Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-08-05

din would buy it, and no one would
know whom he was acting for. And
surely, no one would be Jealous OF an
old woman like me doing YOU a good
turn. Isthere any one who might be
jealous, Dick2u
No, indeed But / shouldn't feel
right about it, | don't see how
could do it. Unless-do you like me
very much, Mrs. Warner You have
been.so kind to me, but then your
heart Is so big. Do you like me per-
sonally2''
cot course I do. You know that"
Then will you be my wife?"
Mrs. Warner blushed as she had not
blushed for ten years.
ooh, Dickl''
"Will your" and Headly took her
band-not in love-like fashion, but
very affectionately.
"How could |, Dick? I'm old enough
to be your mother. People would
call me the Baroness Burdett-Coutts;
and wouldn't mind that; but they'd
call you Ashmead Burdett- Coutts
bartlett Burdett Coutts, or whatever
it Is"
"You are only seven years older
than l."
But ] am a widow. You wouldn't
feel comfortable, Dick--your friends
would chat YOU"
II don't think they would; men
don't chat me very much. don't
pretend to be IN any Romeo condition,
but am very, very fond of you. /
don't say that if you had no money
would ask you TO marry me; for l
am not in a position TO marry any
woman; may be looking for work a
week from now. But if my position
on the Journal were an assured one,
don't know any woman in the world
whom I'd rather make my wife. You
see | feel good deal older than / am,
and | can't bear the society girls, the
bread and butter kind bore me to
death, and the Others | remember my
mother too well to marry"
"Oh, Dick! Dick / don't know what
to say. love you as well as | love
anything in the world. But it must
be only mother love after ALL Pm
such an old woman, Dick, such very
old woman. Ill marry you on three
eonditions-that you take the editor
ship OF the Journal; that we are TO be
engaged for a year; and that no one
is to know anything about it till
month before we are married. know
we shall be laughed at, Dick; but /
shall be proud ofyou, as proud can be,
and perhaps We shall be happy. No,
don't kiss me, Dick; there must be
none of that nonsense between us,
dear Dick"
az will make you happy if it is in
me to do it, and Iknow / can make
the Journal such apaper as youwould
like to own"
Ten months later the Warner palace
was again the scene ofunlimited festiv-
ity, and Richard Headley and Mrs.
Warner again sat on astete-a-tete sofa
under the great red camella.
"Well Dick, said Mrs. Warner, "and
how is everything down town to-day"
Every much as usual. have final
" committed myself to the irrigation
scheme. 1t is such big money for us
that was little afraid of being pre-
JUDGED. But on the whole ] think it
is right. But there's another scheme
which we must talk about before the
end of the month, and that is our
marriage"
st isn't the end of the month for d
long while yet, Dick, and you must 60
and dance with Nellie, now, isn't shea
dear girl, Dick? She grows more and
more like my poor little sister every
day. You must be very nice to her
Dick. Ii has been dull work for her at
the Sacre Coeur; want her to bright
en- up now that we have got her"
Dick obeyed like adutiful fiance, and
more than one of the guests remarked
how fine couple he and the tall and
slender Nellie Keane made. During
the next night he tried to talk several
times with Mrs. Warner about the an
nouncement of their coming marriage;
but she put him of with the merry de-
clara.tion that she WAS too young and
pretty woman to tie herself down
any before the necessary time.
II think at any rate, said Dick enc
night, that You ought to tell Mme.s
Luque and Nellie; they ought to know
little sooner than anybody else.
Don't you think so?"
) II don't know, Dick. Tell me, what
do you think about Nellie? / do so
want her to have happy life, and sheis
such n dear, sensitivechild that | can't
help worrying about her sometimes.
She's been a little distract and odd
for tile last few days, and / hoped she
had outgrown all that here with us.
She will make some nice fellow q dear,
good wife, won't she, Dick?"
tGn1, ,-as, pxr Tho UNIV ara van en-
ing to the benefit tomorrow night?"
~ bought box, but I don't care
much Cor Fedora It's too heart
breaking, somehow, Dick; and we old
women don't like to be narrowed.
Miss Dacre will play it very nicely,
though. Isn't she pretty, Dick?-her
eyes Just like Nellie's--or are they not
so dalk?"
"About the same, / fancy. Well, if
you are not going will run up here
for about half an hour, at 8 o'clock.
"You work too hard, Dick; why
don't you have a managing editor?
You used to do all the work Tor Mr..
eastman.
Oh, work does me good. It's about
the best thing in life, after all; isn't
it,"
THAT doesn't sound like happy
man, Dick. Are you quite sure that
you are happy? You know you coerc-
ed me into this engagement anyway,
Dick. and really think you might let
me offnow. You see got you to take
care OF the Journal for me. And now
that you have made such q lot of
money for me, want to back out of
my bargain"
asYou are the most atrocious jilt in
the world, madam; but I'm not at all
the sort of man to bejilted. Sup
pose we 60 down to the supper room
now"
"No, Dick. / don't want any sup
per. / have been headachy all day,
and | am going to slip off quietly and
90 to bed. There is Nine. Luque now;
ask her to come up stairs to me for a
moment. Good night, Dick, dear-let
me kiss you. Ihave never kissed you,
and to morrow will be your birthday.
There, goodnight, Dick, dear Dick
And Mrs Warner went up the broad
steps to her bedroom, when Nine. Lu-
que came bustling mp to her, with ex-
pressions of alarm and offers OF care.
Mrs. Warner laughed at her.
"Its nothing but fatigue, Marie, aud
vet | don't feel as if could sleep.
Let me have your chloral, will your
Send it to me, and you must go, dear,
and do the honors. / know the dose,
and a nights sleep is just what !
need
Nine. Luque went down stairs; the
maid came with the bottle OF choral
and Mrs. Warner sat down by the fire