Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-01-04

MoIlie struck ne as so deliciously
ronsensicaI that I could not refrain
from laughing
1T is absurd Clare. Certainly Mo-
lie is strictly all right, but she would
look like a mouse beside Mrs. Dace. -
She nodded spiritedly-
Now you are talking sense. Like
a nice little white mouse beside a
( leopardess, exactly. I did not like
/ the comparison.
DO you mean to say that Mrs. Dace
is a leopardess?" I demanded with
some warmth. Clare was as cool as
a cucumber.
'Oh, I don't know. Anyway. she is
as beautiful as one And viewing
her as I have only from a distance,
have somehow gained the impression
that there are traits IN common be-
/ tween them. She is so wonderfully
smooth and soft and quiet moving,
you know" She looked up at me side
ways, saw the displeasure that rested
upon Ey face and broke into a laugh
as she gave my cheek a pat.
"Of course you must not mind what
I say, Tom, dear. I really know al
most nothing about your charmer,
and I trust to your level head to take
care Of you. Only please do be care
full" So We laughed together and
dropped that subject hard then and
there.
Up to this time the course of no
mans love ever ran smoother than
had mine for Mrs. Dace Yet it was
only a few days after this converse
ton with Clare that there happened
thing so awful to me at the time
that hades itself could have offered
no torture more exquisite. I had never
been jealous of Mrs Dace for the sim
| pie reason that I had seen no cause
| to be; yet I knew that the fires Of
that passion slumbered within me like
those of a latent volcano. The mere
| thought Of another making love to her
was a torment She had told me that
! FEW men interested her, and the fire.
! quency Of my attendance upon her
seemed to preclude the idea of rival
of consequence lurking in the back
| ground. That l was being publicly
exhibited to attract attention and
thus used as sheep-skin to cloak a
real wolf, had never entered my mind
until the thought in all its hideoUs-
ness was forced upon me purely by
| accident. I had spent the evening
! downtown and was going home at about
a1nyan vubnn q circumstance Ocor7rrnd
! to me. A few evenings before, when
at Mrs. Dace's, she had requested me
| to open a bottle of wine, which I had
done by means of a folding corkscrew
l carried upon my key ring. When 1
had reached my own door later in the
/ evening had discovered that my
! keys were missing, and remembered
! at the time that I had laid the ring
containing them and the cOrkscreW
upon the table after opening the bot
tie. I had forgotten to replace them
in my pocket, but knowing they were
perfectly safe, l felt no Uneasiness;
told myself that l would recover them
upon my next visit, and ringing the
bell was admitted by Mrs. Tebbets. 1
now on my way home decided to stop
off for a moment at the Arcadia, and
if she or the maid were home would
claim the keys in order to avoid dis
! turbing the housekeeper, who retired
| early. I therefore stepped from the
| car at the point where it crossed the
boulevard upon which she resided and
buried towards her building.
CHANGED to be upon the opposite side
of the street from my destination,
and as I was about to cross the way
my steps were arrested by the warn
ing honk of a motor car. Pausing at
the curb I watched its swift approach,
its lights glazing like the eyes of some
/ speeding monster. By the street
lamps 1 saw that it was a ponderous
affair, and a pang of regret stabbed
me that l was not able to possess its
like. Almost as huge as a locomotive
it looked as it rolled to a point oppo-
site me, and then suddenly swinging
in a close circle stopped in front of