Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-01


YOUR objections. we will leave the mat
ter entirely in your hands and in those
of YOUR dear wife, he added with a
stiff bow in her direction, "a most eX-
ceIlent heIpmeet in this as in all other
things"
ssOh. Mr.. Warning, please don't i'm
acine that l NEEDLE in all my hus-
bands businessr' cried Mrs. FelloWes,
half-amused and half-angry; it was too
abOminable to be made a sort OF co,
or under-curate to her husband, even
by this pair Of curioSitieS. Il should
never dream of interfering in the re-
ligious instruction of anyone, either
young or old; and if | had any mind
to, I assure you my husband would
strange that tendency in me-"
ooh dear me.' murmured MI. War
ing, 1--WE always act so much together
that | never thought of interference
in such a connection; pray excuse me,
dean Mrs. Fellowes," he entreated ner-
vously.
Mrs. Fellowes could have slain him
and herself.
She kept her eyes carefully turned
from her husband but she felt his
silent malicious laughter to the very
tips of her fingers.
Mr. Warning, there is nothing what
ever to excuse, it is only silly cleri-
cal point of etiquette. You have no
idea how the clerical mind turns to
trifies, l am only beginning to get any
correct notions and l have been study
ing it now over eight years. 1t is
much more interesting than geOllgy,'
she continued, turning to Mrs. Waring
and awakening her out of her reverie,
land requires quite as much hammer
ing to get anything worth having out
of it, John quite agrees with me-"
"Ah, Mrs. FelIowes, it is so easy for
you to see fun in things" said Mrs.
Waring in a pretty, wistful way; lit
is quite a gift, l fear it has not been
bestowed upon me-"
"Good gracious, I should think it
hadn'tr said Mrs. Fellowes to her
self, 'if you had a spark of it you'd
keep him in his right mind as well as
yourself"
Don't you think Dacre looks rather
idiotic?" whispered Gwen suddenly.
He certainly did, with his mouth
ajar and the bright red tip of his
tongue visible through his teeth.
"They always have that effect upon
him." continued Gwen, "a frequent
course of it would very soon land him
in an idiot asylum"
Hush, dear!'
Mr.. Warning seemed now i'll at ease
and not at all satisfied at the way
things were shaping. The affair was
missing fire both for him and for his
wife; they wanted so to speak, thor
ough microscopic examination of their
children; they wanted them then and
there put out on the table and care
fully gone over as a preliminary pro-
ceeding, even if as yet no final and
systematic classification Of their con-
tents could be attempted.
Where was the result of research to
come in if the one was to be shipped
off to school the very next day, and
the other to be turned over to Mr.. Eel
loves? Mrs. Warnings mind also ran
in this groove.
will there not be an examination
now at once?' she asked in panied sur
prise. II quite understand this was
our arrangement"
Il too, dear love; we must discuss
the matter Mr.. Fellowes,-ahem, my
wife and l thought it might be as well
to examine the state of our children S
minds now at once; it seems important
to ascertain clearly how far our plans
have been successful, and in this we
might be of some help to you"
Mr. Fellowes looked gravely an
noyed Dacre started violently and
nearly took the tip of his tongue and
Ovens face fell; she Strengthened her
self and a TRANSPORTATION fell upon
her, her mouth hardened, her color
faded to a dull gray, and her eyes
took on the masked look that Mrs,
Fellowes so detested to see.
always the samer' she muttered,
always the same. 1 was beginning
to think that with Dacre going to
school and everything we might be let
off and have tea instead. Look, there
it is getting stone cold, they've clean
forgotten it! 1 never can answer a
word when they question me, it's
beastly unfair to force one into looking
like a fool when one isn't. Dacre, of
course, might be a cabbage this min
ute-look at him! They treat ones
brains like puppets to dance when they
whistler
"Gwer. dear Gwen, you let your
tongue go mad!'
Gwen WINGED, she prided herself a
good deal on her strength and reti-
cence.
''As for the examination. it is quite
natural your father and mother should
arrive at some idea of your state of
mind and as they start on the premise
that you know nothing they won't ex-
pect you to shine"
you don't know" said the girl sur
lily, lone can't argue from experience
with regard to them ever, they are as
reasonleSs and as unjust in their eX-
pectationS as they are in everything"
Gwen, l am ashamed of you, you
are unjust and no one else, and rather
rude seeing that any questions you
have to answer will be asked by Mr..
Fellowes. Now listen, either your
father or my husband is going to
speak"
Your father and mother" said Mr..
FelloWeS coming over and standing so