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


; in working out his eternal salvation
Still, she allowed the girls to joi
the Bigham Ladies' Golf club (hav
ing ascertained that the committe
numbered among its members sew
eral matrOns Of the highest socia
standing and moral character), an
did not object to their going dow
there for round now and again. Ha,
she known that these demure daugu
ters of hers were sometimes to b.
seen disporting themselves on thu
gentlemen's course in the compan,
of two actors she would have nearl.
had a fit.
But she was in Dlissful ignorance o
| that appalling fact; and Minnie anC
Dora, of course, took no steps to en-.
! tighten her.
Now when they played their four
some they not infrequently dispensed
with the service Of caddies Tc
| couples fiirtatiously inclined the pres
ence of caddies is apt to be irksome
as needles, rendered especially acute
by practice in marking down golf
balls land on the sporting" Bigham
course balls want some marking)
while their ears have grown keen by
constant straining to catch the NUT
tered explosives in which even the
most righteous and sober players at
times indulge. Nothing very wrong
passed between the members of our
foursome. Matters had not yet pro-
crossed to the length of a stolen kiss;
only once or twice (and that when
they were hunting for a ball Gin the
wilderness out of the way') to the
length of hand squeez. Still, even
that might result in the caddies COM
ing back with undesirable rumors and
retailing them to other golfers by
whom they might next be employed;
and so they found it convenient to dis
pose of them altogether, and to carry
their own clubs. That is to say, Of
course, each gentleman carried his
own capaciOus canvas bag.
If there was one thing more than
another which showed the utterly de-
mOralizing effect of filtration upon
sound golf, it was the competency
with which Pinkerton and Tredgold
accepted their own crooked drives
from the tee. Now Pinkerton sliced
his drives abominably; Tredgold, on
the other hand, pulled his in the vilest
way. In golfer of any proper feel
ing the preparation of either enor-
nifty should induce a sense of the di-
rest shame and distress Yet Pink
ertOn would slice into a gravel pit
with entire equanimity, and Tredgold
would pull into a whin-forest with
perfect composure. If both had
kept straight and foursome they would
have advanced on their balls en- masse
But one ball lying fifty yards to the
right of the proper line, and the other
fifty yards to the left, the players
moved away in pairs, with a con-
venient space intervening, and only
met again at their Philippi-the put
ting green.
By that time each side had usually
approached double figures in the way
of strokes. When it is added that they
could not merely accept this without
turning a hair, but actually Jockeys,
over the disgrace, it will be seen
that the loss of their golfing self-re-
spect had become perfect and com
plete.
At this point, when Pinkerton had
just had to dig his ball from the bot
tom of well, and luck in jumping the
hI1Y1
seventeenth hole, which-as all Big
nam golfers knowles closely ada
cent to the Croydon high road. 1t was
Minnie's shot, and she raised her cleek
in the act of strike. But she stopped
in the middle of her string, let the
club sink feebly to the ground, and
uttered a sudden cry of dismay.
"Oh-oh-Dora,' she cried to her
sister "Oh-oh-Do-do-you-see?"
See? What? The hole?"
"N-n-n-o-o. Mamma! Yes, and
do believe it's-it's-M-Mr. Carru-
theirs with her."
Mamma? Mr.. Carruthers? Where"
exclaimed Dora, turning as white as a
new golf ball.
There: just coming toward us along
the footpath. Oh, what shall we
do?"
will your mother be very angry?"
asked Cutlish Pinkerton.
Angry? She'll be furious; she-she
she will never yet us play golf again.
Shell-she'll-oh, what shall we do?"
by the way, this Mr.. Carruthers,"
said Pinkerton, hurriedly. rs he the
gentleman whom you told me of the
other day as"
Yes, yes! He's rich and-and-
horrid. And m-mamma wants me 20
marry him. And-and-I won't. But,
oh, dear What shall we do? lists
too late for you and Mr.. Tredgold to
fall back and pretend you don't be-
long to us. rhey-they-mus have
seen us talking. Oh, Mr.. Pinkerton,
what is to be done?"
Cutlish Pinkerton looked at Minnie
with genuine concern. He felt that
he himself was chiefly to blame for
the contretemps; he also felt that, as
so often happens in this topsyt urvy
world, all the punishment would fall
on the less guilty heads of the girIs
and that he and Tredgold should es-
cape with nothing more than a pass
ing unpleasantness. He was too
| decent a fellow to contemplate that
unjust visitation of his own fau-,
upon the girls, without a keen sense
of distress. At the same time, how
the deuce was he to prevent it? SUI
denly an idea occurred to him. He was
renowned for his marvelously ready