Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-09
Welded His Ideal.

wen, ola IellOW, need hardly
say how pleased am to see you again.
When did you come back?"
only last evening. You know
that I have no immediate friends or
relatives to be anxious about me, so
| thought l would stay in town for
few days on the chance of coming
across some one I know, and, as
luck would have it, I have met you"
Gust in the nick of time to fulfill
your long made promise
What was that? For I must plead
guilty of having forgotten it,
Il am going to be married next
week, aHd you know it was always a
bargain between us that you should
support me on that OCCASION
Eyes, I recollect. Well, let me of
fer my hearty congratulations. Who
is the lady?"
The eldest daughter of Sir John
Graham, and the dearest little girl in
the world"
"'Cela va sans dire" laughed
Charles Medcalf.
And her name is Enid coN-
tinued Capt. Lane, without needing
the interruption. 1--WE have only
known each other six months l
net her first at my godmother's.
Lady Martyr, and think we both fell
in love with each other at first sight.
There, you have the whole story.
Madcalf had just returned from
South Africa, where he had held a
lucrative appointment, being
junior partner in a large firm of en-
g;Heers.
''Have you succumbed during your
travels to the fascination of some fair
one, or do you still hold the sex in
abhorrence?" asked the captain.
Scarcely that" replied Medcalf,
flushing a dull red beneath his bronze.
But have never come across my
ideal, except in a picture"
"Ah, always said you were a ro-
mantle fellow, Notwithstanding your
boosted stOicism. I am curious to
know the story"
ut was three years agO-just be
fore went abroad-one Sunday after
noon in Kensington gardens. I was
with Jack Dunmore-you remember
him? We had been sitting there
some time criticising the multitude.
when Jack left me to speak to an
acquaintance he recognized in the
distance.
''Just then my eye was caught by
the face Of a girl passing. 1t was my
very ideal. Neither fair nor dark
but with a happy combination of the
beautiful, but she had a fascination
for me that l could neither resist, nor
can | describe it.
presently I saw Jack returning,
and at the same moment the girl rose.
She was with two others, and, as they
moved away, something dropped out
OF her lap. I fastened to pick it
up. Her back was turned, and by
some hasty impulse, l slipped it in my
pocket. Ny treasure proved to be a
treasure indeed, for it was the photo
graph of my darling. Yes, it had
c.me to that I think of her still as
! that, though I left England next day
and have been away three years.
Let me complete the tale" added
Capt. Lane slyly. Your task is now
| to find the fair unknown, and to lay
your heart and fortune at her feet
Joking apart, old fellow, fear you
will have a difficulty in accomplishing
your object. But talking about
photographs, let me show you Ends
ioI
tangled at the end of his watch chain
and, opening it, displayed a NINA
ture of MS lady love, which he Offered
for his friends inspection.
It was well that Gerard Lane haC
not a full view of the others face JUS
at that moment, he having turned hi!
back half round in order to get a bet
ter light on the portrait, for, as hi!
eyes rested on it, Medcalf starteC
violently and turned CHASTITY pale
was the pictured face Of his ideal, thu
fellow to which even now lay next hi
heart.
''She is very lovely" he manage
! to stammer, as, with a tremblin!
hand, he returned the locket. AM
) then he had to listen patiently Will
the captain decanted on the man.
virtues Of the original.
He declined, however, his urgentl.
pressing invitation to join his part.
at the theater, on the plea OF feelin
tired after his travels, and it wa
with relief that he found himself a
last in his own room.