Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-01-05

ts,.ast IN one OF these aulnlrsrst ~
GOOD sense and her unlimited oppor-
9nnities stood much in the way ora
final decision. Laun
IT really don't know what to say,
.ha comeleon hesitatingly conf seq
- Mr.. Anthony Cowl, looking down
NJ her lapfuI OF black le~= as she lock-
ed her fingers togethelt do IKE you
so much; and I think J lr mother Is
nerfectly sweet. But sttppose ] am
awa,lIy young to chose what my des-
inv shall be, and perhaps you are a
little old 10 be my destiny, ana .hep;
/ v expected TO be a Mrs. So T
1t would seem SO STRANGE nc
| Cameleon had a mental vision III
which people talked about tine peau-
| tiful Mrs. Cowl."
"Seems to me-" said her lover, with
olistenino eyes and flushed cheeks,
| Glad enough to find himself In y
g;rT's presence again after q
miserable absence, "seems TO me
It is q pity to put me on
because nv name is Cowl and L
have five ear more in my existence
than | exactly require. Lie Is snort,
at any rate, and happiness is never at
its climax for q very long space, no
matter what our future is. Perhaps
If You married me your happiness
wonld be as complete for as long o
season as if you married a young tei
low nearer your own age. p as Ior
name O might find people pald q
good deal of respect to 1t when coup
led with fine dinners and a box at the
The Cameleon looked up at him
somewhat furtively, but no caught
her glance as he devoured every mo-
ton she made. He became eagerly
expectant.
said she, 'that you kept your temper
wonderfully under a severe test; ior
people usually adore their own names.
/ am sure / 4 am much obliged to you
for bearing with my whims, Mr.. Cowi.'
.fDon't-don't be so gentle aud en-
| couraping,'' he exclaimed. 'unless you
will let me kiss your handl
Again she gazed at him IRON under
her lashes, while her lover was on the
alert to spring to his feet and kneel at
her side as if he saw a permission IN
her face.
"May I-may / kiss your hand?" he
asked, with trembling lips.
81 was just thinking how very
considerate you are of my wishes,
she murmured, but shaking her head.
az do think your mother is so sweet,
Mr.. Cowl," she added, irrelevan tly;
and then explained. with a burst OF
confidence. "You know what a lady
would not like!" In a moment she
went on: "Did you eve do anything
which people told you was remarka-
! bly, noble?"
mo, indeed. Why?"
Again Nelly treated Anthony Cowl
to q searching but subtle glance
You're the first man ever met
who failed to tell me So" she said,
smiling. "But wouldn't you make q
great sacrifice for me?"
II hardly believe / would" an.
swered her admiter. "a sacrifice
would necessitaue my being wholly
absent from you or something OF the
sort, to strike a death-blowt to my hap
piness IN you. should be a fool to
make any sacrifice for you worthy OF
the name.
The Cameleon laughed outright.
''You seem willing to be quite hon
est" she commented. "But, Mr..
| CowI, arn't you AFRAID to become en-
gagged to me, even If / am to be per-
suaded, considering that / have
changed my mind very otIen already,
so that they actually call me a Cam
eleon? | was talking about it with
your mother the last time | called,
and she said that l would proba-
bly, go on changing my mind
until I was 20 unless some
thing very extraordinary happened,
just as a brook runs even, so irregu-
larly down a mountain-side until it
reaches a great fissure which hens it
firmly in."
"Well, / shall be satisfied if you be-
come engaged to me-" Anthony Cowl
replied. 81 can't ask you to marry
me first, you know. and have the en-.
Ragement a~fterward, although / might
prefer it. 1t is just possible you might
really marry me, after ALL"
al suppose / am very ambitious"
Nelly remarked. 81 suppose / have
such a sense of my own importance
that | think only ofmyself and believe
that nothing is good enough for me-"
"Icertainlydon'tfee feel good enoughfor
you," Cowl declared with a little sigh.
But ! don't pay so much attention
to that. Hove you with my whole
soul, as the most beautiful woman i
could everdream OF seeing; and a wom-
an with q look in her eyes and a
tone in her voice that awakened some
thing in my heart that gives me the
greatest Joy | ever felt. You're Just
the sort of a woman to grow nobler
and stronger every year and face the
misfortunes OF life as bravely as if you
were a sister of mercy"
The Cameleon turned a little to-
ward him. why, don't / seem frivo-
lous in the extreme? And isn't that
agreeable to your"
who dares call you frIvolous?"
criedAnthony Cowl, springing up.
"0b, / shouldn't know what to do
with myself if / vas anything but silly
and easy-go-lucky," she protested,
merrily smiling. 'E0h, ! am so sorry.
For ! see that you would tire OF my
irivolityl"
eli you would only promise to be
my wifel" he exclaimed, sitting down
nearer to her, and gazing deeply into
her eyes.
BLESS me, / never do that! lust
consent to be engaged and they 90
to papa and have q talk; and then,
in a few days. | tell papa that ] have
been forgetting an objection, and he
will nave to manage to break the en-
gaeement for me-"
The Cameleon looked so innocent,
startled, and half amused that Cowl
burst out laughing.
"Ah, WE'LL" he said, sit will not be
very hard Tor you to become engaged
to me- then, will it? That is all / ask,
with ALI risks and possible calamity.
Let me hear you say that you engage
yourself to me, and | will rejoice very
much. and call every day, and leave
1t to your generosity to do me Justice,
and weigh my love at your leisure"
Nelly sagely shook her head.
III 1T only wasn'Jfor Dick" she sigh.
ed, sinking back into an attitude of
detected musing.
DICK Is OF no consequence" An
thony Cowl calmly answered. "Let
him go, and give your hand to me-"
She had covered her eyes for an in
slant, but she quickly glanced up.
She laughed, blushed, and clapped her
hands in delight.
why, ! certainly thought that
would make You angry" she confded
to him, giving him a melting look. 81
wonder what your mother could have
said to you about me! Did she tell
you anything that we had said?"
"She only told me you were in every
way adorable
al .kz.-l