Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-07-03
Mary
Anne S
Hero
BY Barr Moses

feet The road was dusty and this
dust, mingled with the yellow pollen
of the rag-weed, was making sad work
of the lower part of his natty trous-
ers.
"Confound Marry Anne!" exclaimed
Grimsby.
Mary Anne was his cousin and he
was on the way to her wedding. He
liked Mary Anne the least of all the
forty-seYen first cousins whom he was
so fortunate as to possess, but she
was, nevertheless, the only one OF the
list for whose wedding he would have
felt 1t necessary to put himself to so
much discomfort and expense. This
was because Mary Anne was vain and
ambitious and adored Grimsby as her
one wealthy and city-bred relative
He knew that to her mind her wed
ding would be but poor affair If she
could not have him and his present to
display to her assembled friends. and
being abnormally considerate of the
feelings of others, he had consented to
go, and had spent far more money
than he felt justified in doing in the
purchase of a set Of sterling silver
tableware in neat wooden case
which he had at that moment under
one arm, and which was very heavy.
In addition to the wedding present
he was encountered with an umbrella
a suit case and raincoat.
What a fool l was to write Mary
Anne not to send to the station for
me-" he growled.
Nov wonder how the deuce Mary
Anne ever found a man to suit her IN
this Sleepy Hollow, where nothing ever
happens? She always had her heart set
on a hero, a man with good red blood
in his veins. a doer of deeds.
By this time Grimsby had arrived at
a bit of sequestered woodland through
which the dusty road wandered in an
aimIess fashion, as if it had no clear
notion concerning the direction which
it wished to pursue. Hardly had he en-
tered this wood and turned the first
curve before a man, dressed in a ready
made and ill-ftting black frock suit
and wearing a stiff-bosomed white
shirt. a tall straight collar anC pair
of cuffs which fell down to his thumbs.
strolled out from the shelter OF some
tall bushes, presented a revolver and
remarked CURLY:
Money! yer life! Hands up!
Craven fear surged through Grims-
by. his knees knocked together and he
felt a strange, creeping sensation un-
der his hat.
Don't shoot!" he gasped. finding 1t
impossible to obey the command re-
garding his hands promptly and drop
ping to his knees instead. Don't
shoot! I'll hold up my hands as quick
as | can"
He grasped his coat and umbrella in
one hand, slipped his thumb through
the heavy cord with which the pack
age containing the wedding present
was tied and taking 1t and the suit
case in the other. managed to execute
the maneuver clumsily.
Hum" said the highwayman re-
fiectively, you might have put them
down. 1t would have been easier"
Then he walked up and unlocked
the wedding present from Grimsby's
, extended thumb.
That's all l want" he said laconic-
ally. and walked off.
For a moment Grimsby remained on
his knees, with his encountered hands
still raised aloft. then he slowly low
cred them and rose tremblingly to his
feet
The highwayman shutting of down
the road looked over his shoulder
Going to the wedding?" he called.
Cause If you be. you might as well
come along with me-"
He paused and waited. Grimsby. too
bewildered to reply. walked on dis
trustfully. until he had caught up to
him. He noticed more particularly the
mans clothe s. the Sunday clothes of a
rustic, and the honest tan of his face
and hands. Suddenly an explanation
came to him. The fellow was like
himself, wedding guest. and having
no present of his own and no money
to buy one such as he deemed suitable
perhaps he was discarded admirer
of Mary Auue's who wished to make a
show-had decided on this bold ex-
pedient.
At first 1t seemed that it would be
an easy matter to denounce the fell
low and reeover his property, and then
he saw that 1t wouldn't Suppose the
he saw that it wouldn't.
In silence he walked by the highway
mans side until they reached the front
door of Uncle Nathan's abode Then
the highwayman. throwing the door
open with certain nonchalance, rath-
er amazing under the circumstances.
said:
Walk right IN mister" and then
called more loudly. Mary Annel
Here's Mr.. Grimsby!"
Before he had time to reflect on
these proceedings Grimsby was enfold-
ed In his buxom Cousins loving arms.
and by the time he had greeted his
uncle and aunt, the hIghwayman had
disappeared He had barely made up
his mind 10 tell Mary Anne that he