Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-29


sweet responsibility. his gentle willing
ness TO be cOnsoled and entertaine,
by her. shut out all lesser sensations
1t was only when, feeling the trai1
Slacken in speed. she lifted her eve:
/ and peered over Giles shoulder, tha
!; she discovered it. with a bound she
was upon her feet, her hand graspins
the arm of the man before her.
What is it, Miss Emerson" asked
Giles, unable to read between the
frowning lines at the meeting of hel
delicate brows.
What is it," she echoed valentine
Starr!' and she looked toward the
place where his dark, bright. malevo
lent face last Swallowed the frosty
pane. Giles followed her glance with
his own and cried out in establishment
The coach, in which they were being
slowly brought to standstill, had
been uncoupled, the rope detached and
themselves left to do what they might
under the exasperating circumstances.
We'll, I'll be-
No, you'll not! You shan't be any
thing l can't be-and l won't be thatr'
laughed Miss Emerson, a bit hysteric.
ally. 'Oh, Giles, I'm so sorry-for-
your
Sorry fol- me? Say, don't you be
that now. l haven't heard a word
you've been saying for the last half
hour" Miss Emerson may be ex-
cused for wincing slightly at this
stunningly honest confesSion-''but
I've been doing better n listening. I've
been making up my mind. All the
While your soft, bright voice was seem
ing to blow little rainbow bubbles
through the air l was building scales
out of my heart and soul to weigh
two women in"
Giles stopped and looked dreamily
out at the floating flakes that swirled,
and danced, and shot up again in the
wind, as though settling with their fell
lows on the soft, pure levels below
were the last of their intentions.
The snowstorm shut the two occu-
pants of the coach into a little world
of their own. No landmarks were dis
cernible-their whereabouts a mystery
neither of them was in a hurry to
solve.
"And you weighed them-with
mental, moral, physical or spiritual
weights, Giles-which?
You're laughing at mel" cried the
young man, turning to face a counte-
nance wreathed in smiles; but what he
dreaded he did not find He met, in
stead, a pair of the sweetest humid
blue eyes in the world, their long
lashes moist their dark pupils dilat-
ing.
Laughing at you? Can't you see
Fm-I'm crying at you? o Gilesr'
you've guessed it, then? YOU"
"Giles, don't accredit me with that
much wisdom. l teach school-but
only the primary grades; and as for
higher mathematics, | couldn't solve
the problem of any mans heart-not
even if he gave me for the unknown
quantity. Oh. dear"
What"
'The Windows
"COnfOund the windOWs!
''I'll do nothing of the sort. And l
consider it heartless of you to ask it
of me-
ooh, bother the windows, then!
Miss Emerson?''
"Well?"
81 used all the weights you men
toned, l reckon"
"Well?"
physically, some one I've been
dumb fool about got it; but other
ways"
"Yes?'
ct balanced in favor of mite of
rainbow bubbles"
"GileSr'
"You did that sum pretty quick, Miss
Emerson. l should think higher
mathematics wouldn't be any trouble
to you whatever
'Now, your laughing at me, Giles
Starr! Well, laugh, then! But remem-
Der you have yet your own problem to
solve"
'1've solved-and proved it," and
Giles voice grew tender and serious.
"Proved it by such kindness as never
receivd before: proved it by your
sweet sympathy and your tears-O,
Miss Emerson"
81 think Giles" breaks in. a soft,
happy voice, eff you are so sure of
the correctness of your solution, that
Mary would be much more appropri-
ate than"
"Mary-my darling!'
For three cold, halcyon hours they
watched for a sign of rescue, hoping
for it's delay. Mary told Giles the SIM
pie story Of her life, of it's ambi-
lions, of it's loneliness. At noon they
opened the donation basket, and ate
their Thanksgiving dinner as mortals
might eat who are permitted to dine
with the gods.
And when, at Last, an engine snorted
Importantly toward them through the
shimmering obscurity Of snow, they
asked to be taken back to the farm,
and not on to Sharpsburgh, where a
baff1ed beauty had passed the day in
giving anything but thanks.
ORIGIN OF THANKSGIVING.