The Red Cloud chief., 1884-09-05

the gentlemen followed them half an
u uT afterwards.
They were all yery kind 70 him. and
( sitting after dinner. Mr. Hall suggested
that Mr.. Whiitlestaff aud Miss Lawr.e
should be asked over u dine on the
next day. John Gordon had already
promised To stay until the third. and
had made known his intention Of going
back to South Africa as soon as he
could arrange matters. Nv got
nothing & keep me here" he said.
land a. there is a good deal Of money
ut stake. / should be glad to be there
a soon as possible"
..Oh. come, / don't know aboui
your having nothing TO keep you here"
said Blake. But as to Mr.. Halls propo
sition regarding the inhabitants Of
Cookers Lodge, Gordon said nothing
He could not object 70 the guests Who's.
a gentleman nigh ~eh f~.-. house;
ut Ic .uougnt it improbable that either
Mr.. WhittlestaG or Mary should come.
II he cho g TO appear, and To bring her
with him, IL must be his own lookout.
At any rate he. Gordon. could say and
could do nothing Oh srch an occasion
He had been betrayed into telling his
secret 10 this g%arrulou> young parsou.
There was no help !or split milk; but it
wa, moi probable that Mr.. Bake would
go any further. and he at any rate must
b. content { % bear the man. society for
one other evening. Il don't see why
you shouldn't manage 10 make things
pleasant even vet said the parSon.
But To this John Gordon made no reply.
In the even M some of the sisters
played a few pieces ut the piano, and
Miss Forester sang = few songs. Mr..
Hall in the meantime went fast asleep.
John Gordon could hut tell himself
that his evenings at Kimberly were. As
a rule, quite As exciting. But then
Katie Forester did not belong 10 him,
and he had not found himself able. ~
yet, to make choice between the young
ladies. 1t was, however. inter, sting 10
see he manner in which the new vicar
hung about the lady of his love, and
the evident but innnccnt pride with
which she accepted the attentions Of
her adm rer.
Don't YOU think she's 4 beautiful
girl9' said Blake. com no 10 Gorlon'S
room after they had all retired TO bed;
''surh genuine Wit, and so bright. and
her sing NJ. you know. is quite perfect
absolutely ust what il ought To be.
, do know something about singing my
self, because I've had al the parish
voices under my " charge for the last
three years. a practice Ike that goes
a long way, you know To this Mr..
Gordon could only give that assent
wnich silence is intended to imply.
shell have t.. 900 AZ once you know,
which does make her n Il manner equal
To either of the Miss Halls. | don't
quite know what they'll have. but u
more than that. | should think. The
property is cnta lei. and he's Il saving
man. But it he can have put By i2u,-
O0D he has done very well; don't you
think sO|"
Very well. indeed"
81 suppose | might have had one of
them; l don't mind telling you in strict
est confidence. But goodness gracious,
after | had once seen Katie Forester,
there was no longer a doubt. | wish
you'd tell me what You think about
her"
about Miss Forrester:r
You needn't mind speaking quite
openly to me. I'm that sort of a fellow
that 1 shouldn't mind what any fellow
said. Eve formed my W ideas. and
am not likely to change them. But /
should like TO hear. you know, how she
stri es = fellow who has been at the
diamond fields. can not imagine but
that YOU must have n different iGea
.l.., ..,.,,n 30 u.tnt 49,. L.,. - Thun
Mr.. Blake sat himself down n IN arm
chair ut the foot of the bed and pre-
pared to dscuss the opinion which he
did not doubt that his friend WAS about
10 deliver.
"A very nice young woman, indeed
said John Gordon, VINO was anxious to
20 to Ted.
..Ah, vou know. that's a kind of thing
that ANYBODY can say. There's NJ real
friendship in that. | want t. know the
true. candid opinion of Il man who las
travelled about the world. and has been
ut the amond-lields. Ii isn't every
body who has been at the diamond
fields continued he. tn hiking that he
might thereby Halter his friend.
..No. not everybody. | suppose >
young woman is the same there as here,
if she have the same natural gifts. Miss
FORESTER would be pretty anywhere y
That = matter OF course. ANY fell
low can see that with hal an eve. Alb
solutc,y beautiful. l should say, rather
than pretty
Just so. It's only a variation in
terms. YOU know
But then her manner her music,
her language. her VT. and the color OF
her hair! When | remember il all. l
think I'm the luck st fellow in the
world. l shall be 4 deal happier with
her than with Augusta Hall. Don't YOU
think 50? Augusta was The one intend
ed for me-: but. bless you. l couldn't
look At her after l had seen Katie For
roster. don't think you've given me-
your true. unbiased opin on yet"
Indeed have" said John Gordon.
well, | should be more f~ree-spoken
than that, if YOU we're TO ask ME about
Mary Law. lie. But then. of curse.
Mary Lawrie is not Your engaged one.
Ii does make n difference. Ii il does
turn out that she marries Nh. Whittle-
staff, | shaR't think much OF her, l can
tell YOU that. AS it is. As far n looks
are concerned. you can't compare her
TO my Katie"
comparisons are odiouS." said Cor
don.
well. yes; when You are sure TO
get the worst of them. You wouldn't
think comparisons odious if YOU were
going to marry Katie. and it was my
lot to have Mary Lawrie. Well. yes; l
don't m nd going to be0 now. as YOU
have o@ned SO much as that"
"Of all the fools" said Gordon to
himself, as he went to his own cham
ber- ''of all the fools who were ever
turned out In the world to earn their
own bread. he is the most utterly fool
ISL. Yet he viii earn his bread, and
will camn In no -asnacial nrIef IN the