Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-02-26

| a little, but as we went downstairs the
quiet Of the place sat on my chest like
weight.
THE Jenningses are still here" said
| the doctor. The old man is madden
than any hornet ever dared be. and
they go in the morning. But the stu
alton was too much for our German
friend. He left with the others
Well, we went out and l took the
path l knew best, which was out to-
ward the springhouse At the little
bridge over the creek Doctor Barnes
! stopped, and leaning over the rail, took
a good look at me-
When you self-contained women go
to pieces" he said, you pretty near
smash, don't you? You look as if you'd
had death in your family"
This was my family" l half
sniveIed.
But" he said, you'll be getting
married and having home of your
own and forgetting all about this"
He looked at me with his sharp
eyes. There's probably some nice
chap in the village, eh?"
Look here" l turned on him, eff
you're talking all this nonsense to keep
my mind off things, you needn't"
I'm not" he said. I'm asking for
the sake of my own mind, but We'll
not bother about that now. We'd bet
ter start back"
We went back to the house and I
Strengthened the news stand, Amanda
King having taken a violent toothache
as a result of the excitement. The
Jenningses were packing to go, and
Miss Summers had got bottle of per-
oxide and shut herself in her room. At
six o'clock Tillie beckoned to me from
the door of the officers dining room
and said she'd put the basket in the
snow by the grape arbor. got ready,
with a heavy heart, to take it out.
had forgotten all about their dinner,
for one thing, and I had to carry bad
news.
But Mr. Pierce had been there be-
fore me. l saw tracks in the fresh
snow, for, praise heaven! 1t had
showed all that week and our prints
were filled up almost as fast as we
made them When l got to the shelter
house it was in a wild state Of ex-
element. Mrs. Dick, with her cheeks
flushed, had gathered all her things on
the cot and was rolling them up in
sheets and newspapers. But Mr.. Dick
was sitting on the box in front Of the
fire with his curly hair standing every
10 rnoC+ino
and as I opened the door, he picked
one up and poked at it to see if it was
done.
'Damn!" he said, and dropped it.
Mrs. Dick sat on the cot rolling up
a pink ribbon and looked at him.
IF you want to know exactly my
reason for insisting on moving tonight
I'll tell you" she said, paying no atten-
ton to me- 1T is your disposition"
He didn't say anything, but he put
his foot on the potato and smashed it.
IF I had to be shut in here with
you one more day." she went on, I'D
hate you"
why the one more day." he asked,
without looking up.
DuC SIlO OluIi L cll1S w q 4ilIL1 C41C - a.
in the worst kind Of a temper; she
threw the ribbon down, and coming
over, lifted the lid of my basket and
looked in.
Ham again." she exclaimed IN
gratefully. Thanks so much for re-
Numbering US, Minnie I dare say our
dinner today slipped your mind!'
70
Mr. Dick said, noticing me for the first
time, that if you and Sam hadn't been
so confounded meddling, that fellow
Pierce would be washing buggies in
the village livery stable where he be-
longs, and I'd be in one piece of prop
erty that's as good as gone this min
ute"
/ was in a bad humor, anyhow, and
I'd had enough. I stood just inside the
door and I told them I'd done the best
l could, not for them, but because I'd
promised the old doctor, and if I'd
made mistakes I'd answer for them to
him if l ever met him in the next
world. And in the meantime I washed
my hands of the whole thing, and they
might h4dhC OuI oo DOoC ILCy COuIu L
was going.
Mrs. Dick heard me through. Then
she came over and put her hand on
mine where it lay on the table.
You're perfectly right" she said. 81
know how you have tried, and that the
fault is all that wretched Pierce's. You
mustn't mind Mr.. Carter, Minnie. He's
been in that sort of humor all day"
He looked at her with the most mis-
cradle face I ever saw, but he didn't
say anything. She sighed, the little
wretch.
l plodded back with my empty bas-
ket. 1 had only one clear thought
that 1 wouldn't have any more tramp
ing across the golf links in the snow.
l wanted to get back to my room and
90 to bed and forget.
But as l came near the house I saw
Mr.. Pierce come out on the front
piazza and switch on the lights. He
stood there looking out into the snow.
and the next minute I saw why. Com
ing up the hill and across the lawn
was a shadowy line of people, black
against the white I thought for
minute that my brain had gone wrong;
then the first figure came into the
light, and it was the bishop He stood
IMPORTS ITS PAVING STONES