The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-06-03

the usual masculine whirlwind about
their disappearance.
- Molly Allison, you're responsible! If
the country produced image-venders,
should say you had been making a
trade!"
She shook her head, but with the color
mounting in her face.
"Tramps!" he said, accusingly; and
poor Molly shuddered to think how
much, much worse it really was. "You
wouldn't like it, dare say, if 1 should
go encouraging pauperism with your
frocks and things" he grumbled, trying
to reconcile himself to another garment.
He came back from the station that
night with news.
Visitors coming, Molly" 49,.
"Who and when?"
Rob Mckenzie. You don't know
Rob. He was classmate of mine. He's
coming next week to spy out the land.
/ haven't heard of him since I came out
here"
Rob Mckenzie alighting at the small
sunny signal station one day in the next
week, found stylish apparition in white
dress and pretty garden hat waiting on
the platform.
"You are Mr.. MCKENZIE" pleasant
voice said. II am Mary Allison. Tom
sprained his ankle last night and couldn't
come"
Mr.. Mckenzie seemed rather a quiet
young man. Miss Allison drove her
ponies and chartered away in the unre-
strained delight of having stranger to
talk with-or rather to-and some one
fresh from the good times that seemed
doubly good in recollection.
Il suppose everybody here shoots more
or less. Are you an expert with fire.
arms, Miss Allison?"
They were sitting within-doors in the
slight chill of the October evening. Tom
answered for her.
Molly says she can, but I don't be-
lieve it. An awful little coward is
Molly"
us shef" quietly. I shouldn't think
it."
Somebody opened a door incautiously,
and in the strong draft the light went
out. 1t was Mckenzie who relighted
it, and in the faint glow he bent over re-
kindled lamp his face came out with an
odd effect against the dark background.
"Oh, my?" in gasp from Molly's cor
ner.
Mckenzie turned toward her as the
lamp famed up. She was staring at him
with wide eyes full of perplexity.
Are you civilized beyond lynch law
YETI" he asked, irrelevantly.
why? A private grudge against any
one"
Zone likes to see all the peculiar instl,
tutions Of the country. Do you eve.
hang horse-thieves, for in stance?"
ave don't always catch them,'
drilv.
did you ever miss a coat and hat,
TomI"
Molly gave them to tramp" in slow
wonder at his companions drift. And
then, catching his sisters blank face,
what have you been telling, Mary ALI
SOM"
"Oh, Tom, IL gave them to horse
thief, and I believe it was Mr.. McKen-
zie."
Tom sat staring.
Truth, Allison" And then came the
story. "There were two of us taken to-
gether. don't know who they mistook
us for. lodged the mob and took to
the timber never knew what became of
the other man."
II suspect he is the one I helped out
of the state the night left you alone,
Molly"
= =
Some weeks later Rob Mckenzie was
going through the ceremony of fitting
diamond solitaire on Miss Allison's left
hand index finger.
ooh, the beauty! Where did you get
it?"
Il brought it with me-" coolly. .-~-
upon my word, Rob Mckenzie! And
you took this for granted?"
Il made up my mind, one night in
September, between here and the Missis-
sippi river, that would marry Molly
Allison if could get her, and did my
best."-Frank Leslie.