Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-01-07
CHAPTER TX.

What slaves these weak women are to
those miserable clay idols they have set
ND only TO fall down before and worship
Alteration is the main part of woman 5
love. How they still revere these worth
less images, despite the daily proof they
have as to what miserable potter's ware
they are composed of. But they 60 on,
even when bruised and beaten, still firmly
believing in their old romantic ideal. Oh.
YES women will shut their eyes to many
things sooner than give up that dream
of their girlhood. They would sooner re-
main blind than awake to find themselves
utterly bankrupt, and their account far
overdrawn at Cupid and Company's. A
woman will forgive the man she loves ey-
erything except Inconsistency. and only
cling the closer to him through crime or
trouble. But there must never have aris-
en- doubt in her mind that she is not
still sole mistress of his heart; and with
all his faults, Harold Denison had never
brought the tears to his wifes eyes in this
wise
But | am wandering far away from the
mistress of Glinn. still musing on her
unwelcome task. Like her, | am 10th TO
begin, though the miserable story must be
told for the furtherance of this narrative
1t is stealing the bloom off the girlhood
of such a maiden as Maude when Won first
break to her that she is put I'D to auc~
ton as vertically as if she stood in the
Constantinople slave market. The Turk
has suppressed it; but in the West the
trade goes on merrily. and Lord Penzance
finds it quite as much as he can do to
rectify the mistakes that occur from ig-
noring natural feeling in the contract
matrimonial.
"Maude, dear" at last observes Mrs.
Denison, whom did you like best of all
your partners at the minister ball?"
Like bestr' and Maude's great grew
eyes opened wide as she uncoiled herself
from the sofa upon which she lounged,
intent on the latest novel Nude had fur
nished. What makes you ask that.
MOTHER"
Never mind Tell me-
We'll. don't know: l never thought
about it. Gus Brisden was nice and
Charlie Tollamache-he's a dragoon of
some kind. you know-he was great fun,
and valsed very well. Then there was
Mr.. Handley, not very young, but l got
on very we'll with him. | think, though.
l liked dancing with Gren best; he can
valse-and then we had such laughing
over other people: but he got sulky to-
wards the finish, I'm sure / don't know
why. I'm very fond of Gren, you know,
mother, but he DULLES me and can be
very nasty at times, and the finish of
that ball happened TO be one of those
times. | don't know why" continued the
girl, meditatively, unless it was my dane
ing with that Mr.. Pearman; what could
that matter to him."
And did you and Gren part on bad
terms?"
mo; l came down and gave him his
coffee before he went away. and he
kissed me-and so we parted friends"
| think, had l been Grenville Rose, l
should have preferred Maude being lit
tie more reticent about the kiss Still,
the slight hesitation in her speech, the
slight flush that crossed her cheek as she
alluded to it. were favorable signs to an
astute observer. He had kissed her as
his cousin all his life-why should the
recollection make her blush and hesitate
now? Young people situated in this way
may like each other for years; the ex-
plosion of some aesthetic force suddenly
awakes love- More often than not the
train is lit through the precautions taken
to prevent it. The doctrine of separation
is in high favor among chaperones, but
they often forget that when using it
with view to a contrary result.
But you don't say anything about
Mr.. Pearman, Maude; did you like him?"
We'll, he was pleasant and amusing
enough. l only had one quadrille with
him. you know. But Gren scolded so
about my dancing with him at all; and
said he wasn't form or bad FORM or
something or other-meaning. in short,
that l ought not TO have stood up with
him. If he wasn't fit TO be danced with,
mother, why did they introduce him to
me 2" and Maude raised her pretty eye
hrows, as if she had propounded a regu-
lar poser.
II see no reason in the world. He is
not one of the old county families, but
his father is very rich, and he will take
his place, ere many years are over, in
the county. 1t depends, of course, a good
deal upon how he marries. Suppose he
fancied you, now, Maude-we are very
poor, you know-what would you say TO
it?''
"Ii-Mother, dear, what makes you ask
such a question? I'm sure l don't know.
Glinn is happy home enough for me at
present But don't think, if l did mar
ry. l should like there to be any doubt
about my husband being a gentleman; and
they-that is, 1 mean Gren-didn't seem
to think he was"