Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-23

I [ hardly knew what to say, but l man
aged to murmur something about
childish nonsense" and that Il Was
always going to stay home with papa"
and would he please get my wrap,
which [ had left at the MOTEL. lie
paid no attention to what i was say
ing, and before l knew it was pouring
forth passionate avowal CT love
how l had been his guiding star
through all these years and how |
could not blight his hopes forever.
must go back with him to sunny Italy,
where we would be SO happy together.
| Poor Harry! How sorry l felt for MIN,
for | believe he really cared for me.
And as we went back to the cottage |
told him as gently as | could about
Jack. How | had met him in Boston,
where l had gone to spend the yaca-
ton with college chum-how | had
gone down to Harvard to see him
graduate the following summer; now
he had followed me west and we had
| become engaged and how bitterly op-
| posed papa was to the marriage and
would not let us marry until Jack
would have an income Of 10000 q year
i from his law practice. AS we reached
the cottage Harry kissed my hand,
just as he used to d. and said: Good
by, Nell, God bless you. I'll try not
to envy Jack. I've got to go back to
town in the morning-importan bust
ness-you understand. Good-by." Dear
old Hal. But he'll get over it in less
than year. They all do. Received
| a short note from Jack this evening
saying he hoped l was enjoying myself
and that lie might run up for few
days soon. l do hope he'll let me
know just when he's coming
Thursday, July =. Went to a BIZ
cycle picnic today. Had a wretched
time. [ think picnics are so stupid.
Some one split the lemonade all over
the sandwiches. [ lost the fraternity
pin Jack gave me while he was at
school, and Mr.. Peters Che weighs at
least $50, and is riding a wheel to re-
duce his flesh) sat down on my new
sailor hat. And the way Madge Shir-
ley f1irted with Dick was outrageous,
and he actually seemed to enjoy it.
Horrid thing! | never did like her,
with her greenish brown eyes and red
hair. She calls i Titan. Charley
Payne was there, too, and most de-
voted but | never could tolerate him
since he caught me crying over a
lock of hair, mean thing. He knew it
was Jacks. This was last year, when
| went away to school. | told him it
belonged to a little cousin OF mine who
} had died lately. He murmured his
Sympathies, but was seized with such a
violent fit of coughing just then that
he had to leave the room Coming
home | punctured my tire and had to
walk the last half mile with Charley.
When we returned to the hotel
Madge found her cousin Tom there.
She gracioUsly introduced him to me,
and this evening we all went on the
shore to a marsh-mallOw roast l met
one of the boys from town, who said
that club seldom saw Jack any more,
as he was digging away at his law.
!, Poor old dear! | wrote him a long
letter today.
The 4th comes on Sunday this
year, so Saturday will be celebrated.
We are all going over to that little
old-fashioned town of Hutton, where
they are going to have a regular old
time celebration. We are going over
in a hayrack and expect to have great
fun.
Monday, July 5.-Ye gods and little
fishes! What a nightmare l have pass
ed through. Would that it were only
q nightmare and | could awake and
find it but ''the fancy OF an idle brain"
The evening of the End Tom Shir-
ley, who is '94 Yale man and belong
! ed to the Yale crew, invited me to go
rowing. He took his mandolin and J
my banjo, and we spent a delightful
evening on the water. When we came
back we sat on the veranda, and as
we knew many girls [ had met at
college we had many things to talk
about He is one Of the most interest
ing men I have met, this year and
has a charming manner. He has the
most expressive blue eyes l ever saw
and such beautiful curly hair. I al
ways did admire curly hair. He is
an athlete of no mean ability. has a
fine physique, and played half-back
on the Yale foot ball team for three
years. He said my eyes were like
deer's-it reminds me Of "Ox-Eyed
Juno" we used to read about in Ho-
mer-and he thought Gree must have
had golden hair He declared [ must
take pity on him and come down to
New York next winter-and then-be-
fore [ knew it-he had kissed me-and
just at that moment I was startled to
hear Jacks voice saying close to my
ear: Excuse me, Miss Ainsley. for
nterrupting you, but | have only a
few minutes to stay and would like to
speak to you" Tom Immediately took
the hint and went up to the hotel,
While II begged and cried and en-
treated, but all in vain. Jack was
furious. l shall never forget how he
looked as he stood there in the moon
hght, white and trembling in his an
ger, as he said q intended, Nell. to
remain until after the 4th. but after
the interesting little tableau I wit
messed this evening I could not think
of it. [ shall take the 1890 train
back to the city
L sobbed piteOusly and told him
couldn't help it-I didn't know he was
going to kiss me, and