River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-02-21
Il MAN AND
Il REAR.
By Frederiek Boyd Stevenson.

THE chatter OF the city men both
| cred Celia. They talked horse
that annoyed her They all knew the
celebrities of the stage and foisted
their knowledge upon her. These were
the masculine men. As for the others
the tennis players and such-they
were quite as bad.
"Oh, dear met" sighed Celia, 81
shall leave them all"
So she shook her dainty skirts free
from the city's dust. She packed her
seven large trunks, and went to a
hamlet so insignificant and so obscure
that the photographic experts failed
to indicate its latitude and longitude.
The big fellow who paced restlessly
up and down in the rooms of the Fifth
Avenue club was rather good looking.
AT least most of the women would
have so regarded him. He was tall
and dark and athletic; and best Of all
he was young and full of the anbi-
tons of life. His whole aim at the
time in question, however, seemed to
be to wear a pathway in the velvet
carpet of the clubs reception room.
Some men do their thinking lying on
the fiat of their backs. Others seek
the solitude of the black forests, and
there, alone with themselves and ma
ture, evolve the mighty problems that
wrest empires from rulers or twist
fortunes out of Wall street on the
rt-ot
still others who endeavor to arouse
the sluggish molecules in the gray
Meter of their brains by walking
ceaselessly and tirelessly- promenad-
inY the corridors and the halls Of
dwellings, tramping through the
crowded thoroughfares, ever pushing
onward, Earring the nerves of their
friends, and giving rise to the belief
that they are attacked with a species
of lOcomotor ataXia.
But Grayson was not afflicted with
any nervous disorders. On the con
trary he didn't seem to have nerves.
The only thing that bothered him was
where he should spend his vacation
which had been somewhat delayed on
account Of pressing business during
the early months of the summer
81 am tired of the seaside resorts
and the silly women who flock there"
soiloquized Grayson. And those
trips to Europe bore one So"
He had gone over the entire list
many times
What / need is rest" said he, "a
quiet rest away from people"
And chen il was that an idea came
and Grayson stopped his long and irri-
Eating walk. So it happened that
night when n friend saw him on the
platform of the station, surrounded
by Queer-looking boxes and fishing
tackle and guns, and propounded the
query: where away?" that the an
swer came ITO the Maine woods"
On the second day of Horace Gray
sons stay at the old farm house there
was quite a futter of excitement
about the place. And it was all be-
cause young woman was expected
TO arrive that evening.
> 'i'NrAi y bh tbtu MT Sdlu NiaN-
son, somewhat ruefully, chat I was
TO be the only boarder here this sum
mcr, and now you are getting young
lady from the city. DO you think that
is quite right? And ] left the city
and remained away from the seaside
and the resorts in Europe just to be
rid of people, and especially young
ladies'"
The old farmer rubbed the thin
crop of whiskers on his chin in an
embarrassed way
1T is hardly fair" he said. "but l
calculate, Mister Grayson, you'll not
be put out much. You see this young
woman knows some of my wife's re-
lations and they sent word she was
coming unexpected like jest yester-
day"
There was no help for Grayson so
he determined to make the best Of it.
II will he hunting and fishing" said
he, and can keep out of her way"
Just after supper he heard Farmer
johnson discussing his troubles with
his wife
Il don't see the old man was say
ing, how in the world. Selma, tibet
young woman is to be met at the
depot Jake's gone off to see his sick
mother and will not be back tin to-
morrer and I'm all crippled up with
that sprain."
Grayson chuckled to himself.
"What business has a city woman
up in these woods, anyhow" he
thought Then q sense of his duty
and his natural gallantry came over
him and also little pan that WAS
purely selfish, and which appealed 10
him us being very clever So he said.
Mr. johnson, | will go for the
young lady ON one condition"
The old mans face beamed.
"What is thet?" asked he.
"Lct me take the place of Jake
your hired man. And when Jake
comes back let me be your other
hired man, John"
I'm de- it," CALCULATED Farmer
johnson, "by gum, I'll do it," and hi,
good wife who attended church regu