Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-12-14

| seem to care for any men but Bruce
and myself, and l can't believe that
you and ne are in earnest in your
brazen firtations. In the first place,
he has no more seriousness about him
than jumping-jack, and in the sec
ond l cannot conceive of girl with
your ideals loving a man of his pc
culiar financial practices and alley-cat
habits. Outside of his more or less
respectable club he has no more
fixed place of abode than has a bal
loon, and 1 don't believe he would
than one"
She would toss her head. THAT is
because the poor fellow has no home
to allure him. Just you wait until he
gets married If he wins the right
wife he will settle down so hard that
you can hear the echo"
/ would wave my hands in protest.
But he speculates upon the board
bets, and all that, md while | do not
consider such things as particularly
depraved, I know that you are utterly
against them. Besides, he is a fnan-
cial humorist. How could he support
wife in the dreary, moneyless pc
riods?"
I'm sure I don't know-that would
be his end of the bargain. But l do
know that if he had a wife who would
save what he throws away when he is
prosperous they would never come to
want. And I am not sure, after all,
but that it is better to have a lot of
money part Of the time and none the
rest than to have only little all the
time"
That would quiet me for a time.
1 had to depend entirely upon my sal
airy, for being under heavy bonds |
could not have speculated had 1
cared to and still retained my posi-
ton if the fact became known. Still,
by certain economies | had managed
to hide away a few hundreds for
emergencies, and in addition 10 that
l had in the savings bank $4,000
which had come to me from my IA
theirs estate. That, however I re-
garded a good deal as a trust fund
which was to be left unused except in
another tack and try and impress her
with the greater virtue of ultimate
achievement through industry and
economy rather than by moving your
way through the ranks of your fellow
men. From her quietness I would
think she was becoming converted I'M
til of a sudden she would give a fidget.
There he comes now, down the
walk back of u.s." she would assert
without even glance around. And
sure enough it would be Bruce, a
cigar in his mouth and bundle as
big as a peck measure wrapped up
in paper under his arm. l always
thought my physical senses were par
ticularly alert, but she would invar-
iabIy announce his coming before l
knew he was within gunshot. Hear
ing, intuition, instinct or sixth sense,
l know not what it was, but at times
it struck me as almost Uncanny. Up
to US he would come strolIing with a
smile and audacious Hello, little
sweetheart anu d HOO anu Ill
off-hand "Howdy, old man" to me;
and standing before US with his feet
wide apart would grin at her like a
good-natured puppy. Then I would
see Clare's eyes begin to light up.
What is it this time, Bruce?" she
would half gasp excitedly. With a
studied deIiberation that would keep
her in squirming suspense he would
gradually open the bundle and raise
it on high. Then suddenly he would
pour pailful of roses, carnations or
violets over her head and send them
tumbIing into her lap and down on
the grass in a waterfall of fragrance.
And at that she would utter a little
cry and go down upon her knees as
she gathered them up by the handful,
scolding him like maybe for his ex-
travagance, and stopping after every
few words for rapturous smell of
each captured treasure. And that
would be my reward for my lecture on
the sin of extravaganza.
Then, regardless Of my presence,