The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-08-06

around to the porch door with sur
reptitious glance at the sitting-room
window in passing. A brisk fire of
chips revealed to him his rather prim
blonde sister seated in low rocker be-
fore the hearth, and Joel Kirby leaning
against the mantel near her, volubly
discoursing.
They've opened the ball without
me, guess" muSed the skulking host
ess facetiously, as he hitched his chair
along to the kitchen stove to
warm his feet in the oven. Seeing
that it's the first visit, must say that
Joel stays it out well. UnquestiOnably
he means business. What's to prevent?
He's a first-rate fellow and'll make a
kind husband If | wasn't sure of that
l wouldn't consent to his having ROX-
ana. | should hate to have him take
her out to California. l hope it is true
that he has bought back the old home
stead. Well, we'll, wouldn't | like to
be little mouse in the sitting-room
wall about this time?"
Could he have had his wish a most
astOnished little mouse would the wor-
thy man have presented.
You are the most morbidly con-
scientious person, Roxy, that l know
Of" Mr.. Kirby was saying with frown
| that scored his forehead with horizontal
lines like the staff in written music.
IF | could only convince you that it
was your duty to become my wife, |
should stand some chance of getting
you; but unluckily for me, you've cher
| ished the notion that you must keep
house for your brother until you"
Brother needs me-" murmured Miss
Roxana, tears swelling in her eyes of
''baby blue"
And don't need you? Haven't 1
some rightsP During your stricken
sisters illness 1 consented to waive
these, but now she is gone and l want
YOU"
Don't Joel, don't"
81 tell you do, and can't help it,"
cried Mr. Kirby with grim humor
when couldn't move you by letter L
resolved I'd come and speak for myself
You used to say you loved me, Roxy.
Can't you"
you know plenty of other ladies,
Joel, Younger and more pleasing" fall
tered Miss Roxana, nervously smooth
! ing the pale gliding of hair that framed
| her temples in a gothic arch.
They are nothing to me-" replied
the gentleman curtly, as if he esteemed
the fact matter of regret
Assured of the favor of more than
| one pretty girl of his acquaintance, was
it not little hard that the full current
of his being must needs be set toward
this unresponsive woman of thirtyp 1t
had been ever thus with Joel Kirby
from his perverse childhood, when, if
he wanted cake, no human power could
induce him to nibble gingerbread.
mo, Roxy, there's only one woman
in the world for me, :" he continued in
softer tone. '.Your brother is of a diff
ferent temperament. Has it never oc-
Cured to you that he may marry
again?"
Brother marry! Oh, no, indeed,
he ii never marry-peUer ~ cried Miss
Roxana, grounded and rooted in the
belief that her brothers heart was en-
tombed with the dead Climena. mo,
he could not take another wife, and you
see he has only me. / couldn't be so
cruel as TO leave him."
To all Mr.. Kirby's subsequent plead
ings she made this same reply, but it
soothed his chatting spirit not little
that she made it with faltering, and
that she parted from himself with tears.
AS the sound of his rapid wheels
d.ed away in the distance she hastily
dried her eyes and hurried into the
kitchen to see about the belated supper.
Mr.. Perrin still gloating over castles in
Spain, looked up with the roguish pur-
pose of addressing her as "Mrs. Kir-
by" but dismayed at her troubled
countenance, remarked instead that the
days were getting shorter'--a fact
that she had observed before.
He felt as If he had received q blow.
For him there was, there could be-, but
one Interpretation of his sisters un-
woEtcd emotion. She loved Kirby, and
Kirby no longer cared for her. Poor
girl, she dreamed that man s affections
were like granite boulders, incapable Of
change, and she was awakening with a
shock. Hapless Roxana! She too had
her trials. Keenly sympathetic. the
magnanimous brother concealed bis own
disappointment as best he could, and
lavished upon his sorrowful sister an ex-
cess OF tenderness.
"You have the knack Of spelling me
for other folks cooking, little woman,
| that's the TRUTH" said he at tea-time,
ostentatiously heaping his plate with
cream toast. How should ever get
along without your"
| sThat'll make her feel that l ap-
preciate her IL Joel doesn't. he mused
| benevolently; while she, on her side Of
the table. was thinking, Its just as I
suspected; it would kin brother to lose
me-
| .sOh. you'd manage somehow. May