Thomas County cat., 1886-12-02

his face bronzed by exposure, and his
long boots bespattered with mud.
Standing in those same boots the wiry
cavalier would have measured some
thing like six feet two inches. His
features showed that he was of Anglo
! Saxon blood He was known in the
neighborhood as IN sieu Hareese," a
! slight variation on his patronymic,
Harris. Some eighteen months before
the afternoon referred to he had pur-
chased tract of land in the prairie,
and on it had opened & stock farm on
genial and frank. so that aftera period
of probation he was greeted by the resi-
dents thereabouts with something like
cordiality. His little ranch, as he liked
to call it, was about five miles away
from the Ponpon residence, and on
this occasion he had galloped across
the prairie and ridden directly into
what would have been the front yard
of that family, had there been any
fences around the place. There was
something in his face that betokenad
| unusual earneStneSS. and when ne
vaulted out of the saddle and, hat in
hand. inquired of the young lady. in a
guinea-blue gabrielle on the gallery. if
her brother was at home. he surprised
| that black-eyed demoiselle very much
bv his manner.
| She happened to be the only person
at home, for her widowed mother had
that day ridden to Grand Coteau to
confession. and the brother was out
looking after 4 stray yeariing. Al
osine Ponpon was the elder of two sis
| tiers. The younger, Seraphine, had
some two years before lett the parental
home with a gallant young husband.
and was now comfortably settled over
| at Coulee Croche.
This marriage of the more youthful
sister had been severe blow at Alo-
sine, for she had always been led to
| believe that suitors were bound to take
the older daughter first The bridal
party. mounted on their little Creole
tackles, and followed by wagon Of
household goods had hardly disap-
peared behind knoll in the prairie
than she burst into passion of tears.
and refused to be comforted. From
that day she formed resolution that
if she died an old maid it would not be
her fault. She was, perhaps, a little
too tall and angular to attract many of
| the fastidious young men. and her un-
disguised efforts to capture gallant
were perhaps too much for the gay
beaux OF the prairie. BE this AS it
may, few ever stopped at the house
longer than time enough to water sheir
horses or take a cup of coffee, except,
perhaps, Alcck Harris. He had been
over often. and had spent whole after
moons with her brother talking over
stock matters and the improvement Of
grasses.
Alosine had nurtured warm senti-
ment for the young man. and when he
was in the house invariably managed
to be in the same room. She thought
she saw signs of rcciprocated feeling
frequently, and now that he had come
over at time when she was alone she
was sure there was but one object to
his mission. On his approach she had
darted into her room, given Il hurried
twist to her back hair and encircled
her neck with flaming red ribbon, so
that when he reached the steps she
looked at her best.
''Boucta is not here, is he's" asked
the bold rider as he took Il seat.
Non: h2e 60 long time, yes. An
ow yo doc. Sieur Hareese? Hi ores yo
weel.' and Alosine profferad him q
glass of water.
''Oh, L m very well, mamseiie.' and
he swallowed the water as only a
thirsty man can. I'm very sorry
Boucta is gone. for came over here
on very important business. The
truth is, | wanted to ask him ques-
ton in which you yourself are some
what interested"
The sunlight danced on the prairie
swells. The blossoms Of the wild in
digo and the tall stems of the rushcs
in the waterhole away off beyond the
corncrib seemed to tremble with de-
light. Roseate hues tinted the cumu-
lous clouds and the plaintive whistle
of the 'killdee" overhead became the
voluptuous notes of :he mockingbird.
Alosine had been looking forward to
this moment for the last twenty wears
and now it bad come. All! how noble
that II sieu Hareesc looked now. Such
strength, such dash, such manly beau
ty. Her heart almost choked her. Its
} pulsations were rapid and strorg.
Il ham ware sorree dat ne ham
gone, Sieur Hareese,' she was just
able TO say. '.Eet was SO good oh 20
10 to come"
''Oh. don't mention that. mamselle
| have been thinking over this matter
for q long time. and | must confess
that | was little afraid of speaking to
YOU about it. thought l would see
Boucta first"
As Alosine looked at Aleck Harris
now the tears welled up into her eyes
She had seen his comfortable house on
the prairie and had very fair idea of
his herd. Even while he was talking
she could fancy herself seated in the
big rocking-chair on the gallery of the
Harris home. dressed in pink and
white calico. with 4 breastpin of impos-
ing size glistening in her bosom. She
had longed for these things all her life
.'Yees! Sieur Hareese. my brudder
he ware nice 10 me all de time, han ee
kno, what ee like. hi like" Then she
thought that if Sieur Hareese did not
wait for her brother day would be
lost. and in such affairs dav means
an eternity. So. holding her sunbon-
net before her face Jus. low enough to
permit her big black eyes to peer over
| the edve She said. ..SroSe mi bird