Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-11-08

thrift who will help her throw it
away"
! Just here a thought flashed through
/ his mind with q suddenness that al
most took away his breath. Why not
marry her himself?
/ This was indeed a happy thought,
( Engracia was young. she had money.
and it was not at all probable that
/ she had become attached to anyone
else. Those years spent in the school
! had given her - negative disposition
which he could mold as wax to his
taste. He had never seen her pho
| tograph, and up to this time had not
given her personal appearance 4
thought.
Now it had suddenly become mat
ter of the graYest Importance. He re-
Elected that she must be a beauty;
her father was a handsome Castilian,
and her mother. as he remembered
her. had possessed all the grace and
charm Of the women of Andalusia
He would write for her photograph at
once, and if it proved satisfa ctory,
which it was almost sure to do, he
would so to San Sebastian to see her.
Contrary to his custom he wrote a
long letter to Dona Engracia. He re-
GREETED they had never met, but she
must remember he was a busy man and
could not afford to travel for pleasure.
He mentioned his ever-growing bank
account, and limited that it was not
impossible that he would marry
should he find a maiden worthy #
him, adding that the woman he select
ed would never have reason to regret
having changed her name for his
own. Unaccustomed to dealing with
women Don Pablo did not dream that
she wiuld divine his object, but felt
as secure from detection as the os-
trich which hides its head in the
sand. Marriage and melons arc mat
tiers Of luck" He muttered the old
proverb of his country as he sealed
the letter, and added, "And l have al
ways been lucky"
During the week that followed his
matrimonial scheme was so constantly
in his mind he almost imagined him
self a married man. Finally the pic
ture arrived. Juaquina brought it to
him, carrying at the same time a dust
cloth in the other hand, in order to
have an excuse for remaining in the
room; she was anxious to see what
the large envelope contained.
Don Pablo opened it with an eager
ness of which he was a little ashamed.
Busily rubbing an invisible speck
from the table, Juaquina watched him
from the corner of her eye He gazed
at the photograph for a moment as if
spellbound, then held it Off at arms
length as if believing his eyes had de-
ceived him.
1T is the most hideous thing have
ever seen" he groaned, almost beside
himself with disappointment.
1t was certainly calculated to cool
the enthusiasm of the most ardent
lover. The nose was almost fiat, the
eyes were small and dull, and the
mouth, naturally large, was expanded
into a simpering smile.
She smiles; she evidently consid-
ers herself handsome." exclaimed
Don Pablo. Gould she see herself
with my eyes what a shock she would
sustain! And what a quantity of jew
els she wears; her hair, her neck and
arms are covered with them. She
must spend nearly all her allowance
for gew-gaws, and that, too, in the face
of the advice have given herr
"Eh? Did you speak to me, senor?"
asked Juaquina, devoured with curios-
ity
He thrust the photograph into her
hand. ut is Dona Engracia," he said.
The old woman studied the picture
thoughtfully. This is a large woman,
Don Pablo" she said at last. Look
at the breadth of her shoulders. When
selected the gloves and shoes the
senior ordered l always bought the
sizes l wear, which l consider about
right for a woman of good proper
TONS I now see that they must have
been too small for her. Strange that
she did not write to have them ex-
changed"
''She is too vain to admit that they
were too small for her." he replied,
and asked with grin, well, do you
consider her a great beauty?'
For some reason unknown to us
heaven has seen fit to punish her, la
pobrecita!" replied the old woman as
she returned the picture.
"Bastantel" muttered Don Pablo,
pushing it into a drawer. ut is the
end of my dream"
About two months afterward he re-
ceived a letter from the mother of the
schoolmate his ward was visiting in
San Sebastian She wrote:
need your advice in regard to En-