Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-01-03

comfortable. She did not wear the
glasses in the Office, but the dread
possessed her that on her trip to and
from luncheon she ignored the girls
who likewise found vent for their
youthful energy in Office work. Her
readlng-and she read a good deal
was done surreptitiously. She, who
had always walked so fearlessly. and
with football so assured, began to hest
tate at a street crossing or the step
OF a curbstone. She dreaded lest she
should make a descent of unpremedi-
! tated abruptness. If she had known
! anything about Dundreary she would
have sympathiZed with him in his
dread lest he should sit down before
he knew he sat down! When at night
she took off the glasses she insisted
she was ashamed to confront
her own sweet reflection in the
glass. The conscious ness of hypoc-
risy weighed heavily upon her, but
the moment of contrition was belated
in its arrival
1t is possible its advent would have
been delayed much longer than il was
were II not for the fact that Ned Del
mere was back from his vacation.
She knew he had returned. The fact
was duly chronicled in the little subur-
ban paper. And Allie Lyme had met
him and said he was handsomer than
eyer-had a mustache-think of that!
Lorraine thought of that, and of a
good many other things. Between
the embarrassment of her glasses and
the detection of her devoted young
lover she grew positively thin and
haggard-as far as 10 may. Ned, who
had been her shadow since they had
graduated together from the high
school! Ned, who had impoverished
himself taking her to theaters and
sending her flowers! Ned, who had
written her loads of the loveliest
rhymes and nonsense from the north
ern wilds whittier his firm had allowed
him to go for rest and recuperation.
Was he deserving her? She had an
swered his every letter. To be sure
her replies were little airy, gossamer
things, bright and shifting as a cloud
of butterflies. But she had written
nothing that could cffend-estrange
him. She heard of him, now here
now there. She began to think that
he had never really cared for her.
And she was not one to wear the will
low publicly for any man. She would
accept Roy Millard's invitations She
would go boating with him in the
park! She would
Ding-dong, Ding-dong! Ding
ding-ding!
She looked around wildly. Too
late! The cable car flinging franti-
cally around the corner had crashed
into her resentful meditations! Going
back to the office after luncheon wrap
ped in the childish abstraction of
pique, her sight dimmed by
stepped unheedingly before the mod
ern jugger-naut.
A babel Of hOarse cries arose. She
shut her eyes-stepped backward
Cali right! In here! No-Pm not
hurt-in hereH'
sounded somehow like her mothers
just as comforting, as fuh of sweet
and compassionate protection. Then
the people, and the car, and the big
policeman, and the blanched visage of
the motorman, and the sharp, inquisi-
tive cOuntenance of the neWsboy all
in waves of blackness which
whirled, eddied, swept into a cornu-
copia of illimitable perspective, and
went down with the roar of over
whelming waters!
o. When reason asserted itself she was
in the little emergency room back of
the drug store.
What happened?" she asked, and
struggled to sit up.
Keep still a little longer, dear
heart" whispered Ned ~Delmere.
She drank the cordial he held to her
lips. She looked him straight in the
eyes. Tell me-" she entreated.
He excpaimed how the accident oc-
Cured. you were not hurt" he con-
cluded. THE man stopped his car
just as it touched your gown. You
tainted from fright. That was all"
CALI" she exclaimed mo! l should
not have become bewildered were it
not for those dreadful glasses. | wore
them because thought they were be-
coming. really could not see with
them!"
you won't have to wear them
again." he laughed. "They were
splintered under the wheels where
they fell. But-Loraine! Why would
you not recognize me when l got back
from the north? l stopped you on
Dearborn street. You held your head
very high. L am not acquainted with
you, sir you said, and passed on"
Did | say that-to your"
Indeed you did"
"Well!" She set up, clasping her
hands. She drew long breath "Was
it the mustache-or the glasses-or
both? Yon know I'd never'-her eyes
finished the sentence her lips had be-
gun.
Wouldn't your" eagerly. He was
On his knees beside the druggists
lounge. IF you only knew how I've
suffered"
Don't /, though? You dear"
BEG pardon!" The druggist re-
treated hastily from the doorway
"The young lady you rescued, sir"
Has quite recovered, thank you.
Will you call a cab? Take my arm,
dear, as if your sight"
Her radiant gaze laughed back his