Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-04-03

AS she rose and left the room, the
murmurs redoubled, including her in
their criticisms; kindly, to be sure,
but
She wouldn't say anything against
him, you know" said the short man.
They used to be engaged to be mar
ried once. Shouldn't wonder if she
couldn't stand the cough then, herself
Strangest thing to me that they seem
to be good friends just the same" He
pitched his chair nearer to the rest Of
the group and added:
81 know one thing that will be good
news to most of us. The land lady has
given him notice to change his 'bo'ding
place Said his cough disturbed
every one, and twas everybody or
him.
The elderly lady colored as he an
swered:
ooh, don't know that we want him
to leave. He seems to be a nice, quiet
little man."
But the quiet little man had received
his notice; and blushing, confused, the
next day he left the house and passed
on his way, still coughing.
Not for the first time had the cough
proved his enemy. Even his faher
and mother had been annoyed by it.
His schoolmates had ridiculed it. His
fellow clerks had chaffed him about
it. And when the chatting or ridicule
or annoyance became painful to him
and the cough became uncomfortable to
others he was merely asked to 'move
on"
After he had left the boarding house
it was several weeks before the young
lady saw him again. Perhaps for her
sake, perhaps for his own, he had not
told her where he was going, and it
was with a feeling of surprise that
from her position in the choir she saw
him enter the church one evening.
How he had hesitated, retreated and
advanced she did not know.
She did notice, however, that he
looked wretched, i'll, and now for the
first time a feeling of concern for her
friend overcame her.
He had hardly seated himself before
the little sound was heard, the begin
ming of his cough.
The minister stopped several times
for the noise to cease. Evidently they
could not both run at the same time,
He glanced at the disturber with some
wonder at first; then annoyance; then
vexation. He began to grow pale.
They said he had a bad temper; it be-
gan to show. He had not spent hours
on finely turned sentences to have
them drowned by that.
He made a longer pause than usual,
and the annoying cough was partly
hushed; then, as it showed signs of be-
ginning again, the minister glared at
him in such an unmistakable manner
that, STOPPING for his hat and cane,
dropping one or the other as he passed
down the aisle the young man left the
church
The baize doors swung silently be-
hind him and the congregation settled
down with feeling of relief.
A few moments later, contrary to all
custom and church etiquette, the sex
ton hurriedly made his way to the
pulpit and whispered to the minister.
The face of the latter flushed and then
paled, and for almost the first time in
his life he discarded the platitudes
with which he doctored his peoples
souls.
81 must ask you to pardon me for a
short while" he stammered. II am
needed outside"
But he was not at all needed when
he got there The young lady was
leaning above the poor fellow with
cough, who, helpless dying, held her
hand in his and smiled as he whls-
pered:
''I am so glad that you are here,
Florence. I came, I hoped to see you
once more" Then the stereotyped
phrase that he had used so ofren
dropped slowly from his pale lips:
ct beg your pardon; I am afraid
am annoying YOU
And the cough stopped-suddeniy.-
Boston Post.