when woman fancies
herself an artist she straightWay loses
her eye for measurement. What do
you think Of Miss Benton's picture?
suppose you've seen some of them"
Yes, a few. But I'm no critic of
art l never undertake to express ali
opinion on paintings.
You're very wise, Miss-er. That is
one thing the people who know nothing
Of art are fondest of doing"
Then 1 take it that you paint?" re-
marked Lucretia.
There was look of indignant sur
prise on his face for second. Then
he said dryly: Yes, little. | fancy
you must have failed to catch my
name, even as I did yours"
And then Alice gave the signal and
the women filed out. Lucretia's face,
| above her silvery gown, was brilliant
Her eyes shone with depressed amuse-
ment. She sat down at the piano and
began to strike the keys aiplessly
| Alice rushed over and breathlessly call
! ed her a dear, and then rushed on to
| the next woman. By and by the men
came in. and her table companion
promptly crossed to Lucretia, Alice
rushed up again.
"Oh, l am delighted" she said. n
knew you and Miss Benton would find
lot to talk about, Mr.. Teele, since
you've both-why, what's the Natter
Miss Bentonr" gasped Mr.. Tecle.
Mr.. Teeler' gasped Lucretia. ''whc
painted 'Andromeda|
You see, Alice dear, said Mrs
your doing. 1t would never have hap
rened if you had managed the intro
auctions as you should have done