The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1886-02-06

stared nj him. and HartOg looked from De-
hind his newspaper, aghast ut the bitterness
of his tone.
"are YOU ,rrntinJ somebody to die"
Gilchrist tried to laugh. and succeeded
very badly He rose from his chair, knock
ing a few scattered cigar ashes carefully OH
his braided cuff.
"Well. I confess should not he sorry to
see that prating brat OF Bottles out Of tho
road. We should perhaps get at the truth
then" And having delivered himself OF this
feeling speech, he went out, banging tha
door after him.
.sWell. upon my soul" exclaimed Preston.
'tOh, the mans got tile loose in his upper
story" said Hartcg, decidedly. mo man
in his senses would talk such miserable rot
az that. Always thought Gilchrist crazy
fool myself, but I'm sure Of it now"
"And how he sticks to it Miss Mignon is
Bottles own cnild-as if it could be any
coed for him To say she isn't If she isl
mo. shall tell BOTTLES TO keep an eye
ON Gilchrist. say. what comfort it would
be il he would only exchange! suppose
we can't manage to dazzle him with the de-
lights Of India, ehP
t.Not very well. Besides, be lost ever sc
much seniority BY coming to u.s."
should In 10 persistent about Bottles and
Miss Mignon. l suppose ne wants to daub
Bottles with some OF his own mud. Thinks
IL he only throws enough some Of it's sure
to stick. and so it would with most men,
HAPPILY, however, it don't in the least
matter what little cad like Gilchrist
chooses to say about man like Bootles-a
Jealous little beast
Neither Of them said any more about the
matter, but Hartog took the earliest oppor-
tunity of repeating to Bottles what that
ass Gilchrist" had said about seeing that
prating brat Of Bottles out Of the road,
and in consequence kind Of watch was set
upon the child. Not that Bottles, though
he had a very poor opinion of Gilchrist and
Gilchrist's brains, was afraid for moment
that he would give Miss Mignon poisoned
bonbons, or run of with her and drop her
in the river; yet hc did think it not improb'
able that he might encourage an already
dangerous spirit of adventure, and of course
he absolutely blameless If she could get
trampled by a horses cruel boots, or crushed
by one Of the many traps going In and out
of barracks.
When Bottles had taken his first long
leave after Miss Mignon's coming, he had
left her ut Idleminster in charge of her
nurse; but when long leave came round
again AMI she must have been about two
and half, he decided to take her with him.
One reason for this was certainly fear OF
| any pranks Gilchrist might choose to play,
another that Lacy was taking his leave at
! the came time, and BOTTLES was afraid, in
the absence of both, Miss Mignon might fret
herself into fever. And, besides. he had
missed the child during fortnight's deer
stalking in Scotland that autumn mere than
he would have likel to own
From Blankhamp.on, therefore. they,
Went to his place, Ferrsrs Court, where he
was to entertain rather large party for
Christmas with sister Of his mothers. aud
his only near relative. to do the honols for
hi II, and among his guess Mrs. Smith. a
widow, aud sister to that dead girl to whom
he fancirl II resemblance in Miss Mignon.
However, at the las. moment, Mrs. Smith
w,ot, to excuse herself.
II am very, very sorry" she said, ''but a
very dear friend OF mine, wioh whom l
spent two winters in Italy, has suddenly ap-
rearel. with travelling companion and two
maids to pay HE long-m.omised visit OF
at least two months. She is u Russian
countess-a widow, like myself, and wisaes,
l fancy, to improve her English. which she
already speaks very well. OF course / am
dreadiully disappointed, but cannot help
It,"
Now, it happened that BOTTLES had very
deep and great respect and liking for Mrs.
Smith, and not for all the widowed coun-
tesses in Russia was he willing to upset his
plans; therefore he wrote off at once to Mrs.
Smith, after five minutss' consultation
with Lady Marion, to- bog her to carry out
her original intentions and bring Madam:
and her retinue 'along." Would she tele.
graph her replyl
Mrs. Smith did 50, the reply being, Yes
Moreover, she supplemented the Telegram.
by letter, in which she mentioned amon.,
other things that Nine. Gourboiska's
travelling companion must b. treated in all
ways as an ordinary guest
50. at the tins originally appointed for
Mrs. Smiths coming, the party of six
three ladies and tire, lnaids-arrived.
Beetles him elf went to the station to meet
tneM. he found that Nine. Gourbolsko
was young not NOR. than thirty, of the
; plump and fair Russian type quite fair
enough to hold her own beside Mrs.. Smith.
whom he regarded as the most beautiful
woman OF his acquaintance. The third lady,
Miss Grace, was fair also. perhaps not "a
positively beautiful as either the English o,
the Russian lady. but fair-hai,ed fair.
skinned, with SOFT blue-yray eyes, intensely
blue in som, lights. as Bottles noticed di.
rectly. Graceful sue Va. to degree and
as he watched her move across thu little
station he thought how wonderfully he,
name suited her.
Mrs. smith smiled at him as he helped he,
to mount to the top Of the omnibus. lis moi
the likeness wonderfully she said, with on.
OF those quick sigh' with which we speak OF
our dead; and then she said, "Poor ROSY. y
. Bottles turned and looked at Miss Grace
again, his mind going back to those darb
!. .'ay' past and gone now, when no and his
hest friend had been estranaed fo,. ho.,a.a.