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Show . A mm MILES STAHDISH. H "Just tho oh tender atnry, H Just a vllmpHo of mornlnir (ilory H 1 11 an earthly paradise, H Willi shudowy reflections H In a pair of sh vet brown eye." H It. I). Illackmorc. H "A fnvorP" ropcutod lloli Honnoll, H leaning IhcIc In IiIm (ilno odlco chair. H tlu iiriusi nf tvlilclt tvern becoming nt- m tuiiuiit'i'il from tho poralstont wlitttllni; B of lis ducx-i'Mlro occiinuuts, "a ilozou R M 1 H "I. I;imr you wouM," declared Henry H Dcolur, In n ttinn that If coiillilcnt wns M nlso full of vngno rollof. "In fact I M ruallv wrnlo Linnet you would go." H "Yuu tlid, vli?" lotut'uud Hob, tlltlnfr m bad and U'ctiulnf on tho l'ear.lepcn of B Ida chair In a dexterously reckless J manner that would liavo driroti a uioro j Idipi'Orfsionablo indhidiiitl than Ills J jiartner wild with nervousness. "That J was a fully l:lud of youl But whoro J run 1 to go? And who in this world Ja, aWawM-tat Lltiiitit? If you would otilvsujwpj LaaaaafcaAafaMiV' - ""'l'tUir diHimsal of 1110 wJrTsJhffiflP JljBjplHBMBitlon be sulllcloutly r Krlnued noaillnu In tho doorway of tho Hpsiuall, western p'aln oOlco. Llko most MaJF iuu of spoecli tliemsulvus, ho PF was prompt to upprcciato tho re.-uly g raillery of nitotlier. P' "Wfiywliy Llnnot Is," rathor awk- V M-ardly, 'Llnuet Josylau, you know.1' H '01" In BUtldon couiprohuttsiou. 1 "Tho brjdo-elect. You novel' apoko of, H licr ntlionvlno than as Miss Josylan." ' M "TiMa't IP l!y tho way, I don't bo- H lluva I aver told you much about hor H nnyway, beyond tho fact that slio Is a 1 kind of distant cousin of mlno, and 1 that wu uro to bo married uoxt TUura- H :-Nro." ropllcd Bob, with a shako ol 1 bin Immlsomu hoad. 1 "You uovordld." H IIo wits a. tall, woll-kult, nthlotlo- H looking follow. Thoro was In his H wlHilo bcarinir a cortaln easy graco H that inufiitably bespoke good iiruuding H mid gcutlo ussoointlons. His dark- H . Hkiiiuuil, tiuely-chlsolod fnco was bright H with humor and alert with iutelli- H gcuco. In ovcry senso of the word H was Henry Drelor tmllko him. lie H wnt of madium belgltt and hoarlly B built. His mnvomonts woro dellborato H to clumsiness. Ills face was largo mid H round, and Uorld, ami fat. His stubby titicak of n sandy mustacho romlndvd H . one of that of Mr. JvlTcrsnn Urlek, ' kit which Martin Chuzzlowlt mistook for Ht "" ront traco of gingerbread." His u mild bluo eyos wcrn most kindly. In oi 'ed, his gcucral appcaraneo Hf sorttphicjlly stupid. In reality Mr. F Drulorwns tho least stupid of Ho most kconlv uud practically f ihrQwd. His look of bland lnnocenco, f almost of holplcssuess, was a mask with which Katuro had capriciously arv presented him. Thoso who fancied H thoy could by superior montal agility H ', compass a business or personal victory H ' over Henry Oreler woro apt to Und H , tliemsolvos confronted with a counter H I movo on tho probability of which thoy H ,- had nltogcthor fulled to reckon. Hut H i ho was Itopolossly unromuutlo. Thoro H was no denying that fact. Ho had not M ' iu his composition a siuglo grain of 1 fcntlmont. And in his lifo lovo would H bo. us Mine, do Stanl avowed It was In B . tho lifo of nil mot), merely an oplsodo. H Of this Hob Honnoll had nlwavs felt H sure, but whou now his partner wont H on to speak of his sweetheart In his H prosy, niatter-of.fact wuy ho was mora H than over convinced ho was correct In H his deductions. H "She's an eastern girl. Her people H wero weullliy. She was educated with H tho greatest caro. Slio grew up think- H ing lifo was to bo for bur juat along H proccsslou of pleasures. Well, ono H day bor father wont all to pieces on H tho Hoard of Trade. Tho shock killed H him. His wifo didn't last for many H wooks' after him, and thou Linnet H found ho must