Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-02-26
GQ2NpIGHT pl2 % sagassST, &C

at the front of the steps and looked up
at Mr.. Pierce.
4 dare say" he said, trying to look
easy, that this is sooner than you ex-
pected u.s."
Mr.. Pierce looked down at the crowd.
Then he smiled, a growing smile that
ended in a grin
"On the contrary" he said. I've
been expecting you for an hour or
more"
The procession began to move
gloomily up the steps. All of them
carried hand luggage, and they looked
tired and sheepish. Miss Cobb stopped
in front of Mr.. Pierce.
DO you mean to say" she demand
ed furiously, that you knew the rail
road was blocked with snow, and yet
you let US go!"
On the contrary, Miss Cobb" he
said politely, q remember distinctly
regretting that you insisted on going.
Besides, there was the Sherman
house"
Senator Briggs stopped in front of
him. Probably you also knew that
that was full, including the stables,
with people from the stalled trains. "
he asserted furiousIy.
Two by two they went in and
through the hall, stamping the snow
off, and up to their old rooms again,
leaving Slocum, the clerk, staring at
them as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
Mr.. Pierce and I watched from the
piazza, through the glass.
We saw Doctor Barnes stop and
look, and then go and hang over the
news stand and laugh himself almost
purple, and we saw Mr. Thoburn bring
ing up the tail of the procession and
trying to look unconcerned. | am not
revengeful woman, but that was one
of the happiest moments of my life.
We gave them a good supper and
Mr.. Pierce ordered claret served with
out extra charge. By eight o'clock
they were all in better humor, and
when they'd gathered in the lobby
Miss Summers gave an imitation of
Marie Dressler doing the Salome
dance. With the exception of Mr.. Won
invalid, not one of them really wanted
to go.
At eleven o'clock we had the clam
bake with beer in the kitchen, and Mr..
Won invalid came, after all. They were
really very cheerful, all of them. At
the end, when everybody was happy
and everything forgiven, Mr. Pierce
got up and made speech.
He said he was sorry for what had
happened that day, but that much he
had said he still maintained; that to
pretend to make people we'll in the
way most sanatoriums did it was sheer
folly, and he felt his responsibility too
keenly to countenance a system that
was clearly wrong and that the best
modern thought considered obsolete.
Miss Cobb sat up at that; she is al
ways talking about the best modern
Thought
He said that perfect health, clear
skins, bright eyes-he looked at the
women, and except for Miss Patty,
there wasn't an honest complexion or
bright eye in the lot-keen appetites
and joy of living all depended on "a
ttonal and simple living. 1t was being
done now in a thousand fresh-air
farms, and succeeding. Men went
back to their business clear-headed
and women grew more beautiful.
At that, what with the reaction from
sitting in the cold station, and the
beer and everything, they all grew en-
thusiastic. Doctor Barnes made a
speech telling that he used to be puny
and weak, and how he went into train
ing and became a pugilist, and how
he'd fought the Tennessee something
or other-the men nodded as if they
knew-and licked him in 40 seconds or
40 rounds, I'm not sure which. The
men were standing on their chairs