Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-26

He endeaYored to Withdraw his arm.
an effort rendered futile by her cool.
firm grasp on his fingers.
''Pleaser" she said-not altogether
patiently.
He eyed her askance. There was in
this Incredible situation a certain nj
quancy, definitely provocative, tran
scending the claims his injury made
upon his interest. Last night for the
first time he had seen this woman.
and from a distance had thought her
desirable; now, within twelve hours,
he found himself with an arm round
her neck
And then suddenly she turned her
head and intercepted his whole-hearted
stare. For a thought wonder glim-
mered in the violet eyes; then they
flashed disconcertingly; finally they
became utterly cold and disdainful.
"Well?" she demanded in a frigid
voice.
He looked away in complete confu-
sion, and felt his face burning to the
temples.
Il beg your pardon" he mumbled I'M
happily.
He essayed to walk Twenty feet
and more of treacherous, dry, yielding
sand separated them from the flight of
steps that assembled the bluff. 1t
proved no easy journey.
The stairway accomplished. he
Hmped to wooden seat and sat down
with much grim decision in his man.
ner. But he mustered a smile to meet
her look of concern, and shook his
head.
Thug far and no farther
"Oh, but you must not be stubborn p'
II mean to be-hOrrid stubborn. In
fact, | don't mind warning you that
there's a famous strain of mule in the
Whitaker makeup"
She was, however, not to be divert
ed; and her fugitive frown bespoke i'm
patience, If he were any judge.
What [ wished to convey was sim
ply my Intention no longer to bear my
masculine weight upon a women-ei-
Their you or any other woman"
A smile contended momentarily with
the froWn, and triumphed brilliantly.
Il mean to ask you," he said DELHI
erately, ito whom am l indebted-?"
To his CONSERVATION the smile van
ished, as though a cloud had sailed be-
fore the sun. Doubt and something
strongly resembling 1ncredulity in
formed her glance.
do you mean to say you don't
knOW2" she demanded after a moment.
Surely Mr.. Ember must have told
you?"
"Ember seemed to be Iaboring under
the misrepresentation that the Fiske
place was without a tenant"
rs "Oh! Her tone was thoughtful
''Has he gone back to town."
Business called him. At least such
was the plausible excuse he advanced
for deprtving himself OF my exclusive
society"
Il see" she nOdded--"I see ="
But aren't you going to tell me?
Or ought to prove my human intelli-
gence by assuming on logical grounds
that you're Miss Ffske?'
eff you please" she murmured, her
intent gaze seeking the distances of
the sea.
"Then that's settled" he pursued in
accents of satisfaction. you are Miss
Fiske-Christian name at present I'M
known to depODent. And we are neigh
bors. Do you know, i think this a
very decent sort Of a world after ell ?'s
And still'-she returned to the
charge-'y0u haven't told me what you
mean TO do, since you refuse my help"
u mean" he asserted cheerfulIy- "tn
sit here until some kind-hearted person
fetches me a stick to serve as emergena
cy staff. Then | shall make shift to
hobble to your motor boat and thank
you very kindly for ferrying me home"
She shook her head in dainty annoy
ance, then, light-footed, darted from
sight round the side Of the bathhouse.
Presently she reappeared, dragging an
eight-fOOt pole. He rose on one foot
and tested the staff with his weight
" Twill do" he decided "And thank
you very much"
But even with it's aid, his progress
toward the boat necessarily consumed
a tedious time. 1t was impossible to
favor the injured foot to any great ex-
tent. He made little or no attempt 70
converse while in motion, so she had
plenty of opportunity to make up her
mind about him.
If her eyes were a reliable index,
she foL d him at least interesting. At