Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-12-23
CHAPTER III.

"Would you mind taking a little walk
with me, Miss Wickly? 1 want you to
see just what we are doing, and what
rye are going to do in the way Of digging
iup your park, before we go too far with
it, Prof. Huntley mentioned the matter
twice last week. And after considering
It, we concluded that you ought to see
for yourself. and fully understand the
situation. We have concluded that our
researches must be much more extensive
than we at first contemplated. And per-
ihaps Prof Huntley thought that an addi-
Itional compensation ought to be given
you under the circumstances; and has
made such a statement to the-to the
Board" said Mr.. Mason, on a Saturday
AFTERNOON some two weeks after the &C.
lcurrences detailed in the first chapter.
II wish you would take her away
somewhere, Mason" exclaimed John
iWickly in mock despair. "She's in one
of her teasing moods, and has been tor
Imenting the life out of me for the last
hour. Don't take her, though, unless
you are fully satisfied that you can en-
Idure unutterable things. For l think
she takes about as much delight in teas
lSng you as me-
Teasing! Now, Mr.. Mason, you shall
fudge between us. Here are the Chicag go
papers with accounts of the meeting Of
the Wicklif heirs, illustrated with life
like portraits of a great many Of them
Ipa included. Now don't you think that
family ought to get an estate of fifty
millions-simply upon their personal good
nooks?"
There was a very merry twinkle In the
mischievOus brown eyes of Lizzy Wickly,
las she skilfully avoided the sudden
grasp with which her father attempted
TO get possession of the papers.
Nov, remember, Mr.. Mason, that this
is the way the Wicklif, or Wickly, heirs
appeared to fair and impartial artists
who delineated them to the life. Aren't
they ugly? There ought to be some pen
atty attached to such unmitigated ugi-
mess as these pages display"
"Oh, bless you; there is. A very harsh
penalty, too since the victims never live
Gong enough to serve out the sentence,
Tetorted Mr.. Weekly, with a laugh that
had something artificial in it to Mr..
Mason's ear. Therefore he fastened to
say:
"If you are ready, Miss Lizzy, and
don't mind the walk"
''Oh, I shall be delighted, I assure
you," said LiZZy, putting on her hat be-
fore the little mirror over the dressing
ease.
They went along the sandy street
hedged with an enormous growth of wild
hemp and Unison weeds, wherever the
absence of q dwelling made it unneces-
sary to clear away the rapid growth OF
the hot June days. People stared at
them out of windows, and came to the
doors to prolong the view after they had
passed.
Little squads of men ceased talking as
they came ap, and preserved a critical
and vigilant silence until they were we'll
past these spots on their way to the
woods. Everywhere Sandtown had its
three hundred pairs of eyes upon the pc
destrians, and did not attempt to conceal
that fact. Lizzy blushed little indig-
nantly.
81 haven't got accustomed to the vii
Iage Argus yet" she said with a light
laugh, as they turned out of the road
Beading eastward and took their way up
n little straight lane crowded with the
staple Unison and wild hemp, the dead
white stalks of both plants glistening like
bleached skeletons with knotted joints
among the dark lustrous green of the lux
uflantiy growing young pants.
Nor has the village Argus come to
know you thoroughly" answered Llr.
Mason. smiling "When it does come to
make your acquaintance thoroughly, you
will fud it the most docile of animals,
even winking at the largest of your pee
Notwithstanding that these are of
any magnitude at all"
(Which is an unwarranted assumption,
IL
critical eyes of the village Argus?'
There was the light and bantering air
of the merry young woman out to be
entertained, and entertaining, certainly.
But there was also a quick and search
ing after-glance that might mean some
thing more, something deeper.
do you mean to ask me q conven-
tional question which should have a con-
ventional answer, Miss Lizzy? You know
I am so used to the bare and abstract So
BUTTON of plain arithmetical and alge-
braic propositions and problems, that
He hesitated and glanced at her doubt
fully.
Let me be solved by the very sternest
rules of your science, Mr.. Mason she
said. with her brows drawn just tri1e,
and the short upper lip now so COM
pressed as to hide the CLEAN OF her very
pretty white teeth. Il suppose that in
very truth Il young woman is seldom fav-
ored with calm and impartial judg-
ment upon herself from a competent
source And really, | think that all of
us have a secret craving to measure our
selves with those who have already at
tanned eminence in some laudable di-
UCction.'
And have you, too, that distrust of
the hasty and formal conventional YER
dict. that leads us to desi"" to have the
verdict reviewed again?" he laughed
Come this way, Miss Wickly. You will
be f1oundering between a Scylla of wal
nut stump and a Charybdis of Unison
weeds in moment. And that calls me
hack to what l had intended to say of
the villag Argus. | became acquainted
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