Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-06-04

{ ceedingly fair and Of mar
riageaDie age.
II The second floor was
- occupied by a trio Of gen.
tlemen in the strictest
meaning Of the term. Doverling, who
had the front room, directly over the
Critics door, was boOkkeeper and
he had been observed on more than
one occasion to wink at Dolly Critics
when she assembled the steps.
Klingman, who had the other front
room, was a newspaper young man
and he never winked he cleared his
throat with much zeal, and when Dol
ly glanced up at him, as she sometimes
did. l am sorry to say, even after she
had penetrated his design, he waved
his hand and smiled. Once, embold-
ened by an answering smile, he had
raped upon the Critics door, his mind
fully set upon inviting the winning
creature to a stroll. Mr.. Critics had
opened the door, and had closed it
again-bang.
These young men were a source of
plans for the future of Dolly were
made, and he did not propose to have
them interfered with. A friend Of
his, by name Goldberg, by occupation
stock broker was to be the young
womans husband. True, Dolly did not
love Goldberg. He was neither pretty,
witty nor young. But he was rich as
IL; e. Il 10
mOnds. When her father had preached
the subject to her, she had shed fewer
tears than he had expected. She had
acceded to the proposition with a read
mess which, had there been another
sutton visible, would have aroused the
old gentleman's suspicious. AS it was,
he awkwardly dabbed a kiss upon her
forehead, and called her a good and
dutiful girl
But he did not relax his vigilance
for an instant. A state prisoner could
have been no more carefully guarded,
and it was astonishing to note how
the girl thrived under it all. Her let
ters were examined before she receiy-
ed them. Her steps were logged. Yet
the roses deepened IN her cheeks, and
her eyes shOne with a greater lustre,
and q song was upon her red lips from
morning until night
This was somewhat mystifying to
Mr.. Critics.
Had he been in the confidence of
the second floor he might have learned
something. Mullane, an artist, who
occupied the two back rooms. was in
possession Of information which would
have made the whole matter clear as
day But Mr. Critics was not in the
second floors confidence.
When the sound of Mullane's piano
filtered through the ceiling Of the
back parlor, in which room the fam
lily was accustomed to spend it's even
ings he delivered himself of remarks
both i'll natured and unjust. He re-
ferred to Mullane as a penniless
paint daubed and a spindle-legged
idiot, whereas, as a matter of fact,
Mullane was neither penniless nor
a dau5er, nor spindle-legged nor an
idiot; he was in receipt of a comfort
able income from his pictures, which
We're bought eagerly by people who
knew more of art than Mr.. Critics
knew Of pork, which is putting it
pretty strongly, as he was rather
exceptionally favored in point of per
sonal appearance and qualities Of
mind.
Dolly might have told her father
fhnca fbin0c bod che boop ca Y1oiDdnd
But she did not choose to do so. She
sat at the piano, a smile upon her
pretty face, her fingers wandering
idly over the keys, and gave no heed.
She was in that blissful state, known
only to those who tell their love and
are answered
Dolly loved Mullane. The secret
may as well come out. They had
met but once, face to face. They had
CHANGED to be in the waiting room at
the dentists one day and a mutual
acquaintance had introduced them.
That was the beginning. It is strange
that Mrs Critics did not tell her
husband Of the circumstance. for she
had been with Dolly on that occasion.
Afterwards a bit Of paper, ragged on
one edge as if it had been torn from a
book, had f1uttered innocently to the
girls feet while she was pinning hand
kerchiefs to dry upon the back yard
reel. She had picked the flutterer up
and looked at it curiously. One word
was written upon 1.-THE word "pre-
serve" She had placed it in her
bosom. wondering. That night she
understood.
1t was so deliciously simple that
she marveled at her fathers inability
to understand it. She tried to re-
strain her laughter when the humor-
Gus side of the situation presented it.
self to her-the old gentleman,
frowningly portentious, jealousy
watching her every move, lest some
young man win her affections before
the delightful Goldberg came to claim
his own; ridiculously suspicious of
every trivial circumstance; sitting in
his chair with the girl not ten feet dis
tant-all this while the course of love
flowed smoothly on. 1t was funny.
Dolly was wooed and WOLVES, and
wed from under her fathers nose
The courtship extended throughout the
the end of the comedy. Mullane con-
ferred at some length with Doverling
and Klingman. Curtains and draperies