Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-06-08
'4Not l." said Mr.. Dawson

y
can afford to keep wife and-and-
| all that sort OF thing
Il don't think there's much DANCE
| Of our starving" said Sam.
Mr.. DaWosn ignored the remark
No." he continued, in a judicial
summing-up tone, Il don't think Nv
any objection to urge. But there
one thing, Sam, had better be unoer
stood between us at once. I'm not il
a position 10 give Mary large doWry
| can give her a trifie, but beyond tina
-''
If it's all the same to you," sait
Sam, I'D rather you didn't we he
anything. It's Mary l want, not
marriage portion. She has som,
strange IDEAS, and | shouldn't like he
to think | married her for her money
"Oh, very well" said Mr.. Dawson
drily; but you'll find marriage an ex
pensive luxury, Sam-that is, whel
you're married. But Here The
subject presented itself to his mind il
such an irresistibly comic light that
despite good manners, he burst into {
loud ana hearty laugh.
If you two do get married." he con
tinued, when he gained command 81
his rlslble faculties again, which
consider to be highly improbable, II
give you till you want your first per-
ambulator to find out that you can dc
with little more money, even in such
a modest menage as yours will be-
Unoismayed by this prophecy, Sam
thanked him warmly, squeezed his
hand in an ultra-filial fashion, ana
bowed himself out Of the room.
The first person Sam ran against was
Lottie.
Sam Forbes, do DECLARE she said
with well-feigned surprise. How dc
you come to be in Dunoon, SAM"
The steamer stranded me on the
pierhead," saiu Sam.
I'll tell you something, SAM" she
whispered confidentially, but if you
betray me I'll never, never speak to
you again.
"Oh, you may trust me, Lottie," said
Sam, highly amused. I'm as close as
miser's money bag"
Mary isn't at home" she said, with
mischievous twinkle in her dark
eyes.
"Is that your secret, you little
fraud?" said Sam, laughing.
Part of it, she said But DON'T
get saucy and call me names, or you'll
find me as close as a misers money
bag"
Il won't" said Sam, with a mock
air of subjugation.
Very WELL" she said sweetly, I'll
tell you"
You're an angel" said Sam.
You f1atterer, you; when did you
find out that angels wear petticoats?"
asked Lottie, with pardonable sarcasm.
when l first saw you," said Sam,
CALAMITY. Before that | was a pep
perry fellow-a misogynist, in fact"
ooh, you wretch cried Lottie.
"And whit is that?"
"A woman-hater," he answered.
But thought you had something OF
great importance to tell me?"
so | have. Listen. Do you know
that the moment you entered the house
mouse. Fancy such strong-minded
young woman as she is showing the
white feather at the appearance of a
harmless creature like you
"Oh, you saw me coming here, aid
your" he asked, with heightened color.
Saw you'll" she said tossing her
head mighty jauntily. "Of course we
did-that is, did. And, oh, Sam, you
should have seen the sly things face.
1t got the color of a-of "a"
"Peony," suggested Sam, with hui
morous twinkle.
Exactly" said Lottie, looking i'm
mensely relieved. Il don't know what
peony is, but it sounds nice, and if
it's red the comparison is all right
And where is she now?" he asked.
ooh, you'll be sure to finn her either
out the Cloch lighthouse way or moon
ing about the Castle hill. And, Sam
you'll be almost certain to find IA
Here she stopped abruptly, looking a
little frightened.
go on, Lottie," he said. 'Ill find
what?"
Thus admonished, Lottie, in a trem-
bling whisper, hurriedly, and cringine
a little, said: You'll be sure to find
someone with her. She's got another
sweetheart, Sam, and he follows hel
about like her own shadow. There
now. Don't you go and STAY the
wretch, and get me into trouble"
All the spring of life seemed sudden
ly to die within Sam. and he turned
away without WORD and took his
leave, Lottie's eyes following him with
devotional admiration.