Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-11
THE TWO LOVERS.

that" said Mabel COurthope, indignant
ly. Just because we have known each
other so long it is not the least reason
in the world why you should presume
to dictate to me as to my friendships.
It's mean Of you"
I'm sorry Mabel" replied Tim Todd,
humbly, ''but 1 was only thinking of
you, and | don't like Reginald BulWer,
and
She cut him short with q scornful lit
tie laugh.
Il am sorry l cannot be guided by
your likes and dislikes; but if papa
does not object to my knowing Mr.. Bull
wer, l don't see why you should take
me to task
NO" replied Tim, YEARLY, Il don't
know why l should; only not SO very
long ago you never used to snHb me
when | Ventured an opinion upon any
subject, even upon your acquaintance
ships. 1t seems things have altered. -
Mabel Courthope made no reply to
the remark, and, after glancing once
into her face, Tim babe her good night );
and, refusing the half-hedrted invita-
ton to him to come in for half an
hour, as papa would be SO glad to see
you, made his way to his solitary lOdg-
ing.
Things had changed considerably
he reelected, in the past six months
now much he scarcely had realized
until this very evening. And it was
all owing to an Individual of whose
,eXistanCe he had been entirely unaware
until some time after Christmas.
He had been happy in the love that
had grown up within him from the d3y
when he had first met Mabel Court
hope. He could have sworn that it had
been recipricated until Regineld b INV /
appeared on the scene. Then things
changed. Unfortunately, he admitted,
there was only too much reason for the
change Bulwer was everything that
he was not. Bulwer was rich, hand
some, and an ariStOcrat. Tim was poor,
plain and plebeian and when he lie =,
koned UP the advantages which lay
with his rival, Tim Todd groaned IN
spirit. Day by day he found his hopes
dying; but it was not until the week
before Henley that they were finally
shattered.
He had called in the hope O. per
suading Mabel to go with him to Hen
ley on the final day of the regetta, and
had been met with the information that
she had already accepted an invitation
to spend a week there with a party CT
Bulwer's friends or a house boat, It
was the bitterness of the disappointed
hope which made him voice the dislike
which he felt instiLCtively for Bulwer,
and led to the quarre!-the first quar-
rel he had ever allowed himself to be
drawn into with Mabel Courthope. 1t
only added to his detection to perceive
in the last backward glance he cast to-
ward the girl that she already seemed
to have forgotten him. Another man
had occupied the post he had vacated;
and Mabel, as she leaned over the
fence, was toe intent to give him an
other look
Yet Mabel Curthope was not alto
gether at ease with herself. She liked
Tim immensely, and until the advent
of Reginald Bulwer, had fancied her
self in love with him. But when Bull
wer appeared, Tim was eclipsed COM
pletely 1t fattered the girls vanity
to receive the attentions of the dark
handsome man. None of her girl
friends could boast such a su.tor, and
half the pleasure she found in his
society was due to the enyious glances
of her feminine acquaintances. Be-
sides, at the most, Tim would be able
to offer her a qule1 suburban nome,
while Reginalds life would have I'M
dreamed-of possibilities She was SO
sick of the suburbs, she told he'sHlF,
and the wider, freer life Of Mayfair
seemed to be opening its door to her.
She accepted implicitly all Bulwer had
told her Of the society which seemed
SO far away from BrixtOn, and his
position in the land of promise. She
wondered and became tremulous with
delight at his batteries, when he told
her that amongst its queens there were
none to compare with her when he
limited at his hope that soon he might
venture to ask her to accept her right
position amongst them. Yet when she
turned her thoughts for a while from
the dazzling future of her dream some
thing like regret was apt to crop up il
her mind. Tim was not brilliant, bu
he was very tender. He had no great
circle Of aristocratic friends. but ne
would rather die than give her mo
ments pain. Like most girls of twenty
with pair of lovers, she was a veri
table bundle of inGecision. She ha,
no sooner accepted an invitation t
spend the week at Henley under tn
chaperonage Of lady friend of Bull
wer's than she began to regret tina
jolly day which she knew she woul
have had in Tins company. How
ever she had decided, and when sh
set out for Henley, on a cloudless Jul
morning, her regrets were not sufti len
to pucker her fair brow IN the yer
slightest degee.
There was no doubt but she made
very attractive picture, and Reginal
Bulwer could not help being proud {
his companion. Many a keen inspet
ton was made of the pair. and MOI
than once an audible comment reache
the girls ears.