Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-10


not care how she looked-the Somber
folds Of her black dress falling heav-
lily and duly round her, showing in
powerful contrast the pallor of her
sunken cheeks and the feverish bright
ness of her large eyes; her arm, too
so wan and shrunken, with no orna-
ment, either Of gold or jet to relieve
its painful whiteness.
But in his eyes she never could be
plain. She was dearer to him in her
pain and sorrow than any other
woman he had ever known, not eX-
cepting the brilliant Pauline, and his
heart stirred with unSpeakable ten
derness as he saw how changed and
j worn she was, how weary-stirred
| too, with a sharper pain than pity-a
terrible fear that racked him. making
j his eyes burn aid his face whiten,
i sending the blood with a rush to his
/ heart, till it's pulses throbbed madly,
and the breath seemed to stop in his
| throat.
! "What if the chain had worn in too
| long! What if the delicate frame could
not bear the inward fever and that
! he had come too late to save her from
the gulf Of his own arm, strong in It's
! pride, had pushed her into?'
"What if he had come too late!'
! The passionate pain in his eyes
/ frightened Lefty, as she turned AMI
saw It, and the earnest gaze that went
i from the trailing folds of her dress
i up to the bands of her hair, devoid of
| ornament, harsh, and unbecOming as
I she knew them to be, brought the
! hot blood singing to her face.
! "Perhaps, for she has spirit, she will
scorn me for my tardiness," he was
+ thinking. Il was terribly selfish in
my PRIDE
| Lefty, seating herself in a low chair
/ opposite to him, across the hearth, as
4 much in the shade as possible, lest
J the rising glow of the fire should
show how changed she was, clasped
| her hands fast together, and tried to
talk calmly and naturally to him, as
she would have talked to any other
gentleman. She tried, but she failed.
: throbbing stormily, and her breath
coming thick and fast under his
chances?
/ All creation may say what it likes,
but men are selfish. a cat playing
daintily with a mouse, sure and safe
! under its paw, would be no bad en-
blem for their shields, if they would
only be true enough to wear it.
DR.. Leonard loved Lefty with all his
heart; he had come to tell her 50: and
yet there ne sat, watching her chang
ing face, her quickened breathing, he1
restless hands, and drinking in deep
draughts of subtlest pleasure from
these evidences of his power.
His strange silence oppressed her
he would not talk, she could not very
much longer she felt, and the terror
of the coming pause made her aWk.
ward and nervous.
He saw it ALL He read her love n
her restless fingers, and the flushing
pulses of red and white that came into
her face under his glance. 1t wa;
plain in the unwonted dropping Of hel
frank gray eyes, and in the low
broken tones of her voice, that tried
to ring bravely for pride's sake, but
could not, simply because love is
stronger than pride; and she, pool
child, was loving him just then with
all her soul.
For a few moments he sat still il
his chair, and drunk the sweet pic
ture in Sreedily; then he bent forward
and took the tiny hot hands in to his
and told the tale he had come to tell
and sued humbly for pardon in tina
he had not told it before, and saved
her all the pain of doubling him, the
pain and the sorrow that had 81
changed her.
at was for my father" Lefty be
gan. bowling her head lower still. ant
hiding her hot face against the tan
giles of black beard that bent over her
One of the rare, sweet smiles tina
so seldom lighted up the doctors grave
face flashed across it now, as, loosen
ing his arm. as though to put her from
him. he asked, softly: 'SAnd was none
of it for me?"
There was a moments silence, an(
then the old frank spirit flashed out.
/, "A little, little bit or it was becaus'
of YOU" she said; ttonly little bit
though"
Il thought so, my darling" said he
= and the strong arms closed round he
again tightly, lovingly; and the grave
!. pale face bent lower and lower till i
!, rested on the girls flushed one, as
| with one long kiss on the tremulou
scarlet lips so near his heart, Pau
, Leonard sealed his troth-plight.
: Amy Needman, pretty little traitres
, that she was, did not win poor Laura
! sweetheart from her. Mr.. Grimshav
l admired her very much, and SINAI
, blame to him. for she was a swee
: little creature; but he loved with
strong mans love, her sister Laura
: and when, three months after, he wen
, to settle in London, it was Laura h
| asked to go with him and share hi
) fortune.
Amy felt a little inclined to pout
Poor child! Fate was using he
hardly. At eighteen and a half sh
had set her cap at two, one after tn
other, and lost both. But cheer VI
, Amy-take heart of hope, little maid
There is a young lieutenant in-he
: majeSty's navy, now cruising about i
l the Mediterranean, who is bent o