Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-04-25

ship Of people like Mr.. and Mrs. Simp-
son, who are thoroughly happy pair,
Is vastly superior to the article sup
piled by the novelist. People in their
station don't commit themselves too
deeply before they are married, and
they are generally happier afterwards"
There was a slight tremOr in her
voice as she concluded: Walton for
his part, looked grave He had bound
himself not to speak, but he was evil
IDENTIFY dissatisfied.
1t was relief to both of them when.
at the end of half an hour. a bright,
fair-haired boy of about years came
leaping down the steps of the terrace,
under the shelter of which they were
sitting. This lad was Tommy Null
grove, commonly called by his sister
Marina. that precious mite"
Done yet" cried he, making a tenn
pestuous rush at his sister and plant
ing himself unceremoniously at her
side
Nearly. And what about the verb?"
EO, is it. linus, tits, cunt" sang out
the yOungster in a confident tone,
clasping Marina arm and swinging it
to the rhythm of his recital.
'Hush-h-r'
Then Tommy gave his attention to
the ship-building. The little schooner
rugged craft which was soon to be all
his own was now completed save in
one reSpect-a name. The outline of
this Lieutenant Walton was at that
moment carving. AS he finished he
said
THAT must do for today Thomas.
Letters of gold tomorrow, after the
trial trip
"Oh, but [ say, that isn't fair nx-
claimed the lad, in a disappointed tone,
as he spelt out the name that had
been carved. Look, sis! Fancy calling
my yacht Miss Mulgrove l thought
it was going to be Richard and Ma
rina,' for you've both helped to make
it for me, haven't you now?"
The situation was a trying one for
the young people. On the previous
day Tommy had, in the emphatic style
Of small boys, declared that the yacht,
then only just begun, must be called
Richard and Marina" and no objec-
ton was raised at the time. Since,
however, there had been indications
that Richard had completed suggest
ing a much more important cOmbina-
ton of the two names. 1t was to
prevent his designs from reaching
practical shape-in plain words, to
avoid a DropOSal-that Marina had
started that conversation about love
and marriage.
1t is easy enough to say, faint heart
never won fair lady" For all that,
| believe Richard Walton was acting
under an impulse of manly courage
in accepting his fate. He loved truly
enough to see her duties as she saw
them .She had the care of four mother
less children, besides those numberless
responsibilities of parish work which
had fallen on her shoulders when the
mother died eight years ago. And her
father had never been himself since
the shock of that dread parting. Real
ling all this, the young officer had
with somewhat of the hopeless loyalty
of knights of old, sought in a delicate
way to indicate his submission when
he carved the prOSaic words Miss
MuIgrove" instead of those previously
decided upon.
But he had quite forgotten, alas,
that remuneration is not usually part
of the creed of the British boy. Master
Thomas Mulgrove had, according to
his own notion, INDUCED in quite
enough self-sacrifce already for one
morning by committing to memory
part of an irregular Latin verb while
the bodybuilding was going on. To
his sturdy intellect, changing the
yachts name was simply a breach of
contract; he had no feeling, whatever,
for the sentiment conveyed thereby.
His sister had, however, and she
blushed tremendously as she OWNED
it's import.
Il say, Marina" pursued that
wletched youngster, what are you
coloring up for? Did not you want
to be called Miss Mulgrove,' then"
Marina had never yet boxed the ears
of that precious mite" 1t would have
Dctu 81 IcllcI W nave oo1AC ~ a. Ihd|
moment; it would have been still more
a relief if she could have rushed away
somewhere and had a good cry.
Walton, on his part, felt equally
j miserable. He wanted to say some
thing that would ease the situation,
but words utterly failed him. In the
presence Of that young imp, what, in
deed, could the poor fellow say?
Then suddenly help came to these
! luckless victims.