, 1891-01-20

"A favort repeated Rob BOnnell,
leaning back in his pine Office chair,
the arms Of which were becoming at
tenuated from the persistent whiting
of its successive occupants "A dozen
FLEA
~ knew You would. declared Henry
Dreier, in a tone that if confident was
also full Of vague relief In fact l
really wrote Linnet you would go"
You did. chr returned Bob,
fitting back and lettering on the
rear legs Of his chair in a dexter
ously reckless manner that would
nave driven a more impressionable
individual than his partner wild
with nervousness That vas awfully
kind Of youl But where am | to got
And who in this world is Linnet7 If
you would only supplement your dis
posal of me with a little information ]
couldn't be sufficiently grateful"
Dreier grinned amiably, and shifted
his position in the doorway of the
small western grain Office. Like most
men slow of speech themselves, he was
prompt to appreciate the ready %raillery
Of another.
'Why-why, Linnet is, 20 rather awk
wardly, "Linnet Josylan, you know
OH" in sudden comprehension.
THE bride elect. You never spoke Of
her otherwise than as Miss Josylan
Didn't II BY the way. / don't be-.
lieve l ever told you much about her
anyway. beyond the fact that she is a
kind OF distant cousin OF mine, and
that we are 90 be married next Thurs
day"
NO" replied Bob. with a shake Of
his handsome head. You never did.
He was a tall, well knit, athletic
looking fellow. There was in his whole
bearing a certain easy grace that irrcf
utably bespoke good breeding and
gentle associations. His dark skinned,
finely chiseled face was bright with
humor and alert with Intelligence. In
every sense Of the word was Henry
Dreier unlike him. He WIS OF medium
height and heavily built His move.
ments were deliberate TO cIumsiness.
His face was large and round and Horid
and fat. His stubby streak OF n sandy
mustache reminded one of that Of Mr.
jefferson Brick. which Martin Chuzzle-
wit mistook for "a recent trace of gin
gerbread." His mild blue eyes were
most kindly. Indeed his general ap-
pearance was seraphically stupid. In
reality Mr.. Dreier was the least stupid
of men. lie was most keenly and prac-
tically shrewd His look OF bland in
nocence, almost Of helplessness, was "A
mask with which nature had capricious
ly presented him.
Those who fancied they could by su-
perior mental agility compass u bust
ness or personal victory over Henry
Dreier were apt to find themselves con
fronted with n counter move on the
probability Of which they had alto
gether failed to reckon. But he was
hopelessly unromantic. There was no
denying that fact He had not in his
composition a single grain Of senti
ment And in his life love would be.
as Nine. de Staal avowed it was in the
life Of all men, merely an episode. OF
this Rob Bonnell had always felt sure,
but when now his partner went on TO
speak Of his sweetheart in his prosy,
matter OF fact way he was more than
ever convinced he was correct In his
deductions
She's an eastern girl. Her people
were wealthy She was educated with
the greatest care. She grew up think
ing life was to be for her just a long
procession Of pleasures. Well, one day
her father went all to pieces on the
board Of trade. The shock killed him.
His wife didn't last for many weeks after
him, and then Linnet found she must
either work or starve. The former
seemed, rs you may suppose, the more
acceptable alternative. She wrote toa
cousin OF her father who has n ranch
out here, asking him If she could So
cure employment teaching in this part
of the world. There was a chance Of
her obtaining the district school, so he
sent her word to come. She did 50.
She was 90 late. The board Of direct
ors had given the place to an earlier
applicant. Linnet did not have enough
money TO take her home again, so she
was obliged to remain at Blatchford's
Know themI'
No. Rob didn't know them.
We'll, they live over by Concordia.
They are the relatives Of Liunet's l
mentioned. Meant You may bank on
that They think more Of a nickel
than l do Of a dollar, and they've more
dollars than | have. They told Lin
net she could do the housework for
her board. And the homework Of
their big barrack Of a place is no joke.
She was plucky. She tried it. But
you might as well harness a butterfly
to a pillow as Linnet to drudgery.
lie raused to weigh n load Of corr
p..II 5,,.n Jo.,rc :,