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

|
with whip and oar, and fond of dog
!; and horses. She told us, at lunch to
day, that she could swim like d fish
You heard her"
1.-THE idea of hating a woman, a gOOt
looking young girl like that too! tt
unnatural, Cap" said his friend
Don't you remember how, once O.
twice during the war, we huzzaed a
the rare sight CT woman's faceT'
Il remember" said Captain Millet
and he had some cause to remember
as the empty right sleeve pinned to hi.
!: breast seemed to attest. Il don't thinl
ever even disliked woman before
but this is not a woman; it is a sort o.
a boy in her dress"
Rather charming boy" said Paul
But for another pretty girl, who is
even more charming, I'm not sure tina
L should have made my escape with
q whole heart from this merry, good
natured brunette"
! 1.-THE plainest woman here has more
charms for me-" said Captain Millet.
When Mrs. Silverspeer, Captain Mil
let's married sister, had invited a little
party to spend some weeks at hel
home, she had, as she supposed, care
fully avoided inviting people who
would fall out with each other A
pleasant young married couple, who
were always to be seen in the distance
arm in arm, four pretty young ladies
and four gentlemanly men. made, as
she hoped, a delightful assemblage,
with "a hospitable host and hostess,
ready to make their guests happy in
any possible way that might be sug-
gested And when, in writing to
Cap" as all his relatives were fond
of calling her brother, she told him
that Miss Matte Bell would be sure
to come, she had felt certain that Cap
would fall in love with Matte as soon
as their eyes met; for eyes of velvet
brown like Mattie's, and the blue like
Caps. often do great execution on each
other.
| But Cap had arrived languid, and a
little out of sorts; and seeing upon the
porch plump young damsel, boast
| fully declaring that she had ridden
some incredible number of miles that
day and was ''famiShed," he had re-
garded her with a certain astonished
elevation Of brow, which had made the
quick-witted creature secretly but bit
terly wrathful.
+ What disgusting puppy" she had
said of him, in private converse with a
friend. And you know how he spoke
of her.
1t was secretly known by every one
that this state of affairs existed. 1t
was little joke among the others;
only the hostess chafed at it. The
guests had paired themselves off so
delightfully."- that the repugnance which
Matte and the Captain felt for each
other made a ridiculous contrast to the
general good will.
Besides" said Mrs Silverspeer, ''it
must be so dull for Matte, to be either
third party or beauless; and, for the
matter of that, its dull for Cap. too
Its his fault, you know, my DEAR
said Mr.. Silverspeer Matte is d
nice girl"
And this even Caps sister felt
ODllSeu 10 duInlC.
Every other man liked Matte but
she was rot one to take advantage of
the fact. Budding cOurtships were
blossoming there at Silverspeer, and
she had no wish to blight them.
There was Paul Holden half in love
with her. A glance, a touch, look
would have made it wholly so, but she
was merely a merry friend to him.
Little Bella Grey's heart would have
broken, as she knew, if anything had
come between Paul and herself. And
Miss Rodnan would marry Mr.. Nicho-
las, as she would not; then why hold
Irritation with the man? And l'rue
Hill wore an engagement ring on her
finger. that Richard Dillon had given
her. So. if Richard Dillon was traitor
enough to wish to whisper to her on
the balcony, she was not the traitoress.
The only single man was the captain
and they hated each other.
What a pretty girl she u.s.; said
Richard billions little betrothed. "And
how odd that she doesn't attract the
gentlemen"
Blu Matte, though noble in love af-
fairs, was no angel. She liked to pro-
woke the captain by assuming to
twice the fondness for masculine sports
that she really had, and he, exasper-
ated by her chatter and her perfect
diSdain of his displeasure, expressed
his opinions of what woman should be,
which was precisely what he thought
Matte was not, with the greatest free
dom.
When single men and women dislike
each other, it is with an intense dislike
which has something savage in it.
The captain, despite his good looks,
made himself immensely unpopular by
this persecution of their friend, and on
the day when we first met him upon
the bridge, had decided to return home
forthwith.
When he had read his book in the
grove he sauntered off to discover some
solitary means of passing the after
noon; and finding on the shore IAN old
man with a rickety sail boat, feed him
literally to take him on board.
Meanwhile Paul Holden escorted
Matte home to Silverspeer.
Mrs. Silverspeer and Mrs. Cooley
the other married lady of the party
were preparing to go to a certain shell
tered nook of the river to battle. Their
bathing dresses were on their arms
and their great hats fiapDed over their