Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-08-17
CHAPTER XIII.
| Do Not Return Alone.
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early July not spell. But nobody who
does not possess a new place in the
country, still unfinished, with a gar
den crying for his attention and a
brook wandering amid the pines, can
possibly realize how the dust and heat
of town affected me in the next ten
days. 1t affected me the more because
I saw how pale Stella was, how tired
when the evenings came. With her
WOman's consciousness, she was
struggling to do two weeks work in
one before leaving the dictionary. She
even toiled several evenings, denying
! herself to me, while I wandered dis
consulate along Broadway, or worked
over my manuscripts at the club, sur
rounded by siphOns Of soda. At the
luncheon hour and between five and six
we shOpped madly, getting a stair car
pet, dining-room chairs "a present from
her to herself and me. as she put it
fine Chippendale reproductions, a few
/ rugS-as many as we could afford
and other necessary furnishings, in
Guiding stuff for curtains For the
south room the curtains were gay jap
aneSe silk from an oriental store, to
bA4nnce the Hiroshiges, and while we
Nvfe buying them she slipped away
i from me and presently returned, the
| proud possessor of two small ivory ele-
! plants.
Look, somebody has sent US another
! PRESENT. she laughed. Folks are so
| good to us! These are to stand on the
| twin mantels, under the prints"
"FrOm whom are they?" I asked.
"Your best friend and my worst enc
N.Y." she answered.
! For three days after she left the of
| flee of the dictionary I saw little of
| her. ''There are some things you can't
| buy for me-Or with me-" she smiled.
| Then we went down together to the
! city hall for our license, sneaking in
after hours, thanks to the kindly offices
| of classmate Of mine, the city editor
| Of a newspaper. The clerk beamed
upon us like municipal Cupid.
The last evening she left me, to pack
her trunks, and 1 went back to the
| club, and found there a letter from the
! magazine where l had submitted my
| story. It was a letter Of acceptance!
/ Misfortunes are not the only things
which never come singly. l danced for
| joy. If the stores had been open l
! should have rushed out then and there
| and bought the mahogany secretary we
! had seen a few days before and visit
fully passed by. Fortunately, they
were not open.
In the morning my cab stopped in
front of the old house near Washing
ton square, and Stella came forth with
a friend, a sober little person who APP
peared greatly impressed with her re-
sponsibilities, and bore the totally in
appropriate name of Marguerite.
Dear, dear!' she said, I've never
attended a bride before. It's very try
ing. And it's very mean of you, Mr..
| Upton, to take Stella from us, and
worker. How do you expect the die
! tionary to come out?"
81 don't" said l, "nor do I care if
it doesn't. There are too many words
in the world already"
Bill Chadwick, another classmate of
mine, came up from downtown, and
met us at the church door. The rector
was friend and fellow alumnus of
ours. 1t was like tiny family party,
| suddenly and solemnly hushed by the
organ as we stood before the altar, and
in the warm dtmness of the great, va.
cant church Stella and l were made
man and wife. The four of us went
out to the cab again, and Bill insisted
on a wedding breakfast at Sherrys.
Good Lordn' he said, "you two gum
shoe into an engagement, and get mar
ried without so much as a reporter in
the church, and then expect to make
a getaway like pair Of safe breakers!
No, sir, you come with me, and get
one real civilized meal before you go
back to your farm fodder"
Bill had the solemn little bridesmaid
laughing before the luncheon was over,
but the last we saw Of them they were
waving US good-by from behind the
grating as we went down the platform
to our train, and the poor girl was
hopping her eyes.
Isn't the best man supposed to fall
In love with the bridesmaids" I asked.
"At least I hope he'll dry her tears
Good gracious, yesr' cried Stella.
II never thought of that You don't
know what we've done! Marguerite is
a dear girl and an excellent cross
indexer, but she's no wife for your gay
friend William. You'd best send him
telegram of warming"
Never" said I. Bill has cruised
so long in Petticoat bay as a blockade
runner that hope she shoots him full
Of holes and boards him in triumph.
Besides, everybody ought to get mar
ried."
Stella's eyes looked up at mine, deep
and happy below their twinkle, and
we boarded the train.
! The train started, 1t left New York
behind it, it ran into the suburbs. then
, Into the country, and at last the hills
began to mount beside the track. and d
cooler, fresher air to come in through
the windows. Still her eyes smiled
into mine, but-she said little, save now
and then to lean forward and whisper,
rs it true, John, is it true?"
SO we came to Bentford station, in
} the early dusk of evening, and the air
Good yvo +I,o 81;