The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-02-13
A LUCKY JOKE.

ITS only piece OF fun" said MIL
licent Manton. Everybody must do
something for amusement And 1t ID
90 cruelty, fondishiy dull at San
Jean"
aDulL ehr' Her elder brother
elder by good score OF years
shrugged his shoulders. You find II
dull do'youP Well. you must remem-
Der that you insisted on coming. In
spite OF all our Inconsistencies You
thought it was military post oh, and
that there was some flirting to be
donep Well you've found out your
mistake by this time"
Yes. I have" frankly admitted
Miss Manton. clasping her hands on
TOP Of her curly head. ..And l wish
to goodness / was back In dear old
Chicago! But in the meantime ]
must try and keep myself alive"
Her blue eyes scintillated wickedly,
the corners OF her rose leaf lips tele-
graphed to the answering dimples on
cheek and chin. But Hugh Manton
regarded her sternly. WHO was that
letter top" he asked.
ITO Phyllis Perkins the school
ma'am.n
why are you corresponding with
herp''
I'm not That letter was not from
me; it was from David Belfeld. the
express agent-or at least so she will
suppose. He wants to see her--or at
least SO she will think-up to the sta
ton. And she'll go to him. She's
just fool enough for that How he
will stare And how she will long Tor
the cracks in the railway platform to
open wide enough for her to be able to
slip through and vanish from his
sight" And Milly laughed exultingly.
Her brothers eyes met in dark
frown. rs that your idea Of funp'
said he. Milly nodded. "A splendid
joke" said she. Such piece oil
prim perfection as that Yankee school
ma'am IS! / haven't forgotten yet
what a scornful look she gave me that
night was teasing poor little Roggy
Willis at the sheet and pillow case
party. II David Belfeld gives her
another such glance when she pre-
sents herself unlimited at the station.
! shall feel myself avenged All is
fair. you know, on the lst OF April;
he's very sick. don't you understand? '
she, added. roguishly. He thinks he's
going to die. and has something to
confide TO her first oh. you may de-
pend upon it Hugh she will lose NO
timn
But it is after train time. Milly;
she'll have to walk"
'-Of course she will; that's part OF
the joker nodded the beauty.
Look here Milly" cried Manton,
very angrily. you've done a mean
and cruel thing. ! did not think it
was in a woman to play such con-
temptible trick as that"
''Oh. you're setting up to defend
the Yankee schoolma' am. are youp'
replied Millicent defantly. Appar-
emily sho is the queen of all hearts. u
Il don't care copper about Miss
Perkins, said Manton. and you know
that as well as do. But / like to see
fair play. And mean to go and tell
her that all this is malicious joke on
your part"
Go by all means" said Milly
calmly. But l think you'll find your
self too late Don't look at me SO
savagely. A long walk won't hurt
her. and a short disappointment will
only do her good"
She had come to visit her brother
at San Jean under the impression that
the far Pacific coast was very lively
sort OF place with plenty OF picnlcs
yachting parties and government Off
GERS to pass away the time.
To her amazement she had discov-
cred that San Jean was wild and SOL
itary nook. far from the Injuries oil
Civilizations Sahara In the woods.
She had tried her best to get up a
Irritation with the foreman of the
steam saw-inill and with David Bel.
field, the handsome young official al
the railway express Office but neither
OF them seemed inclined to respond;
ana Milly Manton, like mariana" in
the '.Moated Grange" could have
cried out in sheer desperation: II am
weary. weary; l would that I were
dead"
{.Sick! alone. and something to say
70 mo that must be saidi Oh.
wonder what it can bel" said Phyllis
Perkins to herself as she sped with
the long, swinging stride OF true
daughter Of the wilderness through
the fower.enamelod woods springine
lightly from stepping stone to step,
ping-stone across the foaming bed oil
the river pushing her way through
thickets of mazanitha and copses Of
family smelling nutmeg trees. III
only could have got the note In time
Dtake the train!"
Phyllis wac the very embodiment
and representation OF truth and II
never for one instant occurred to her
70 suspect the authenticity OF the
summons she had received.
And the sun hung low on the edge
OF the forest when at last she ran UP
the rude wooden steps OF the I'M
painted pine building above which
lowered tho rudely traced sign: .'Sar
Jean Station.
All was still. The heat OF the sur
has drawn little bubbling spots Of
resin out Of the green boards and the