Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-14

And she has a good cause at
heart"
Il suppose So"
Madge Invers looked up suddenly
into his face. Aren't you sure!' she
asked.
Perhaps"
Neither spoke for a minute. The
girl was turning over query in her
mind and wondering if she dared voice
it. The man was idly admiring the
clear-cut features Oh her face.
Mr.. Randle," she said at last, with
a little furry of haste, "'do you
drink"
Eyes, l do drink-lemonade," he
laughed. Wont you have some?
The band began it's afternoon con-
cert before the girl could speak, and
she walked silently by his side down
to the casino where they found an
empty table.
Up above them the band was play
ing. Straight ahead lay Lake Monona,
dotted with scores of rowboats and
launches. Far in the distance the
dome of the capitol at Madison loomed
up, white and hot, from the cool, green
trees of the city.
Madge Inyers had come to camp at
the Monona Lake assembly with her
parents. She was the daughter of
minister, man who regarded a sin
like drinking as objectionable. That
July afternoon he had listened to a
lecture on temperance by Mrs. Carrie
Nation, and had applauded her senti-
ments with honest appreciation.
John Randle, on the other hand,
was not a rigid believer in total alb
stinence. His father was the editor
of city paper, and the son was en-
ioying vacation and at the same
time acting as correspondent during
the assembly. On the day of his ar
rival he had met Madge Invers, and
since then the two were constantly
together.
AS they sat now, drinking the
lemonade Madge was bordering his
answer of moment before. 1t had
been an evasion; she was almost
true, John Randle was a man who
drank
Yet she could not be absolutely GER
tain. She hoped not, for she liked
him better than any man she had
ever met. If she could only prove
that he did not drink or-she checked
her thoughts quickly-she would not
allow herself to believe that
After they had finished the lemon
Il -
his tent and write up his notes of the
lecture. Madge walked part of the
way with him and found a cool seat
in the rustic temple after he was
gone.
An hour later as she was walking
past the casino, her eye caught sight
of roll of paper She picked it up,
and found, as she had guessed, that
it contained the notes Randle had
taken on Mrs. Nations lecture. With
the thought that he must have them
at once to mail his story on the 6
o'clock train, she hurried to his tent
and knocked timidly.
Come in," said Randles voice
gruffiy.
She flung back the flap of the tent
and looked in with a little apology
trembling on her lips. The apology
was never spoken.
At the farther side of the tent, ly-
ing on cot, was Randle. In his
hand he held beer bottle. On the
floor, in disorderly array, were a
dozen other bottles of the same color
The smell of alcohol filled the stuffy
little tent.
AS she stared at the scene, stupe-
tied, Randle rolled his head toward
her and slowly opened one eye. 1t
blinked lazily at her a moment. like
an insulting demon. The next in.
slant Randle sprang to a sitting post.
ure and looked at the girl in deepest
amazement and chagrin
"Madge! he exclaimed "Madge, j
beg your pardon. L"
Rut the girl was gone
She ran from him as if he were q
hideous monster. It was true. then
She had almost fallen in love with a
drunkard person who had not the
manhood to abstain from drink even
at religious gathering like an assem-.
bly,. She shuddered to think of her
danger
But after she had reached her own
tent new side of the question arose
She argued with herself: she appealed
to her common sense, to her woman.
hood. But still the ugly truth re-
manned. She loved John RandIe
That evening she did not 60 to the
concert. AS she sat by the tent. with
the big tears in her eyes, she heard a
footstep. With brave determination
not to cry, she wiped her eyes and
looked up. Before her stood John
Randle.
'Will you leave me alone?" she
asked. There was no emotion in her
voice; it sounded hard and express
sionless.
After have explained"
There is nothing that you can ex.
plain" she said, in the same mono.
tone.
But there is he broke in, quickly,
and think I have the right to demand
your attention for few minutes.
After that"
after that" interrupted the girl
YEARLY. 81 shall ask you to go and
never speak to me again."
He bowed his head graveIy. 81
know" he said. 81 know. But per.
haps you will think differently after |
EXPLAIN
cir1c osI