Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-10-26

stance? Of what use would all the
wealth in the world be if you were
ill?'
! 81 understand all that" she inter
rupted, impatiently.
Again, money could not buy such
! love as mine, sweet-so true, SO ten
der. Nor could money buy anything
one-half so precious as that little
darling playing there
Il understand all that" she re-
peated.
Suppose you had to choose be-
tween me and wealth, Ismay-which
would you prefer?"
What idle words!" she exclaim-
ed, half-laughingly
But you do not answer them, sweet
Which do you prefer?'
She looked up at him with a half
startled glance.
How could such a state of things
be-" she asked How could wealth
and you be rivals in my estimation? %
THAT could never be, of course, %
he replied. 81 am merely supposing
such a case"
He never forgot the hour and the
words.
They had wandered down to the
brook-side and sat watching the sun
set By Ismay's side grew large
bush of southernwood, and as they
talked she crushed the leaves in her
hands. To the last day of his life
Paul Waldron associated all his sor-
rows, joys and pains with the per-
fume of southernwood.
you have not answered me-" he
persisted.
81 cannot" she said, laughing; 81
have not your faculty, for supposing
cases. I have not the gift Of putting
myself in other peoples places, and
trying to imagine what I should do"
But, Ismay, the question is so plain.
you cannot puzzle long over it. If
you had to choose between money and
me, which would you PREFER"
"Such a thing can never be- she
replied; why try to make me solve a
problem that life will never offer to
me? [ have read somewhere that peo-
pie never have the one thing they
want shall never have a fortune"
els a fortune your highest ambi-
tion?" he asked, impatiently.
ct is the ambition of most men,"
she replied. "They toll for it all day,
they dream of it all night, they give up
peace and love for it, they sacrifice
honor, truth, and principle to OBJ
tain it; some of them are willing even
If I do long for a fortune, I am only
like the rest"
He looked terribly disappointed.
There is nothing in the world you
would prefer to me?' he questioned.
And then she detected his anxiety,
and laughed again.
You want pretty compliments,
Paul. Suppose that I refuse to give
them Is there anything on earth
that wives prefer to their own hus-
bands?''
The eyes raised to his were beauti-
full in their love and tenderness; he
could not look at that most fair face
ana Jn1nk In6 nSdfI DSuSdtn II ally
thing but pure. He bent down and
kissed it.
do not think I doubted you, my
darling. I would as soon doubt the
mercy of Heaven. 1t is not that, but
when a mans heart lies in the hollow
of a woman's hand-when his life
lies at her feet-when every hope of
his existence is conferred in hers it
strange that he should try at times to
measure her love for him."
The passion of his words-the love
in his face-the unutterable tender
ness of his manner-tOuched her
deeply. She flung away the bruised
and broken sprays of southernwood,
and clasped her hands around his
neck
mo one can ever love me as you do
Paul" she said.
And he was happy with unutterable
content. Life held much that was
sad and much that was pleasant fol
him, but he never forgot that evening
by the brook-side.
To be Continued.