cither work or sturro. Hi ; LbbbbbbbbY ITI10 former seoiuml, ns you may sup-txiio, sup-txiio, tho more nccoplnhla nllernntlvo. Slio wrote to n i-oiisiti of her father who has tt ranch out hero, asking him If alio could sreuru employment leaching in this part of tlio wn'rld, Thcru was' a clianco of her obtaining tho district rchool, so ho sent her wotd to come. Slio ilid o. Slio was loo laic. Tho board of directors had given tho placu to an earlier applicant. Linnet had not uuotigli money to tako her homo again, so slio us obliged to remain at Ulatchrord'K. Know them?" No. Hob didn't know thorn. "Well, thoy live over by Concordia. Thoy arc tho relatives of Linnet's I mentioned. Mean? You may bank on that. Thoy think more of a nickel than I do of n dollar; ami tlioy'vo moro dollars than I liavo. Thoy told Linnet slio could do tho housework for her board. And, tho-housework of their big barrack of a place is, no joke. Slio was plucky, bho tried it. Hut you might as .well harness a liutterUy to a plow as Linnet to drudgery." Ho paused to weigh 11 load of corn for n man who had driven up on tho scale outside Then ho scribbled n lino upon tho batlorcd book .that lay on tho shelf-liko ludgo just below tho dingy window pane. "I'uscd to go to Concordia pretty often, t3 you romombcr, ami I got Into In-to tho habit of stopping In at Ulateli-ford's. Ulateli-ford's. And well, tho long and tho short of It is, I mado up my mind to get married, nnd to marry LInnot Josylan at that." Honnoll nodded Interestedly. Nevor beforo bad Honry been so conlidon-tially conlidon-tially communicative "blto's awfully pretty," ho avorrcd, "and I llko her nuito ns well as any girl I over saw indeed bettor. I'vo built a (Ino houoo, you know. Sho shall liavo everything sho wants. I'm suro we'll bo vorv haiinv." Hob smiled grimly. How prosalo Dreler wasl How unemotional! Tho girl who would bo content with the nUection ho offered would have all sho deserved, Honnoll foit couvinced. "Aud now," said Henry looking at his friend, "hero is tho li.x I'm In I can't go ovor thoro to bo married next Thursday. Tho decision about that now ulovator tho railroad men talk of putting up may bo mado nny day. It woultl not do for mo to risk 'being away," HIan all vol" cried Hob, bringing down tho forelegs of his chair with a bang, and springing to his foet. "Do you romombcr you would go to bo married?" "That is the iilontlcal'reason I cau't gol" nnswered Henry with his usual air of serenity. "Tho very fact of my assuming now obligations would raako It culpablo of mo to jcopardizo my business interests." 1 Thoro was n llttlo amusement and a uWtuMmm)t .in tho glanoo 1 aaP(PWrW)rolor, putting his short, thick hands In his pookots, "I wroto to LInnot Uiat you would go ovor for hor Thursday, and bring her to Hellovilio. Wo can bo married lioro." No longor could Honnoll oouccal his exasperation. "dood heavens, Droler," ho oiclalm-od, oiclalm-od, "can't you soo that what you suggest sug-gest Is infernally bad form?" Henry did not soo It IIo turned do- llbcratolv to weigh the ompty wagon I that had rumbled baok on tho scale. Thon ho calmly fncod tho indignation , of his partner. I "No girl." avowed that wrnthful In- 1 dividual ilcrcoly, "at loast no girl In hor somos, would tolorato such dictation! dicta-tion! You ought not to expect her to como and go m you decido, as if sho wero a tralued terrier." Honry smllod placidly. "O, sho won't mludl My absonco from town might moan quite a loss to mo in n monoy sonso." "Defer your marriage thon." TostpononioutsnrounbiHlncsallko." It was with something suspiciously llko nn oath that Mr. Honnoll pulled his hat ilowti over his brows nnd swung out of tho olllco. Ho vowed ovor and over to himsolf that lie wouldn't go to Concordia. It was atrocious that ho should bo cent