Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-12-28

/ Sure enough, there was Miss Sum.
| merfeld; and the fine-looking young
man who helped her alight also took
| charge of her baggage.
Heaven have mercy! Were gossip
and Joe Antrim right, after all? But
pshaw! any chivalrous fellow traveller
would have done as much.
| Notwithstanding this plausible
! thought, Leigh slipped into the home
| bound coach like a thief, taking the
! corner seat in the rear end of the car.
| When Miss Summerfield came in, the
| terrible groOm-to-be, to whom the
! bridal party had dwindled, even he.
was not in attendance Marie carried
her own grip"
The man felt tremOr Of hope culver
all over him, something like an electric
current She took the third seat from
the door and leaned her head on her
hand YEARLY. A strange air for Il
bride. thought the man in the corner.
| He could not see her face. but some
way he felt that this New Years Eve
was not what she wished. 0, was she
! in trouble, too? He had half a minn
| to go to her: the seat directly behind
her was providentially empty; he
could whisper Marie" over the back
| of her seat when his courage warranted
it,
She looked up. surprised and start
! led. After the confusion had left her
lovely face, she gave him her hand
! gingerly and asked in strained tones:
Glow came you here, Mr.. Reyburn?'
| Il could not help it." he confessed,
! flushing, but looking straight at her
II wanted to be near you once more
! You don't know how miserable l am
without you"
/ There was a world of emotion in the
| undertone but he kept bravely on:
| 81 came down to Rockland for moth
! ing else than that I might get a
! glimpse of you. felt it would comfort
me to ride home in the same coach
! tonight of all nights
He stopped and and looked at her in
such a pitiful, hungry-hearted way.
! 1t was all out now, this confession OF
his. He meant to make it at the risk
| Of everything before his heart failed
him-and he had done so.
Of course she could do what she
pleased with it, and him, too; he haG
staked and would win, or lose, all
Putting his elbow on the barrier and
leaning a little toward her, he waited
for her to speak. And her face was
a study Presently she gasped out:
Then you aren't to be married to-
night?"
The interrogation snapped the las
thread holding Leigh Reyburns great
love in reserve.
Marie, darling! Could you-do yol
think-O, Heaven! as if I could love
anyone but you'll O. Marie!'
The whiteness of his face was terri
BILE to see; but it all dawned upon he
at once.
do. Leigh!"-she put out botf
her hands, and two great tears stol'
down her cheeks to finish the sentence
more eloquently than words.
I When the train stopped at CLAD
brook, very happy couple alighted
= And out across the moonlit snow, from
} the belfry bars Of the gray ston
+ church came the merry chime of bells
Ring out the old, ring in the new;
, The year is dying; let it 60"
i ring in the new" said Leigh
E drawing her arm through his. eth
years of misunderstanding are dead
= let them go, dearest"
: 1--WE will" she answered, softly an
: happily.
2 And Joe Antrim laughed in h;
e sleeve, and said to the bright New Yea
g morning: Il am glad I set those tw
simpletons right by bit of strategy
It A little prevarication, ahemi But a
g is fair in love and war"