Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-11-28


paying the visit, this the first. that he
was not about to make an ass of HIM
self. What if she turns out to be a
silly or scheming creature like the
others?"
! He knew at a glance when she en-
tered the parlor of the boarding house
that he had made no mistake. She
was good and sweet, talented, and
yes, and pretty, very.
If he had missed something Of SAVIOR
faire in her manner, if he wished, the
least in the world, that she had ques-
:, toned his right to call upon her, be-
come downright angry, not half so, at
his daring-were he, Smithers, to ad-
wise her, stranger, he put such
| thoughts from his mind as foolish
! She is little crude, but she mas the
makings Of wife any man might be
proud of. l shall ask her to render
me the happiest man in the world in
| about five weeks"
And so he probably would have done
had he not changed his mind, and had
not another woman come into his life.
1t was the leading lady; she who
| played the adventures in THE Full
! ness of Life"
He previously had had an indefinite
prejudice against blondes, and sedu-
lousy had avoided meeting such prom
! inent women on the stage as he knew
! his duties would require him to esti-
i mate. He had thought that to know
them socially would prejudice his
! judgment of their work.
! But Eleanor Lane had sent for him.
| She WIS a widow, a shrewd woman,
! and, really, a good one. The idea that
woman must be an undesirable ac-
Quaintance because she has business
ability is false. Miss Lane had brains,
! beauty and talent.
She explained to Mr. Smithers, when
! he called in answer to her invitation,
that she had always wanted to meet
him, and particularly after his kind
notice of the play in which she was at
| the time appearing. Smither has not,
| it will be remembered, mentioned Miss
| Lane in his criticism. 1t was with
scant courtesy that he acknowledged
!
| he compared her advances with Ern-
estine Gilberts n2idenly modesty.
Meantime Eleanor Lanes vanity
| had been hurt by the Indifference, first
professional, now personal, of the
critic. And she resolved to bring him
| to her feet.
Smithers dropped into the theater
| tn
his admiration for Miss Gilbert's tai
| Gnt
! But it seemed to him that she was
ia her absurdly lacking in force. Why
did she appear so bashful? He noticed
! that Miss Lane played with remark
able vigor and wondered why he had
not noticed it before.
! After Mr. Smither's next call upon
Miss Gilbert she went to her room and
cried. 1t was what he had not said
that brought the tears. He had paid
but the most formal visit, had not
spoken of her future or of her present,
except to ask if she were i'll, or why
she seemed so weak.
Ernestine understood Smithers I'M
! derstood, too. And he hated himself.
But not so deeply as to exclude the
/ thought that he was lucky to have
| found it out before he had spoken of
marriage.
After all the girl was only one of an
enormous number. without sufficient
| force of character, though having some
talent no doubt, who yearly fail and
| drop from the ranks. And why should
| he (Smithers) throw away his life in
bringing up woman of her calibre,
when the leading woman at the En-
pire, for instance, with her brains,
her position, her responsibility, had
| given a dozen tactful indications of be-
| ing remarkably we'll disposed toward
him. Clearly, to tie himself for life to
a mere nobody would be ridiculous.
A month later Miss Lane became
Mrs Smithers. She still holds her po-
sition as queen of public hearts at the
Empire. Smithers looks after her
press notices with marked punctuality,
and is allowed to carry his wife's
money to and from the bank.
! There are those who say that he
| does not love his lady, but fears her.
! Smithers is known recently to have
written over a nom de plume a serious
article on Should Man Marry for
Love or Professional Advancement"
1t was offered to the North American
Insight, but the editor returned it,
with note saying that his magazine
was not intended to meet the wants of
the feeble minded Smithers is get
ting over his youth. He spends his
leisure time, such as he has, in Won
dering whether it is better, on the
whole. to have a wife to look up or
down to.