Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-01-25

poisoning aIIantnuS, lay the world
that was one day to lie to her hand.
Not ambition called her, but life.
The boy was different. Where her
future lay visualized before her, heroic
deeds, great ambitions, wide charity,
he planned years with her, selfish, con
tented years. As different as SNUG, sat
isfied summer from visionary, palpitat-
ing spring, he was for her-but she
was for all the world.
BY shifting his position his lips
came close to her bare young arm. It
tempted him.
Don't read that nonsense" he said,
his eyes on the arm. "And-Tu never
OutgrOW my foOlishness about you, Sid
ney"
Then, because he could not help it,
he bent over and kissed her arm.
She was just eighteen, and Joe's de-
votion was very pleasant. She thrilled
to the touch of his lips on her flesh;
bur she drew her arm away.
''Please-I don't like that sort of
thing"
why not?" His voice was husky.
'It isn't right. Besides, the neigh
bOrs are always looking out of the win
dows."
The drop from her high standard of
right and wrong to the neighb0rs' curl
osity appealed suddenly to her sense
| OF humOr. She threw back her head
and laughed. He joined her, after an
III h.
very much in earnest. He sat, bent
forward, turning his new straw hat in
his hands.
= thought, perhaps said Joe, grow
/ ing red and white, and talking to the
! hat, that some day, when were older,
i you-you might be willing to marry
/ me, Sid. I'd be aWfully good to you"
1t hurt her to say no. Indeed, she
could not bring herself to say it. In all
| her short life she had never willfuIIy
| inflicted a wound. And because she
was young, and did not realize that
| there is a short cruelty, Ike the sur
geon's, that is mercy in the end, she
| tempOrized.
There is such a lot OF time before
We need think of such things! Can't
we just 60 on the way we are?"
I'm not very happy the way we
are"
''Why, joel!
She leaned over and put a tender
! hand on his arm.
i don't want to hurt you; but, Joe,
| don't want to be engaged yet. l don't
want to think about marrying. There's
such lot to do in the world first.
| There's such a lot to see and be-
"Where?" he demanded bitterly.
Here on this Street? Do you want
more time to pull hastings for your
mother? Or to slave for your Aunt
| Harriet? Or to run up and down
stairs, carrying towels to roomers?
Marry me and let me take care of
you"
Once again her dangerous sense of
humor threatened her. He looked so
boyish, sitting there with the moon
! light on his bright hair, so inadequate
! 10 carry out his magnificent offer. Two
or three Of the star blossoms from the
tree had fallen on his bead. She lifted
them carefully away.
Let me take care of myself for
while. I've never lived my own life.
You know what I mean. I'm not I'M
happy; but | want to do something.
And some day [ shall-not anything
| big; [ know I can't dc that-but some
thing useful Then, after years and
!
back to you"
He drew q long breath and got no.
All the joy had gone out of the sum
mer night for him, poor lad. He
| glanced down the Street, where Pal
mer Howe had gone home happily with
| SidneyS friend Christine. Palmer
would always know how he stood with
Christine. But Sidney was not like
that. A fellow did not even caress her
easily When ne had only kissed her
arm He trembled a little at the
memory.
81 shall always want YOU" he said
"Only-you will never come back"
1t had not occurred to either of them
that this coming back, so tragicalIy
considered, was depending on an en-
tirely problematical going away. Moth
| ing, that early summer night, seemed
more unlikely than that Sidney would
| ever be free to live her own life. The
| Street, stretching away to the north
and to the south in two lines of houses
that seemed to meet in the distance,
hemmed her in. She had been born IN
the little brick house, and, as she was
of it, so it was of her. Her hands had
| smoOthed and painted the pine floors !;
her hands had put up the Irvine on
which the morning glories in the yard
covered the fences; had, indeed, with
what agOnies of Stacking lime and add
ing blueing, whitewashed the fence it
self
She's capable" Aunt Harriet had
grumblingly admitted, watching from
her sewing machine Sidney's strong
young arms at this humble spring task,
''She's wonderful! :" her mother had
said, as she bent over her handwork.
She was not strong enough to run the
sewing machine.
So Joe DTummond stood on the pave
ment and saw his dream of taking
Sidney in his arms fade into an indpfi.