Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-23

'I-I-don't know. Oh-oh-Im S
, ightened-I-I-"
will yer tike yer putter, lydy?
asked Tredgold of Dora, entering a
once into the humor of the situation
, Yes, please, Mr., | mean cad
de-" gasped Dora, who was tremblin!
like an aspen amused. 'I-I-think
, will"
By this time Mrs Arson and .,Ir
Carruthers were within speaking Us
lance The two cadides fell respect
fully back, and Dora and Minnie ad
vanced, trembling, to greet the un
welcome arrivals.
ooh, here you are, dears!" said Mrs
Arson. 1T is such a beautiful day;
and when Mr.. Carruthers suggested &C
me that he should bring me down here
to see you play and enjoy the bracing
air upon this common l could not re-
fuse. hope you are having good
game, dears.
Excellent; thank you, mamma"
Good morning, Miss Anson-good
morning, Miss Dora,' said Carruthers,
raising his hat Minnie saw, with
increased dismay, malicious look on
his face which she did not at all like.
I'VE may as we'll turn and waIh
say, Mrs. Anson?"
Certainly The grass is quite dry.
| shall enjoy it,
'Th-this is the last hole but one.
| We have only one more to play after
this. But for that short distance we
shall be charmed with your company"
said Dora, forcing smile.
"Putter, caddie,' said Minnie, with
her heart almost in her mouth, as she
turned toward Cutlish Pinkerton.
90, aye, Teddy" said Cutlish, hand
ing her the gun metal implement with
the gravest air.
do you have men to carry your
clubs?" whispered Mrs. Arson to
Minnie, with a note of disapproval in
her voice.
yes, we call them caddes, you
know" replied that young lady, trying
to speak in a natural and uncon-
cerned way, though her heart was
thumqing against her ribs with ter
rife palpitations. Let me see,'' ad-
dressing Pinkerton, how do we stand,
c-caddie?"
you've each played six, Teddy
You are lying like
Like the devil" muttered young
Tredgold, aside. Tredgold could
never resist the opening for a joke.
'Eh! What is that man saying? Il
believe l heard him swear" said
Mrs. Arson, whose ears were of the
sharpest, in an indignant tone.
"Naw-naw," answered the imper-
turbable Cutlish. He'd nav say swear
words before leddies. He ainly said
they were lying like and level"
WAS that all? OH" said the lady,
with severe and rather suspicious
glance toward Tredgold, neverthe-
less.
go and life the flag, please caddie,'
said Minnie, fearful lest Cutlish Pink
erton should be tempted to overdo it
by saying too much.
90, aye, leddie." And he slouched
off to execute her request.
They holed out, and then crossed the
road to the next tee. Minnie could
see by her mothers face that, thanks
to her absolute ignorance of golf in
every particular, she as yet suspected
nothing of the truth. But this brought
her little relief, since by several fur
tive glances at Mr.. Carruthers she
had satisfied and meant to make use
of it. Indeed, it was almost inevi-
table that he should know Cutlish
PinkertOn by sight, and even that
were not the case neither the latter
nor Tredgold could we'll be mistaken
for real caddies by a shrewd man Of
the world like Claud Carruthers. In
spite of their shabby coats an
slOuching gait, their appearances
nevertheless gave them away Ana
no one except a complete golf ig-
noramus, like Mrs. Arson, could well
have failed to smell the proverbial
rat.
Minnie's first fear was lest Carru-
theirs should expose the whole decep-
ton then and there, for she believed
him to be capable of any meanness.
But from the expression of his face
he gave her when she looked at him
she divined-or thought she OWNED
that this was not his game. Unless
her penetration was entirely at fault,
he meant, she was convinced, to hold
his tongue, but to demand a price for
his silence Minnie was naturally
timid. She was very much afraid of
her mother Of course Gland CarrJ-
theirs knew this, and was not above
taking advantage of it. He was quite
bent on making Minnie marry him,
and having learnt, by experience, that
no efforts of love-makig would be
the least use, he was ready to exercise
any means of pressure that might
come to hand.
Of course she should refuse him
even under stress of this pressure. But
| then the dire results! Carruthers
tell her mother the truth about the
caddies, and matters would be far,
far worse than if Mrs. Arson hau
discovered it herself in the first in
stance.
1t was an appalling, humiliating,
situation. Nothing but dire, awful
disaster either way. Did any poor
girl ever find herself more hopelessly
betweent he devil and the deep sea?
AS thy played the last hole, Cutlish
| Pinkerton, who had kept his eyes
wide open, whispered to Minnie, I'M
der cover of handing her her cleek:
"Carruthers sees through it-eh?"
Minnie nodded.