Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-02

! that we mad many tastes In common.
One morning I went to the Botanic
garden, for Grace had said the evening
| before, that she often spent an hour
there at noon. A couple of small
children came playing near where
sat. They began chattering at one
another in French as they gathered up
the stones from the path and ar
ranged them on the garden seat.
l tried talking TO the youngsters,
and they promptly began transferring
the pebbles from the seat to my knees,
laughing merrily the while. l was so
taken up with them that 1 did not
notice any one approaching, and was
startled at hearing sweet, familiar
voice say
Mr.. Drummond, what are those
children doing?"
rose at once, to the disturbance
Of their playthings. Good morning,
Miss Mortimer; this is an unexpected
pleasure"
She blushed at my remark, seeing,
I suppose, with feminine sharpness,
that I was there merely on the chance
Of meeting her. The two little chill
dren, when addressing my companion,
called her "Mees Mariner" and l sup
pose I looked surprised, for she said
II was about to tell you, Mr.. Drum
mOnd, that my name is not Mortimer.
Mr.. Mortimer is my stepfather. These
are my young pupils she added,
whom I bring out here every morn
recompense for having made
them try to twist their little tongues
into speaking our language"
During this morning and some sub
sequent ones, I learned much of my
charmer's history. Her stepfather was
a retired officer, whose means had all
been swallowed up in a bank failure
few years earlier. They had but
$500 a year, and, both being without
near relatives, had gone to Brussels, to
be able to live cheaply, she adding to
their income by giving lessons in
English.
June was not half through, when,
despite my impecuniosity, 1 had asked
Grace whether she would be my wife
if my play were to prove successful
and | had reasonable chance of be-
ing able to offer her a comfortable
home.
''Mr. Drummond, if you wait until
then, I certainly will not; for if
married at all, it would be because I
cared for you, and not for a reason
able chance of a comfortable home
11r h.
to share possible beggary?"
How? In very much the same way
you could ask her to share a possible
dukedom."
But, Grace, will you marry me?"
Jack, whatever I may promise,
cannot bind myself without my
father consent; for I promised my
mother always to look after him, and
I certainly cannot leave him against
his wish, and besides, my $500 a year
you did not know the princely in
come is mine-it is all he has to live
on, so that if I marry-you see, Jack,
| am going to use ifs now-I must
leave that to him.
At first the old man stormed-he
would never consent; Grace was tired
of him; she was going to desert him;
he would starve-and so on.
1t was as much as l could do to
restrain my indignation. 1 pointed
out that, far from leaving him to
starve, Grace would let him use her
income as long as he lived, and this
partly Modified him. If she would
lend him the capital instead he could
double i in six weeks by a certain
movement.
1 hazarded the childish suggestion
that if 1 secured the lottery prize I
would lend him 500 pounds to invest
in that stock which he, with all a
gamb' er's superstitious pertinacity, de-
ckared would restore his fortunes
My imbecile reference to the lottery
did what reason could not do.
'You have ticket in the lottery?
What is it's NUMBER"
cit is 0,058,310."
why" he began, murmuring to
himself. "5S, just my age; 81, the
lumber of our house, and three
naughts-theres luck in three. In my
ands that ticket must be lucky
one. Give it to me and you may
marry Grace tomorrow"
On the last day of June Grace Mar
rel became Mrs. Jack Drummond.
1 called at the post Office for letters
on the evening before our simple we'd
ding. There was note from the great
nan of the Tnespian saying most flat
tering things of ''Sobersides, the Fun
ny Man." and asking me to call, as
he would like to put the piece in i'm
mediate rehearsal.
When we were speeding from Brus
sells I showed my newly-made wife the
letter, and she said, with affected in
dignation:
did that I have married a
comfortable home after ALL
Two or three days after we reached
London l got letter from Uncle Joe
I had announced my return, but not
my marriage saying: 'Congratula-
tionsl I kept the number of that
ticket I gave you, and now see by the
,aper that you have won the first
rize. ''-PhiIadelphia Bulletin.