Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-19

no less overweight and unstrung;
| and he was the stronger; in the ma
| tural course of things his will could
not but prevail
The last trace of evening light had
| faded out Of the world before they
were agreed. Darkness wrapped them
| in lis folds; they were but as voices
warning in q black and boundless void.
Whitaker struck a match and APP
piled it to the solitary gas-jet. A thin,
blue, suffering tongue OF flame re-
yealed them to one another. The girl
still! croUehed in her armchair. weary
and spent, her powers of contention
all Initiated by the losing struggle.
Whitaker was trembling with nervous
fatigue.
"Well?" he demanded.
"Oh have-your own way" she said
drearily. eff it must be :"
Its for the best" he insisted OBJ
stinately. you'll never regret it."
"One of US will-either you or T."
she said quietly. cts too one-sided.
in return. It's a FOOLS bargain"
He hesitated, stammering with sur
prise. She had a habit of saying the
unexpected. "a FOOLS bargain"-the
wisdom of the sage from the lips of a
child.
"Then it's settled" he said, business
like, offering his hand. Fools bar
gain or motifs q bargain
She rose unassisted, then trusted her
slender fingers to his palm. She said
nothing. The steady gaze of her ex-
tra0rdinary eyes abashed him.
They left the hotel together. Whit
aker got his change of a hundred dol,
lars at the desk-"AIrs. Mortens" bill,
of course, included with his-and
bribed the bell-boy to take the suit
case to the railway station and leave
it there, together with his own hand
bag. Since he had unaccOuntably con-
ceiVed a determination to continue liv-
ing for time, he meant to seek out
more pleasant accommodations for the
night.
The rain had ceased, leaving q
patches. The air was warm and heavy
with Wetness. Sidewalks glistened like
black Watered silk; street lights mir
rOred themselves in fugitive puddles
in the roadways; limbs Of trees over
hanging the sidewalks shivered now
and again in a half-hearted breeze,
pelting the wayfarers with miniature
showers of lukewarm, scented drops.
Whitaker, taking his heart and his
fate in his hands, accosted a venerable
gentleman whom they encountered as
he was on the point Of turning off the
sidewalk to private grounds.
Il beg your pardon" he began.
The man paused and turned upon
them a sanity cOuntenance framed In
hair like snow.
There is something I can do for
you?" he inquired with punctilious
courtesy.
eff you will be kind enough to d.
rect me to minister :"
Il am one"
Il thought So" said Whitaker. eve
wish to get married"
The gentleman looked from his face.
to the girls, then moved aside from
the gate. "This is my home" he ex-
planned. "WIll you be good enough
to come in?"
Conducting them to his private
study he subjected them to a kindly
catechism. The girl said little, Whit
aker taking upon himself the brunt Of
the examination. Absolutely straight
forward and intensely sincere, he came
through the ordeal well, without being
Obliged to disclose what he preferred
to keep secret. The minister, salts
fed, at length called in the town clerk
by telephone; who issued the license.
pocketed his fee, and in company with
the minister's wife, acted as wit
ness.
Whitaker found himself on his feet
beside Mary Ladislas. They were be-
ng married. He seemed to hear the
Ironing Of the loom of the Fates.
And they were nan and wife. The
i0or had closed, the gate-latch clicked
'ehlnd them. They were walking
luietly side by side through the scent
ID night, they whom God had Joined
ogether. Neither found anything to
ay. AT the station, Whitaker bought
us wife a ticket to New York and Sc
ured for her solitary use drawing
DOM In the sleeper. Whitaker pos
essed himself Of his wife's handbag
0ng enough to furnish it with a sum
L money and an old envelope bearing
ne name and address of his law part
er. He explained that Drummond
'ould issue her an adequate monthly
uoWance and advise her when she
hould have become her own mistress
nee more; in a word, a widow.
She thanked him briefly, quietly.
18th a constraint he understood too