Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-08-14

WHdt ohc Bays. pSioAoISN Inv 3D.
John Randle laughed lightly 20!
| grant that" he acknowledged.
"And she has a good cause al
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
1t. The man was idly admiring the
clear-cut features of her face.
aMr. Randle," she said at last, with
a little furry of haste, "do you
drink"
Eyes, | do drink-lemonade," he
laughed. Wont you have some"
The band began its 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 doomed
up, white and hot, from the cool, green
trees of the city.
Madge Invers had come to camp at
the Monona Lake assembly with her
parents. She was the daughter of
minister, mar 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-
joying 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
sure of this fact And If this were
true, John Randle was 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
ade, Randle excused himself to go to
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 Randle's voice.
gruffiy.
She flung back the flap of the tent
and looked in with little apology
trembling on her lips. The apology
was never spoken.
At the farther side of the tent ".
ing on a cot, was Randle. In his
hand he held beer bottle. On the
floor. in disorderly array, were q
dozen osher bottles of the same color
The smell OF alcohol filled the stun,
little tent.
As she stared at the scene. stupe
fed. Randle rolled his head towar,
her and slewly opened one eye. /
blinked lazily at her a moment. Xix,
an insulting demon. The next In
stant Randle sprang to sitting post
ure and looked at the girl in deepes
amazement and chagrin.
"Madgel" he exclaimed "Madge,
beg your pardon. T."
But the girl was gone.
She ian from him as II he were
hidaous monster. 1t was true. fher
She had almost fallen in love with
drunkard, a person who had not tn
manhood to abstain from drink eve
at a religious gathering like an Assem-
bly,. She shuddered to think OF he
danger.
But after she had reached her ow
tent a new side of the question aros,
She argued with herself; she appeale
to her common sense. TO her woman
hood. But still the ugly truth r,
manned. She loved John Randle.
That evening she did not go to tn
concert. AS she sat by the tent. wit
) the biz tears in her eyes. she heard
footstep. With brave determinatio
not to cry, she wiped her eyes an
looked up. Before her stood job
Rendle.
Will you leave me alone9' sh
asked. There was no emotion in he
voice; II sounded hard and expires
sionless
After | have explained"
There Is nothing that you car e,
x,Iasw, Oh -ns1 sxN.hN