Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-01

cealed personal application, 70 talk Of
woman and look N her eyes, to discuss
new philosophers with their freedoms, !
to discard old creeds and old m0rali-
ties-that was his game. Wilson be-
came content, interested again. The girl
was nimble-minded She challenged
his philosophy and gave him a chance
to defend it, With the conviction, a
their meal ven On lat lie Moyn
and his companion must surely M
gone, she gained ease.
It was only by wild driving that she
got back to the hospital by ten o'clock,
Wilson left her at the corner, we'll
content with himself. As he drove up
the Street he glanced across at the
Page house. Sidney was there on the
doorstep, talking to a tall man who
stood below and looked up at her.
Wilson settled his tie, in the darkness.
Sidney was a mighty pretty girl. The
June night was IN his blood. He was
sorry he had not kissed Carl0tta good
night. He rather thought now he
looked back, she had expected it.
AS he got out Of his car at the curb,
a young man who had been standing in
the shadow Of the treeboX moved
quickly away.
Wilson smiled after him in the dark
LESS.
'That you, Joep he called.
But the boy went on.
Sidney entered the hospital as a pro-
bationer early in August. Christine
was to be married in September to
Palmer Howe, and, with Harriet and
K. in the house, she felt that she could
safely leave her mother.
The balcony outside the parlor was
already under way. On the night be-
! fore she went away Sidney took chairs
/ out there and sat with her mother IN
til the dew drove Anna to the lamp
in the sewing room and her DAILY
Thoughts" reading.
Sidney sat alone and viewed her
world from this new and pleasant
angle. She could see the garden and
/ the whiteWashed fence with it's morn
/ ing glories, and at the same time, by
| turning her head, view the Wilson
! house across the Street. She looked
! mostly at the Wilson house.
K. LIE Moyne was upstairs in his
room. She could hear him tramping
up and down, and catch, occasionally,
the bitter-sweet odor of his old briec
! pipe.
All the small loose ends of her life
were gathered up-except Joe. She
would have liked to get that clear, too.
She wanted him to know how she felt
about it alI-that she liked him as
much as ever, that she did not want
| to hurt him. But she wanted to make
! it clear, too, that she knew now that
she would never marry him. She
thought she would never marry; but,
! if she did, it would be a man doing q
mans work in the world. Her eyes
turned wistfully to the house across
| the Street.
KS lamp still burned overhead, but
his restless tramping about had ceased.
He must be reading-he read a great
deal. She really ought to go to bed.
| A neighborh0od cat came stealthtly
! across the Street, and stared up at the
little balcony with green-glowing eyes.
"Come on, Bill Taft" she said.
"Come on"
Joe Drummond, passing the house
for the fourth time that evening,
heard her voice, and hesitated uncer-
tainly on the pavement.
"JOe! Come in"
tits late; I'd better get home"
The misery in his voice hurt her.
"IU not keep you long. I want to
talk to you"
He came slowly toward her.
''Well?' he said hoarsely.
''Why haven't you been to see me?
If I have done anything" Her voice
was a-tingle with virtue and outraged
friendship.
''You haven't done anything but
show me where get Off"
He sat down on the edge of the bal
cony and stared out blankly.
IF that's the way you feel about
it,
I'm not blaming you. was fool
to think you'd ever care about me.
| / don't know that feel so bad-abOut
the thing. I've been around seeing
some other girls, and / notice they're
glad to see me, and treat me right,
too" There was boyish bravado in
his voice. But what makes me sick
is to have everyone saying you've jilt-
ed me-"
"Good gracious! Why, Joe. never
promised"
"WeII, we look at it in different
ways; that's all. took it for a prom
ise."
Then suddenly all his carefully con-
served Indifference fed. He bent for
ward quickly, and, catching her hand,
held it against his lips.
''Tm crazy about you, Sidney. That's
the truth. wish / could die"
The cat, finding no active antago-
nism, sprang up on the balcony and
rubbed against the boys quivering
shoulders; a breath of air stroked the
morning-glory vine like the touch of a
friendly hand. Sidney, facing for the
first time the enigma of love and de-
spair, sat, rather frightened, in her
chair.
''You don't mean that!"