The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-12-25

1NNt - 4 . nllllCI III uGW mdS
still fresh upon them. She had genor-
ally aired and busted both rooms,
superintendent themaking of the coffee
and the preparation of some appetiz-
ing little side dish, Mr.. Meriweather
being decidedly an epicure, and had
eaten her own simpler meal before her
father appeared.
he was the most absent-minded and
unobservant ofmen, but this morning
even his attention seemed to be
awakened by Argyle's remaining at
the table, and by her rather uneasy
glanees toward his paper. He pushed
up his gold spectacles and looked at
her with an amused smile.
"Well, Argyle, are you expecting any
special news from the papers to-day"
"Ye-es,-no, papa, no news specially
to-day" she answered, hesitating and
blushing a little under her fathers
amused scrutiny.
Perhaps you would like to heart the
results of the last English elections?"
in q sarcastic tone.
"No, thank you, papa"
"Or the present value ofgold on Wall
| street,"
ooh, no, papa, indeed, Iwouldmuch
rather not" with an expression of
such unfeigned horror, that Mr.. Meri-
weather, with an amused laugh, turn
ed again to the last paragraph of an
editorial column. AS he turned over
the page, he uttered an exclamation,
"Argyle!" he said in a brisker tone
than usual, as he looked up from the
sheet, shy the way, l have found an
item that may interest you"
"What is it, papa?" quickly.
"Some news about one of your &C.
quaintances," laying down the paper,
-"that young officer from Louisiana
-Du-Du-I forget hisname. found
him very dull company, but / remem-
Der you seemed to think him rather
entertaining"
Dupont was his name, papa" an
swered ~Argyle-after nervously intent
upon pulling out the fringe of her red
fruit napkin. "But isn't his name
mentioned in the paper? Didn't you
say there was an item about him?"
eyes, of course" replied the old
gentleman in a somewhat guilty tone,
as he searched the columns of his open
page diligently. II am afraid / am a
little absent-minded, Argyle-that is
about trihes. Yes, my dear, you are
right, of course, his name must have
been mentioned"
Argyle waited with ill-concealed inn
patience while her father slowly and
deliberately read aloud the heading of
each separate paragraph, Letter
from Albermarle county ,"'Account of
Grand Military Review in Richmond"
"Discovery"-no that's not it. "Mur-
der, or Suicide of a Stranger"
"Oh, papa, that is too horriblel"
exclaimed the young girl, the tears
rising to her eyes and her cheeks grow
ing suddenly pale. Gle was so gay
and full OF spirits--I cannot bear to
think of such a sad fate'-and her
tears began to fall quickly.
"Why, my love, what'sthe NATTER"
calculated her father, looking up in
establishment. "Or were you only
testing about his sad fate?" "There
is nothing here about Dupont except
q description of his wedding, and, by
the way, it seems to have been q very
brilliant and fashionable affair"
"His wedding repeated Argyle, in
q tone of inexpressable surprise, and
then as the truth slowly dawned on
her in all its ludicrousness-for having
failed to receive one ofCapt. Dupont's
ardent and gloomy epistles for the
last three weeks, she had been haunted
by. fears for his safety-she broke into
a silvery peal OF laughter.
"Dear papa, how you did alarm me!
you read the Suicide of a stranger so
impressively-as if that were the very
item you were looking for. And SO
Capt Dupont is really married." laugh
ing again with such an abandon OF
mirth and amusement, that her father,
bewildered by her rapid transition
from tears to gaiety, remarked rather
Grossly
"My love, you seem to find the
young mans marriage very comical;
now, / cannot assert that / was very
intimately acquainted with him-he
always appeared to berather diffident
about conversing with me-but from
even my slight acquaintance | should
Judge he was just the kind of young
man to take a foolish interest in such
things"
"Oh, papa, papa!" exclaimed Argyle,
leaning back in her chair, and laughing
again, "you may be very learned and
wise about English politics and Ger
man literature-but you don't know
the least bit about what is going on
under your very eyes! Yes, papa, /
think he was rather foolish about
such things, and his marriage wouldn't
have surprised me at all-except that
I was expecting to hear some thing
else-quite different"
cit is precisely what / would shave
expected" remarked her father severe
ly, for he did not enjoy being laughed
at; and Argyle, catching a glimpse of