Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-01-05

match, but puased suddenly because
you had thought the same thing?"
She looked for a moment as though
she would read him through and
! through; as though, in spite of all their
candor, there was some lingering un
certainty as to his perfect straightfor-
WardneSS; then, as if satisfied, she said
at last: Yes, but with Il difference
L have no doubt which memory it will
be. You will not wish to be again on
the plains of Nindobar"
| And YOU he said musingly, you
vii not wish me here?' There was no
vanity in the question. He was wonder
ing how little we can be sure Of what
we shall feel tomorrow from what we
feel today. Besides he knew from what
we feel today. Besides he knew that
wise woman is wiser than a wise man.
Il really don't think shall care par
ticularly. Probably, if we met again
here, there would be some jar to our
comradeship-I may call it that, l sup
pose?"
Which is equivalent to saying that
gOodby in most cases, and always in
because we can never meet quite the
same again"
! She bowed her head, but did not re-
ply. Presently she glanced up at him
kindly. What would you give to have
the past back before you were disil-
luSionized? Before you had-trouble?'
Il do not want it back. I am not real
ly disillusionized. think that we should
not take our own personal experience
and make it law unto the world. I be-
ieve in the world in spite-of trouble.
You might have said trouble with a Wo-
mani should have said minded"
He was smoking now, and the clouds
twisted about his face so that only his
eyes looked through earnestly.
"a woman always makes laws from
her personal experience. She has not
the faculty of generation-I fancy that's
the word to USE" This was her reply.
She rose now with a little shaking mo-
ton, one hand at her belt, and rested
shoulder against pillar of the veranda.
He rose also at once, and said touching
her hand respectfully with his finger
tips, eve may be sorry one day that we
did not believe in ourselves more"
"Oh, no. she said, turning and smil-
ing at him, II think not You will be
i'll England hard at work; l here hard
ut living; our interests will lie far apart.
l am certain about it all. We might
have been what my cousin call 'rusty
palS'-nO more"
Il wish to God l felt sure of that,
Nellie Ashford
She held out her hand to him. 'I be
heve you are honest in this. I expect
both of us have played hide and seek
with sentiment in our time, but it would
be useless for us to masquerade with
each other; we are of the world, very
worldly"
quite useless-here comes your
cousin! Now for the actors game. l
hope l don't look as disturbed as I feel"
You look perfectly cool, and I know
l do. What an art this living is! That
cousin of mine comes about the boar
hunt tomorrow. 1 can see it in his eye"
Shall you join us?''
"Of course. I can handle a rifle as
well as any of you. Besides it is your
last day here"
'Who can tell what tomorrow may
bring forth?'' he said
The next day the boar hunt occurred.
They rode several miles to little lake
and a scrub of brigalOW, and dismount-
ing soon had exciting sport. Miss Ash
ford was q capital shot, and was, with
out loss of any Womanliness, thorough
sportsman. Today, however, there was
something on her mind, and she was
not as alert and successful as usual.
Sherman kept with her as much as pos
sible-the more 50 because he saw that
her cousins, believing she was quite well
able to table care of herself, allowed her
to her own resources. Presently, how
,ver, following an animal, he left a short
distance behind. On the edge of a little
billabong she came upon ruculent
looking boar. 1t turned on her, but she
fired and it fell Seeing another ahead
she pushed on quickly to secure it too.
AS she went she half cooked her rifle.
Had her mind been absolutely intent
on the sport, she would have full cooked
it. All at once she heard the thud of
feet behind her. She turned swiftly
and saw the boar she had shot bearing
upon her its long yellow tusks standing
up like daggers. A sweeping thrust
from one of them leave little chance OF
life
She dropped upon a knee, swung her
rifle to her shoulder and pulled the trig
ger. The rifle would not go off. For an
instant she did not understand what was
he trouble. But, with singular presence
of mind, she never lowered her rifle or
took her eyes from the beast, but re-
manned immovable. 1t was all a matter
of seconds. Evidently cowed, the ami
NAL, when within a few feet Of her,
though to come down on her again. But
meanwhile she had discovered her mis-
take and cooked her rifle. She swiftly
trained it on the boar and fired. 1t was
hit. but did not fall, and came on. Then
another shot rang out from behind her,
and the boar fell so near her that its
tusk caught her dress.
Tom Sherman had saved her.
She was very white when she faced
him. She could not speak. That night
she spoke, however, very gratefully and
almost tenderly.
To something that he said gently to
her then about a memory, she replied,
Tell me now as candidly as if to your
own SOUL did you feel at the critical
moment that life would be horrible and