Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-01
red with what you'll get down


the scene at the White Springs hotel,
both knew that no explanation was
necessary.
For almost twenty minutes they
tramped on without speech. They
had made a circle, and the lights of
the city were close again X. stopped
and put kindly hand on Joe's shout
der.
"a mans got to stand up under a
thing like this, you know. I mean, it
mustn't be a knockout. Keeping
busy is a darned good method"
Joe shook himself free, but without
resentment.
I'll tell you what's eating me up."
ne exploded. Its Max Wilson. Don't
talk to me about her going to the
hospital to be useful. She's crazy
about him, and he's crooked as a dogs
hind leg"
Perhaps. But it's always up to the
girl. You know that
He felt immeaSurably old beside
Joe's boyish clustering old and
rather helpless.
I'm watching him. Some of these
days I'll get something on him. Then
she'll know what to think of her
hero!"
That's noe quite square, is it?''
He's not square"
Joe left him then wheeling abrupt
ly off into the shadows. X. had gone
home alone, rather uneasy. There
seemed to be mischief in the very air.
Harriet's business instinct had been
good. She had taken expensive
rooms in a good location, and fur
nished them with the assistance of a
decorator. Her climbing was not SO
rapid as to make her dizzy; but bust
ness was coming. The first time she
made a price of seventy-five dollars
for an evening gown, she went 0uE
Immediately after and took drink
! of water. Her throat was parcheG.
She began to learn little quips of tho
feminine mind. No woman over thirty
but was grateful for her pink-and-gray
room with its soft lights. And Har~
riet herself eonformed to the picture.
She took a lesson from the New York
mOdisteS, and wore trailing black
gowns. She strapped her thin figure
into the best corset she could get, and
had her black hair marcelled and
dressed high. And because she was
a lady by birth and instinct, the re
suit was not incOngruous, but refined
and rather impressive,
x
There We're other changes in the
Street. The Lorenz house was being
painted for Christine's wedding. John
ny ROsenfeld, not perhaas of the
Street itself, but certainly pertaining
to 1t, was learning to drive Palmer
HONe's new car, in mingled agony and
bliss. He walked along the Street. not
right foot, left foot" but s'brake foot,
clutch foot and took to calling off
the vintage of passing cars "So-and-
So 1910" he would say, with contempt.
In his voice
K. had yielded to Apna's insfstence
and was boarding as well as rooraing
at the Page house. The Street, rather
snobbish to its occasional floating pop
ulati0n, was accepting and liking him.,
1t found him tender, infinitely human.
! And in return he found that this
seemingly empty eddy into which he
| had drifted was teeming with life. He
| busted himself with small things, and
fO1Jnn
| tinged with despair. When he found
| himself inclined to rail, he organized
| a baseball club, and sent down to
everlasting defeat the Linburg's, CON
Sisting of cashbOys from Linden &
Hofburg's department store.
He made no further attempt to
avoid Max Wilson. Some day they;
would meet face to face He hoped,
when it happened, they two might be
alone; that was all. Even had he not
been bound by his promise to Sidney,
flight would have been foolish. The,
world was small place, ard, one way
and another, he had known many
people. Wherever he went, there
would be the same chance. The meet
ing took place early in September,
and under better circumstances than
he could have hoped for.
Sidney had come home for her week
ly visit, and sent Katie to ask Doctor
Ed to come over after dinner. With
the sunset Anna seemed better She
insisted on coming downstairs, and
even sat with them On the balcony IN
til the stars came out, talking OF
Christine's trousseau, and, rather fret
fully, Of what she would do without
the parlors.
'You shall have your own boudOir
upstairs said Sidney valiantly. "Ka-
tie can carry your tray up there. We
are going to make the sewing room
into your private sitting room, and I
shall nail the machine top down"
This pleased her. When X. insisted
on carrying her upstairs, she went in
a f1utter.
''He Is so strong, Sidney!'' she said,
when he had placed her on her bed.
"How can clerk, bending over led
ger, be so muscular? When l have
callers, will it be all right for Katie
to show them upstairs2"
She dropped asleep before the doc
tor came; and when, at something
after eight the door of the Wilson
house slammed and a figure crossed