Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-01-30

and much more dressy than a shirt
waist And you can have it for dol
! lar, That will leave me owing YOU
| only two dollars, after taking out that
last pair Of shoes and the green wrap
per. And it won't be hard to fit down,
the waist won't"
Lizzie took the waist with tremb-
ling hand and BURNING eace.
And now [ must be Off" said Mrs.
Loring hastily. George is waiting FOR
me. Ida is going. too. You won
have to get dinner for anyone but
yourself and father 1t ought to be a
real easy day for you"
Lizzie watched the team drive down
the road in sort of stupor. Then she
| buried her face in her hands and Sob
| bed convulsively. After a little she
lay down her work, and with the waist
on her arm walked out into the field.
She moved quickly and at random.
| the inner tumult could only be quoted
| by outward movement She heard
nothing, saw nothing Suddenly she
came face to face with-Zephas Glad
| den.
They stood and looked at each other
for a moment, then Zephas said,
why, Lizzie, what is the matter with
you? l saw you acting so sort of
strange like, as was fixing the brook.
| and came over, but you didn't see me-"
Lizzie stood very quietly before him
now, with her eyes turned to the
ground.
"Ah, Lizzie said Zephas, when you
act like that it always means you
amt going to say anything But I'm
going to know" He looked at the
lavender waist and attempted to draw
it away but she frightened her hold.
He gently pried open her fingers. I'm
going to know, Lizzie" he said, and
you won't tell me- He spread open
the f1imsy thing and held it up, observ-
ing it with a puzzled, studious air.
Then he said with mock admiration,
and did she give you this beautiful
thing for wages, Lizzie?"
Lizzie's eyes flashed and she cried
III oAohIAS, ASpudS, you Shall hot
mock the best and kindest friend l
ever had. Give me back my waist"
Il will-some day" he said, as with
one quick movement he tore the waist
III two, right down the back, then put
the pieces in his overalls pocket.
BEST and kindest friend?" he went
on. We'll, then, it's high time 2
better and kinder friend came and
took you away! Lizzie, marry me at
once, today! We couldn't either of us
be worse off. Say, Lizzie listen: You
remember the old Northrup rookery
on the Nixon road? Well, can have
it thrown in if I'll buy the five acres
IN four years, five per cent. interest.
no payment at all the first year. That
city fellow that camped out there this
spring has left a stove and a few
Things, and a good garden that could
feed us for half the winter and can
get jobs at logging and farming. And
III get you a melodeon, too. or some
thing, after bit, and you shall take
music lessons.
Il can't!'' cried Lizzie. "She has
been better to me than anyone else. l
can't act mean to her"
81 don't want you to. You can
write her a nice letter and leave it for
her. And you can forfeit two weeks
notice. 'Tain't as if she or any of the
others was sick and relied on you.
Mis- Loring can get along real well till
she finds someone else. Besides, Liz
zie, you'd have to tell her about that
waist"
Zephas and Lizzie secretly borrowed
an unused team of the Lorings and
went to the village and were married.
When they returned, Zephas packed
his valise and left Deacon Gorham's s,
and Lizzie packed an old market
basket with her belongings, and to-
gether they went across the fields. 1t
was some time before Lizzie was free
of the idea that Mrs. Loring was call
ing her, or was just behind her. Grad
ually, however, as the quiet, happy
hours passed by, she left her old life
behind her in thought as we'll as act
They ate the bountiful lunch that Liz
zie had been bold enough to take with
her, under a shady tree, and rested
many times, or stopped to pick berries.
1t was a perfect day and it so hap
| pened that they met nobody. There
was considerable excitement through
| hiding from an occasional team pass
| ing in the roadway, or climbing fences
in such way as not to attract atten-
| ton at distance.
In the latter part Of the afternoon
they saw across the field in the road
way, George Loring's new unfinished
house, and leaving their bundles under
a bush, went cautiously over to it and
peeped in.
They did not notice, late in the
afternoon, the atmospheric change, nor
the storm that was preparing, until it
was beginning to rage around them.
Lizzie's happy expression vanished,
and she turned a white, terrified face
to Zephas.
Poor little thing" he said, trying
| to shield her by his arms. 81 ought
to have taken you right along, but I
was so happy wandering about" He
looked desperately around. The large
open field with an occasional rock Of
fered no means of protection. All,
but it did, There was a large hay.
stack. Zephas ran to it, pulled out
the closely packed hay at the bottom
till he made big hole, and packed
Lizzie neatly in it, just as the deluge
came. Then he made hole for him