to j bring and dolivar a bridp as if she wore I so much murohnndlscl And yet, did not a poor pout bring Lalla Hookh to tho nrins of hor royal lovor? Yos, but ' tho pool wns tho" lovor. Woll, after all, what business was It of Ids? Ho , had given Ills word to Drelor to do him tho favor requested. And tho future wlfo of his partner must bo but a nar-row-minded and spiritless croatureand unworthy his savage chivalry in her dofonsc. So ho went; but against his will, ns Hoatrlco said, whoa sho invited Dene-diet Dene-diet In to dinner. It was still early, not 10 o'clock, whan ho drow up his horses before the largo, ugly framo farm-hou9u ou tho outskirts of Concordia. Con-cordia. It was an April day, and a dollclous ono, Tho skies wero most softly, sunnily, sun-nily, luminously bluo; overywhoro wero plows furrowing tho dark sod; ovorywlioro was budding grernory; ovorywhere woro budding boughs; nnd from tho pralrlo grass camo tho par-slstontly par-slstontly uheorful chirp of tho moadow larks. Kansas was tliat morning, as Bho not Infrcqueutly Is, more prodigal of springtime promise than of mid-summer mid-summer fruition. "Miss Josylan!" Tho weather-beaten woman who had nnswered Ills brisk knucklo-knook on tho panels of tho seldom-used hall door regarded him with stolid curiosity. "Linnot? Shu's out with tho children chil-dren Bomowliorcs gaddiu' as usual. Wou't you come in?" "No, thank you." replied Honooll, taking oil Ids hat In a fashion that tho t fiour Tlch woman for a moment Imag-1 tied implied atipretne sarcasm, "I shall try to find her." I Find her he did. Sho was in the next Held, with half adozeu roysloriug young Ulalchfords about her. They woro on their nay to seek tho whuio-abottts whuio-abottts of 11 uoma'dic hen, or rather of Iter nest. Tho fear that sho would "lay out" had caused tho mistress of tho farm anxiety unutterable ' Although Ho'micll had never seen Linnet thcro wns no mistaking her. A girl city born and bred Is, iu tho city, one of a multitude. In tho country, especially In the new western country, sho is distinctively nnd delightfully conspicuous. She is tho transferred product of n moro luxurious and intricate intri-cate civilization. "Miss Josylan, I bcllovo," said Honnoll. Hon-noll. Sho bowed slightly. Sho stood regarding re-garding him with a glance of quiet inquiry. in-quiry. Sho was a graceful girl of perhaps per-haps oighteon or twenty. Her gown of snioko-colorcd cashmcro had never boou fashioned by n Kansas dress-makor. dress-makor. It wns artistically plain. It titled hor rounded young figure with giovo-like smoothncs's. "I have como." said Hob. with nn embarrassment foreign for-eign to him, "from Henry Dreler." Tho fnco beforo him a very delicate, deli-cate, sensitiro face it was, with dark-lashed dark-lashed hazol oyes nnd a beautiful mouth flamed scarlet from soft hair to whlto throat. "Ho did not receive my letter then? Yon nro Mr. Honnoll?" Hob assented. "I wroto him," hurried on Linnet Josylan, "that I would not go to Hollo-vlllo Hollo-vlllo as ho desired." Hob felt himsolf placed in an unpleasant un-pleasant position. Assuredly tho girl wns oeither narrow-minded nor spirit-loss spirit-loss as ho had supposed when he agreed to fill tilt tho request of Drelor. For, though her words were brief und simple, sim-ple, thoro was n vast ileal of resent-mont resent-mont in both tono nnd expression. Hut how in tho name of Heaven had bucIi a woman promised to marry Honry Dreierl Suddenly and curiously ho was answered. "That's right, Linnotl" pipod up ono of tho group who stood gaping nt the strnugcr, "don't yo go. 1 heard ma tell pa ylstlday that if you went to git marriou she'd liavo to hire help, an' that tho lessn sho'd have to pay 'ud bo $3 a week. Don't ye gol" Linnet looked up from tho freckled and porsunslro