Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-05-14
Short Story
Of the Dav
JOHNS TEST.

; peIole d cefIdlH uennlle point IN my
life no male creature ever deigned
, to cast a glance at my insignificance,
that before Aunt May invited me to
spend a month with her in New York
and sent me home with a carload of
trunks, containing nothing but wear
ing apparel expressly designed and
manufactured by New York and
Paris modistes to set forth and
enhance my previously undiscovered
beauty, that before l came home and
, lost all my girl friends out OF
jealousy for my better clothes, men
were not in the habit of tumbling all
over themselves to tell me twenty
! times a day that they loved me-"
She smiled provokingly at the look
: of genuine establishment that her sud
den outburst had brought to the sen
sitively lined, masculine face before
her
and now, you, whom I considered
my best friend, have become as noL~
sensical as any OF them. 1t is true
you have said the apparently enticing
words but once and stumbled over
them at that by the way, but con-
sidering that we have just arrived at
! the picnic grounds and that presently
| | shall ask you to take me out in a
canoe on the lake and expect you to
ask me to go with you again after
/ lunch, doubt not that by the TWEEN
tieth time you will become as fluent
as the others"
"Millie, [ can't deny that [ shall
probably keep on repeating the ques-
! ton until | get the one answer that
will satisfy me, hut when you accuse
me of wanting to marry you because
you may have more or less worthless
finery on; it's beyond"
John Atwood, | don't know what
j you designate as cheap fnery, but
would have you know that this gown,
as well as the boa which aiorns nv
shoulders, was special present from
auntie and imported direct from
/ Paris" The ruff1ed feelings sought
consolation in rearrang1ng the fluffy
creation of lace and artificial flowers
that composed the neckwear in ques-
! ton.
You understand what | meant,
Millicent, | can't say you don't look
nice in that thing around your neck,
but [ liked you just as we'll in the
brown dress that you used to wear
with brown ribbons and then you
used to let me put my arms around
you"
An indignant shoulder turned in
his direction was the only answer.
''But won't you please hurry and
! ask me to take you out on the lake
as you said you would, before l do
the asking and offend you again.
The pouting face, half hidden be-
hind the white parasol, looked almost
as though about to refuse to go ont
on the lake altogether, but John
pulled up a canoe and quietly began
arranging the cushions. When he
had finished, a figure behind a
parasol stepped in and settled down
among them.
Nothing was said until they had
prOceedd nearly across the lake and
were skirting along the opposite
| shore. Then as John was padding
idly, watching a reflection in the
water, voice suddenly demanded
that he turn aside and enter an opel
ing that the shore made at this point
and through which could he seen a
small pool of water thickIy studded
with the white blossoms of the water
/ lilies.
Without hesitation, John turned
! the nose of the canoe in the direction
indicated and padded up to the point
of entering, when he noticed that the
water in the inclCsed space was very
shallow and COZ cred a surface of
dark looking mud.
| He stopped progress and waited for
the owner of the voice to observe the
state Of affairs, but the voice vouch-
safed nothing but an impatient com
mand to continue. Then he spoke lii
non-commital voice of the inadvisabil-
, ity of entering whore there was in
sufficient water TO allow padding
But the flowers cleaned white in the
sunlight and scornful ripple of
laughter was his answer.
Manlike, he gave in to woman's
whim and pushed the boat into the
midst of the lilies. He reaped a re-
ward in the lowering of the parasoI
and a companionable face smiled
upon him as the owner proceeded to
tuck up the ruff1es preparatory TO
plucking from the water the brown
stemmed lilies. But even before
the first flower was obtained the
catastrophe happened.
A great ugly looking green dragon
fly rose loudly buzzing from the flow
ers directly under the side of the
boat and perceiving the gently sway
ing fufiness above the canoe and
perhaps deceived into thinking it a
new mass of bloom yet unexplored,
dived at once in its direction and
succeeded in alighting with a mo-
ment's despatch directly under a
pink chin with the rough wings
brushing a dimpled throat
1t was all over in a minute. A
startled cry of feminine terror.
panic stricken spring for the othe,
side Of the canoe and John found
himself knee deep in black, Shiny
mud, with bedraggled and dripping