Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-12-29

Mrs. Bezel's widowed sister, Mrs
| Wintergreen, who was aiding in the
reception of callers, being woman o.
experience and sympathy, was touched
i by Adolphus' evident condition anC
! managed to get him into the library
/ and stretched upon a sofa There
with a wet towel about his head anG
/ a siphon of cold seltzer at hand, the
/ prospect of his speedy recuperatior
under her skillful care seemed good
| Adolphus was grateful.
YOU'VE the kindest woman in the
world, Mrs. Winnergreea, he said fer
vently. almost tearfully. "Reg'lar
administering angel. Always 'sidered
you so, Mrs. Winnergreen. 'Zhou
vert star so brightly cleaning, shone
DER m path when all was dark and
drear.'
Ssh, Mr.. BletheTwyte: you mustn'
talk so. And don't try TO sing. Il
will make your head ache. Please
don't. You don't mean word of it;
you know you don't"
Bet you hurried dollars l do. Bet
you hun'red to fifty. Mean every
shing say. Love me z l love you'n
we'll be as happy as a big sunfiower,
THAT mods n bea's in breezes.
Don't sing, Adolphus. You'll make
your head ache. How can / believe
you? Men are such deceivers.
"Ozzer men; not me. Had / heart
| f'r falsehood framed that's all ri
won't sing no more. Say! See if
don't make good. Sen out'n get bot
| tle-no, parson, / mean.
Mo" replied the widow reluc-
family. Not today, Adolphus, dear.
My sister could not spare me today
But cannot say you are indifferent
to me or ever have been, and well
since you are so urgent, l consent, for
any day after tomorrow"
The young man was fairly sobered
| by the time the widow allowed him to
start out again, and the excellent idea
presented tself to his mind of going
straight home while he was so, that
Miss Dutton might not perchance see
him return in an unseemly condition
But in an evil moment he met a
friend, who persuaded him to make
Just one more call ION the Pownce
girlsLjolliest girls in society" They
were upon his list, as indeed, were a
number he would have to skip, but the
Pownce girls were too nice to be
skipped Not so very long ago, n
fact, he had fancied himself in love
with Fanny Pow0ce, but that was be-
fore he became acquainted with Milly
Dutton.
1t was late in the day when Adolf
plus and his friend arrived at the
Pownces hospitable mansion, and, as
the popular girls had received most OF
their visitors early, the two young
men found themselves enabled to en-
joy a social visit iustead of merely
making a formal call They had a
little music. Then Adolphus' COM
panion engrossed the attention of the
eldest daughter, Julia, with whom he
was infatuated, while somehow Mr.
Bletherwyte and Fanny strayed away
into the back parlor. But before that
Adolphus had been rash enough to
take one little glass of Colonel
Pownces artful concoction-"real re-
gents punch" as he had affirmed
when making it-and when it arrived
Gin his midst" it seemed to wake up
it's kin already there and join them in
a sort of all-hands-around jollifcation
Apart from or rather in addition to
her general fondness for a Irritation
Fanny Pownce had something of q
special liking for Adolphus, and, see
ing that he was in a sentimental hui
NOR, encouraged him. 1t was a bad
day for him to meet such temptation
The affectionate emotion stirred by
Miss Dutton still seethed aud dubbed
in his soul. Repressed for a time by
recollection of his resolution and the
old maids adevntitious aid, his ardent
nature had made strenuous efforts to
reassert itself. 1t was not fickleness
or faithlessness to his real loye-Milly
that prompted his proposals to Miss
Craesop and the widow Wintergreen,
but the tenderness she had inspired,
betrayed by inebriation and momen-
tary temptation. Each of those wo-
men seemed to him sort Of temper
airy substitute for Milly Dutton, whose
image was all the while somewhere in
the background of his consciousness.
The sacrifices he laid upon their affairs
were really meant as offerings to her.
Women, particularly those of jealous
temper, may reprehend his conduct,
but men will understand the natural
ness of It. And that innocent per-
version of good intent continued to in
spire him when with Fanny Pownce,
so that he not only seemed to make
love to her-though really to the
absent Milly, as already explained
but was so earnest that he took her in
ffis arms and kissed her She, Of
course, could not know that his pas
sionate kisses were given in magma
ton to another girl of whom she had
never heard. Perhaps she would not
have cared much If she had known.
Kisses are good in themselves, any
way, without bothering oneself over
possible mental distractions lying far
back of the osculatory pleasure, and
though Fanny was good girl she was
not wooden one All was innocent,
AMI would have been harmless enough
but for the misfortune that the young
couple were caught. What an infinite
deal of sadness Is caused by being
caught
al hOr, :