countenance of Mastor Clivo Leonard Loroy Hhitchford. All tho color wont out of her faco with n rush. Something set und rcsoluto camo into it. "I shall go with you," sho said to Honnoll. She turned and walked toward tho houso. "Poor llttlo girl," said Rob. Ho know now why sho was going to mdrry Honry. Slio would bo her own mistress. mis-tress. Sho would bo indopondent. Sho would be free from repollunt labor nnd putty despotism. If tho absorbed and passionate dovotlou all young hearts craro It was not in the nature of Drelor to give her, sho would at least rccelvo kindness and affection. And, morbid sentimentalists to tho contrary, half a loaf is profarabio to no bread. Honnoll went back to tho road. Ho stood by tho buggy, waiting. Ho could hear within tho houso tho sounds of nngry and nggrioved protestation. Whou, carrying a sachel, Miss Josylan camo out, down tho path, and to tho buggy, hor lips woro set in n mutinous red lino, and her hazel eyos wero black with rebellion. Silently ho helped her In. Silontly thoy drovo off. Warmer tho day had grown. Tho fresh, half-pungout half-pungout scont of "broko" ground drifted to thorn. And faintly heard they tho murmurous whir and hum that preludes tho summor. It is nbout n three hours' drivo hom Concordia to Hellovilio. Thoy had traveled moro than half tho distance, and almost in uttor silence, whon all at onco Linnet broke dowu In a lit of childish weoplng "Turn!" Sho panted. "Go back, I can't marry Honry Droler. Ho is good. Yes. I know that. Hut to bo with him alwuysl O, no no. I was foolish. I only wantod to gol away from Hlatch-ford's. Hlatch-ford's. I I didn't think of tho sin oi marrying for such n reason. Take me back please!" A forco mightier than his will, mightier than himsolf, mastorcd Hob Honnoll. Traitorous dishonorable? Farhaps. Hut ho could at that moment mo-ment no moro liavo hold back the words that sprang from his heart to his lips and ovarflowdd them than he could havo restrained tho iicrco fury ol a mountain flood. "Llunet," ho cried, hoarsoly, "I lovo youl Marry mol" "Ot" sho whispered, and shrank back trembling. IIo hud sto pped the team. Ho turned In bis seat aud fared hor. Their eyes met. There was that in his imperious, steady, fervent, that compelled surrender. Linnet's lashes drooped. Hob bent aud kissed her. That broko tho mad opcll that was upon thorn both. "Don't!" sho said. "Goon. Icould caro for you yes. Hut tho disloyalty would be moro wicked than than keeping my word." Honnoll snatched out tho whip. He gavo tho horses 11 lash, IIo drovo straight on towards Hollovillo. There ho left Llunet nt tho lintel. IIo thon went straight to tho olllco. Ho found Droler alone, and iu high spirits. "Woll," ho orlcd, "that elevator business wns fixed to-day. Wo'vo oomo out several thousands ahead. What Is tho matter? You look llko jx ghost!" "Do I?" with a wan smile. "I ought to look llko u scoundrel. I'vo fullou in lovo with your sweotheart, Henry. I asked her to marry me. 1 kissed her." Droler said not n word for several momeuts. Whon ho spoko it was In Ids ordinary bland and drawling vdice. "If Linnet likes you better than mo. it's all right. Mistakes shouldn t be made in matrimony nny moro than in business. Mistakes are poor policy. Thoy don't pay. Anyhow, Hob Saw-ver's Saw-ver's widow would suit mo nearly ns "well. Sho Isn't protty like LInnot, but sho owns n half-section over in Logan county that joins initio." Such an unexpected replyl Such a delightfully unromaiitic replyl Rob burst Into a bovish and ecstatic shout of laughter. Ho felt ho could nfford to laugh. IIo married Linnot. Rumor says tho Sawyor and Droler half-section In Lognti county will soon be consolidated in ono farm. And thus, prosaically nud pleasantly, pleas-antly, culminated iu Kansas a modern Mayflower romance |