Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-08-10
We passed through the house. The

| looked very fresh and bright. The
south room, as we stepped into it, was
| flooded with sunlight and cheerful with
! rugs and books. Flinging wide the
glass door. we stepped out upon the
terrace of the pergola-to-be, and looked
toward the new bird bath Upon its
rim sat Il song sparrow! Even as we
watched, another came and fluttered
his fee and breast daintily through
the trembling little mirror Of water.
Then came a robin and drove them
both away.
THE pig" laughed Miss Goodwin.
do you know, I've got a poorer opin-
ion OF robins since I came here. We
city Cvcilcrs think of robins as har-
bingers Of spring, and all that, and they
epitomize the bird world. But when
you really are in that world, you find
they are rather large and vulgar and
and sort of upper West side-y. They
aren't half so nice as the song spar
rows, or the Peabodies, and, of course,
compared with the thrushes-well, it's
like comparing Owen Meredith with
Keats, isn't it?"
Don't be too hard on the robins" l
smiled
We looked our fill at the new bird
BATH, which was already functiOning,
as she said her boss on the dictionary
would put it, and at the white sundial
pillar, and at our prospective aqueduct
of roses, and at the farm and the far
hills beyond-and then she suddenly
announced with great energy that she
was going to saw wood.
you may saw just one piece" said
], "and then you are going to take
book and rest. I'm going to work, my
self. Twin Fires is getting in shape
fast enough now so can give up part
Of the daytime to the purely mundane
task of paying the bills"
wheeled up a big dead apple branch
from the orchard to the wood shed, put
1t on the buck, gave her the buck-saw,
and watched her first efforts, grinning.
$50 away" she laughed. You
bother me-"
So I went, opened the west window
by my desk to the wandering sum-
mer breeze, and went at my toll. Pres
emily I heard her tiptoeing into@the
room
"Done?" said 1.
She nodded. "Now I want-let's see
what l want-well, 1 guess 'Marius the
Epicurean' and Alice in Wonderland
will do I'm going to sit in the orchard.
You work here till five or your salary
will be locked. GoOd-by."
l heard her go out by the front door.
and then silence settled over the sun
filed, cheerful room, while | plugged
away at my tasks. I don't know how
long worked, but finally my attention
began to wander l wondered if she
were still in the orchard. looked out
upon the sweet stretches Of my farm.
with the golden light of afternoon upon
it, and work became burden. Shall
I ever be able to work, except at night,
or on rainy daysw l wondered with a
smile, as tossed the manuscript l was
reading into a drawer, and went out
through the front entrance.
The girl was nowhere to be seen.
"Shes probably in her beloved pines"
I reflected. ut would be a good time
to clean out a path in the pines" l
turned back to get a Ratchet, and then
went down toward the brook.
1 trod as noiselessly as I could
through the naples, thinking to sur
prise her at her reading, and took care
in the pines not to step on any dead
twigs. She was nowhere to be seen
near the upper end of the grove, but as
I advanced I heard q splashing louder
than the soft ripple Of the brook, and
suddenly around a thick tree at bend
in The stream, where the brook ran out
toward the tamarack swamp in the
corner of my farm, l came upon her
She had her shoes and stockings off,
and with her skirts held hsgh she was
wading with solemn, quiet delight in
little pool. Her back was toward me.
[ could have discreetly retreated, and
she been none the wiser. But, alas!
Action was neither the first nor the
last Of his sex. The water rippled so
coolly around her white ankles! The
sunlight dappled down so charmingly
upon her chestnut hair! And I said,
with a laugh, $50 that is why you
wanted me to york until five o'clock
She turned with a little exclamation,
the color flaming to her cheeks. Then
she, too, laughed, as she stood in the
brook, holding her skirts above the
water.
"Consider yourself turned to a stag"
she said.
Gall right" I answered, "but don't |
stay in that cold water too long"
eff I do it will be your fault" she |
smiled, with a sidelong glance. Then |
she turned and began wading tenta-
lively downstream. But the brook deep |
ened suddenly, and she sank almost |
to her knees, catching her skirts up |
lust in time l withdrew hastily, and |
called back to her to come out When
[ heard her on the bank, l brought her
a big handkerchief for a towel, and
withdrew once more, telling her to
hurry and help me plan the peth
through the pines. In moment or two
she was by my side. We looked at
each other Her face was still flushed
but her eyes were merry. We were
standing on almost the exact spot |
where we had first met. But now there
seemed in some subtle wise a new bond
Of intimacy between us, a bond that
had not existed before this hour. |
could not analyZe it, but | felt it. and |