The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-08-17
wARDwELL q THOMPSON, pub,,.he,.
ssbscription. q Fer Anuum. I, Ad,.,c.
FITZHERBERT.

contented with 1t till 1 fell in love
with Katie Rogers. Katie had never
sneered at it, but her elder sister,
Miranda, had moro than once limited
that it was neither romantic nor un-
common; and her father, in his some
what lengthy discourscs about the
British aristocrncy, had IN aggra-
voting way oflookingapologetically
ut me every time he spoke ofsagood
name."
In our commercial community
Smith was counted O better name
than Rogers, and young Smith, the
rising cotton-broker, n more distin-
guished member Of society than old
Rogers, OK captain Outrageous, who
could scarcely pay his thirty-pound
rent, and never wore u decent hat.
lquite agreed with my neighbors
on these points till fell in love with
Katie, and grew familiar with Mir
anda's sentiments about "the ignor-
AMI Philisttnp RiverbannfE.y '1:;i' ;ss
Captain Rogers was descended from
Fitzrogcr who came over with Con-
qaesor, and, as listened leverently
to the history of the family progress
through eight centuries, there was u
total collapse Of my once foolish
pridein belonging to what u local pa-
per called "one of the Oldest families
in Riverbank." For Riverbank was
scarcely as old as my father, having
grown into IL town with a speed rarc-
" cquallcl OH this side of the Attain
Tic.
In a general way did not UNDER
value myself but IL was with n deep
sense of humility that implorcd the
slesccndant of Fitzrogcr to become
tlthcr-in-law. We were alone to-
! gcthef in the dining-room of the
fhlity-pound house, lie sitting in u
shabby armchair. | standingon a still
shabbicr heartllrug. lie looked up
at the "Bs,ttle Roll of Hastings" /"
which hung over the mantlepiece,
and down ut the fire kent by
economical Miranda. Then, hay
ing apparently weighed the past
glories of Fitzroger against the pres
"nt price of Goals, he accepted my
proppsll with the magnificent conde-
scension ola king consenting, for GER
tain State reasons, to bcstow the
aland Of a royal princess ON an aspir-
. ing sutJtrt.
SO Katie and were engaged, and,
to: time, ! was suprcmely happy. /
was not quite vain enough to sllare
my darling's opinion that 1, John
Smith, was better worth worshiping
than all Carlyle's "Herocs" put to.
gether; but was rather easily con-
villced that was far too fine a fellow
to fear any rival. So, when Katie
went on IL visit to London, there was
no bitterness in my regret, for 1 be-
iievcd in her-and myself.
At first l was not disturbed by
Aliranda's boasts about the advant-
ages her sister was enjoying in sstlle
; best society,"" but when the Lon
don visit extended for weeks
and months beyond its orig
inal limit, I began to feel
vaguely uneasy. In those days
katie's letters, though loving, were
not long, and she more than once
apologized tor their brevity of plead
ing "a particular engagement" the
nature of which she never explained.
Myconfidence sank, my jcalousyrose.
At last she came home, and then I
noticed a changein her that seriously
alarmed mo. She was pale and
quieter, and mt times there was a
wistful look in her eyes, suggestive
something on her mind. It could not
. be anxiety apout her fathers pc
cupiary affairs, because about that
time he appeared in u new hat, and
Miranda kept better fires. These out
ward and visible signs of prosperity
would have given me sincere pleasure
ifit had not been for the suspicion
that old Rogers was more than ever
disposed to take the Norman Con-
quest tone with me, and for the cer-
tainty that Miranda s sncers ut "pco-
+ pie who could not count their grand
fathers" were all for my benefit.
What did that sort of thing mean?
Had Katie been tempted away from
me by Il lover with a long pedigree?
Would Rogers tell me some day, like
the father of old-faslioned romance,
that he had "otller views" for his
daughter?
One evening I called much later
than usual, having been detained by
an important business matter in the
neighboring city of Shipley. The out
er door of the house was open. and |,
in my usunl way, turned the handle
of the vestibule door and walked into
the drawing-room, whichappcarc,l to
:s,e empty. was just going to ring
she bell for the servant, when heard
pRading little voice behind me:
h 0h, l say, Jack, don't do that"
sfs was the voice of Bob, the young
lf katies many young brothers,
4 turning sharply round, saw
q cared little face peeping between
II rtains drawn across the bow
y \ Dw.
B Rme here, dear old Jack" he cn-
ID: seand stay with me till she
R east."
hat she?" l asked, as I stepped
the curtains to find Iob's
TO invisible form clad in a
W. anda, lie added in IL tragic
b. ad blue eyes and golden hair,
- bis white array he looked like
6gelin picture. But l rightly
M FL that he had descended from
eper regions that night on no
mission.
pught she was safe up in the
groom for the next half hour"
ained, land l got out of bed
y slipping down to the kitch-
taste of the new jam. knew
- my only chance. She's so
mcan about il when it's in
! just got to the hall when ]
her snG,king down stairs, so ]
here. She's in the.liningroom
nd don't know whether she's
up again or down to the kitch-