Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1906-03-01
AN UNUSUAL
THING
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BY VIRGINIA LEILA VENT
Copyright, 1865, by Ruby Douglas

WAS lllit WIlie LOFTS ioNPu JACK sue
didn't want 10 marry him yet. Fre.-
dom spelled fun travel. admirers
oh, in short, everything nice and ex-
citing. She simply couldn't bear the
thought of settling down
And Jack was so ardent, so boyishly
him ut arms length or all would be
over. Therefore her promise to give
him Il Straight answer when he did
some unusual thing" was mcrely.a sub
terfuge to gain time. which she had en-
ployed at the beginning of the summer.
And now the summer and the last
rose of 1t had flown 1t was October.
And Jack hadn't done anything I'M
usual yet-nothing but be his niCx,
dear, wholesome self. The October
days were full of elixir. and the tread
| of beauty was on the hills ANA the
| fields Of grass and fodder, ripened by
| August suns and tanned by early Sep
| TENDER frosts to a mellow autumn
| bronze
With the passing Of summer almost
| all the boarders had left the pretty 1T
| tie Berkshire resort except Doris Dud-
| lev and her invalid mother who were
| to remain there some weeks longer. 1t
was Jacks custom, since he had been
| obliged to return to town, to run Gowp
! on Saturdays and spend Sunday with
| them.
This particular Sunday morning Dog
| is and he were crossing the slopinR
| meadows blowing through the tangie
| of withercd sedge and brown grass,
when Jack suddenly broke out bitterly:
II don't believe you care for me nj
| all--or ever have
Really" said Doris indliferently.
She rested her white sunshade far back
! over her shoulder and looked dreamiiy
across the meadows to the purple hills
| beyond, but there were dinples in her
| checks and multitude of little cu4s
blowing in her eyes
"Why are YOU so provoking, dear?
You've all but given your promise, and
| yet you keep putting me off and lead
ing me along as If were pet animal
with no will of It's own. Well, I'm a.
foolr' he repeated, ilercely suppress
ing the expletiye.
Goodness, no, Jackw drawlcd the
mischievous Doris. mot so bad as
that"
Jack cooled bit and renewed his
| pleadings
"But do be reasonable, Doris. If you
don't intend to throw me over. tell me
when you'll give me a positive answer,
and
when you do some unusual thing,
you know" interiected she sweetly,
blowing the curls out of her eyes.
Jack. who had been carrying his hat,
slapped it on his head with an excla-
nation of disgust, He was certainly
vexed and took very long strides.
Hello jack called Doris dalntily
after him as he far outdlstanced her.
| That's not the way I'm going. I'm
going down by the bridge. Want to
Gomez" 1t CHANGED that he did
Now, the path to the bridge was
rather pretty path, running through
small wood, which in summer time
was full of shade and woodbine and
foXgloves and ferns. These had van
ished, but the glory of the wood, the
stream, remained.
Spanning the stream was the bridge.
1t was tiny and not particularly serv-
iceable with gingerbready trelliswork
at the side for the tickling of unartis-
tic tastes.
Lets rest here suggested Doris.
sitting down comfortably on the flimsy
side rail of the bridge With one hand
she held a bunch of rufiy skirts, and
with her other she balanced herself on
the handle Of her sunshade.
isn't the purply haze on those hills
beautiful remarked she POLITICALLY.
1t was only some belated cricket, for
gotten Ivy July, that chirped an appreci-
ative reply to this poet observation.
As to Jack he was silent for a few mo-
mentS. then with coarse masculine di-
rectness he went straight to the spot:
But what in thunder can chap like
me do, Doris. that would be 'unusualg
I'm a decent enough sort, | reckon
good family, wholesome instincts and
all that with enough money to live on
and n reasonable amount of industry
but as for doing anything unusual
pshaw!' he broke of irIscibly.
Doris hummed an air from Little
Johnnie Jones" and gathered her skirt
frills a bit closer. Apparently she
wasn't giving his recital the closest at
tention.
Jack flicked a beetle from the railing
and changed his tactics
Isn't it enough for your purpose. lit
tie girl, to be sure that love youT he
asked
Doris shot q lightning glance at her
big lover from under her dark lashes.
still she said musingly. Il should
like you to do some unusual thing"
Jack passed one hand over his swarthy
brow and took hurried review of his
resources.
Possibly" observed he oddly nj
lenE.l, Il might write a book"
Doris giggled. Yes, and dedicate IL
20 ne" suggested she.
I'm what fornl-'To my Wife," ask
ed Jack boldly.
Look" said she quickly, nodding her
head toward the opposite bank of the
stream