The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-12-11

VI ~ Blk COtlGlllNAS4g pClA1bOAANi1 a
II am afraid i have been to blame,
but tomorrow I will leave you free to
spend the whole day with your books,
for Cousin Joe has promised to drive
me over to Dapleson to do someshop-
ping"
"Hang Cousin joe"
"Mr. Dorseyl" from Martha's as
tonished lips.
81 beg pardon. Ireally-Ihopeyou
| will have a delightful time, Miss Dun
can. / assure you / shall a-enjoy it
immensely, being left to my books and
-confound it'll Excuse mel"
And ere Martha could reply, Paul
Dorsey had lett the room.
"How queer heis," soliloquized Mar
tina, as Paul's departing footsteps
echoed through the hall. II don't see
why he should dislike Joe so; Joeis al.
ways such a favorite with everyone.
| hope / haven't offended him. | am
sure / didn't mean to-" And with
rather a puzzled look upon her fair
young face, Martha closed the organ.
That evening as Martha stood down
by the meadow gate caressing old
Doxey, the mare, her quick ears caught
the sound of a familiar tread advanc-
ing towards her, and q moment after
@ voice exclaimed:
ri am an idiot, Miss Martha, but ]
i hopeyou willforgive me. Icouldn't
bear the idea of his monopolizing you
all day. Iknowyou could never think
of an old book worm like myself
still II have been very happy, and |
forget sometimes that-that there is
such a difference between u.s."
Martha's cheeks had been growing
roster and roster, while a strange, wild
Joy surged through her veins, as she
answered, her tones trembling slightly.
"Since | can remember cousin Joe
and | have been playmates, and since
father died he has been so good to
mother, helping her about the farm
anC in every way, that he has become
like o son to her, and as dear as a
brother to me. Dear Joe! / don't
know what we should have done with
out him." She paused, the tears
gathering in her pretty eyes. Paul
drew nearer, then hesitared, as Martha
continued.
Joe is engaged to my dearestfriend,
and they are to be married in Just six
weeks"
~ am awfully glad-I mean | wish
them Joy, and all that sort of thing"
and Paul Dorsey advanced still near
er the little figure into whose eyes a
sweet shyness had stolen.
"Marthy, do you think there is a
ghost of a chance for me? AS it is my
first attempt at anything of the kind,
perhaps you will sum it up leniently,
and make my sentence as easy IS you
can," then gathering courage from
Martha's half averted face, and the
extreme pinkness of the one visi-
BILE ear, he laid his hand caressingly
upon hers, adding:
"Marthy, do you think you can for
! give me for-for loving your"
"Why should / forgive you for what
/ have done myself" came the low
answer. followed naively by, "But !
did not know it until to-day, when !
thought / had offended YOU"
"And-and you don't mind my be-
ing odd or-or anything?" stammered
Paul, in his excessive joy.
"You are not O bit odd" was the in
| dignant reply; III wouldn't have you
q bit different" and Martha shyly
touched the coat sleeve in close prox-
unity to her waist, from somewhere
in the region of Paul's waistcoatpock-
ct a muff1ed little voice might have
been heard calculating.
"Oh, Paul! somebody is lookirgi@
II hope they are" was the auda.
.-~ -1~lx. ,,on~oI1I h. N aaaAn1
disappearance on Martha's part.
X \ Z
A week or so later a stylishly dressed,
middled aged lady was sitting tete-a-
tete with Mrs. Duncan, who was oh.
serving:
"Deary me, Lucindy, you've no call
to thank me. / had nothing to do
with it. Not but what / am real
pleased that your son and my daugh-
Ger should come together; but had no
more thought of it hanyourself."
A slight smile stirred the lips OF Mrs
Dorsey as she remarked:
"You are just the same as ever,
Mary. Well, if Martha only turns out
half as good a woman as yourself, /
am satisfied that Paul has Won a
treasure
"And he'll never forget, mother,
that he owes that treasure to you, for
if you had not sent him to seek out
your old friend he'd have remained a
bachelor to the end of his days." in
terrupted a masculine voice, while q
girlish treble exclaimed. "Oh, PAUL."
the rest of the sentence being lost by
Paul daringly sealing his bethrothed's
lips with his own.
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