The Somerset reporter., 1893-06-29


began, breaking short silence that
had fallen between them and speaking
in constrained tone that told his lis
tener of Il depth of feeling below the
commonplace words. "a man who'd new
pr had anybody To care for him since his
father and laother died. when he wasn't
much more than baby, and left him to
he looked after or not, just as it hap
rcnod.
Poor little laddiel What became of
him;"
He was sent to boarding school while
the money lasted Then that went, just
as orphans money generally does 20.
and the fellow was left to shift foy him
self He had rather "A rough time'for a
willie, but he came out west and struck
luck in prospecting before he was very
old"
"Oh, is he old:" said the listener
blankly
ION, no, not really, but he feels kind
Of old and forlorn sometimes, when ha
hears other fellows talking about their
mothers and sisters and-wives,' he fin
ishcd very softly.
Poor fellow" said Daisy pitifully.
YES, he Is a poor kind Of fellow pur-
sued Jack hunbly, "with no education
or bringing up or anything TO recon-
mend him to "A woman except just a
whole heart full of love for her, and
and-oh, Mrs Lane, it's myself I'm talk
ing about, and | know | can have no
chance with you" And poor Jack, in
an agony of shame and fear that his
avowal had lost him even the merest toll
Grafton from the lady of his love, rushed
from the room. If he had been com
posed enouf i to take one look, he might
have gathe ID hope from the bright
blush that suffused Daisys face and the
tender happy light that sprang to her
eyes.
The beautiful color had not left her
face before Mordaunt's soft, well modu
lated voice at the door sought permission
cradle of Indian manufacture. MADE
from drawingof my own, he told Mrs
Lane with smile that brought out all
the uncommon beauty of his face. Daisy
resisted an impulse to decline his gift
because it would be such a pleasure to
Lily. so she thanked him prettily and ex-
pressed her admiration for the ingenious
Toy. Then the conversation drifted on
till at last he mentioned Jacks name,
looking steadily at her as he did so and
catching 10 .,k of interest that infuri-
atcd him Jack seems very solemn
lately, but that's natural for Il fellow sit
uated as he is. y
why, what's the popularity of Mr.
Dinsmores situation?'
"Oh, ha, ha. Haven't you heard. And
thought you were such friends"
Heard what? really don't know
what you are. talking about"
well, if Jack hasn't told you himself,
don't know that have any right to"
laughed 1.-THE beauty" But every one
knows that he's entangled some way
with one of the girls over at the fort
Some of the boys guess he's married to
her, know he sends her money often"
Then, having planted the seeds of mis-
chief, he bowed himself ont
As he left the little parlor he muttered
to HIMSELF "All's fair In love and war,
and this will be both if Jack doesn't keep
his ugly face out of my way, I'll have
that woman if have to go through sea
of lies, and it's we'll struck in time, for
she looked pretty haggard when | told
that yarn. l wonder if she's idiot enough
to care for that fool of Il fellow when
there's better men round" He had not
thought him fool once when he staid
behind their party at the risk Of his life
to spend days and nights nursing him
through a brain fever, but one forgets
favors in love and war. Then in pur-
suance of his tactics he sought an carry
opportunity of putting thorn in his
rivals side
Don't the course of true love run
smooth, eh? he said mockingly at their
next meeting.
Il don't understand"
You're conveniently stupid, old boy.
Well, never mind, was little soft that
way myself i'll found out in time by
great good luck that wasn't first on the
field"
Jack turned very red, wondering for
pne wild moment if he was thought to
be- the fortunate one who had made the
Innings. The next remark enlightened
him. "a pretty woman like that doesn't
20 long without some one getting a
mortgage on her. Daisy Lane was en-
gagged before she came out here. It's so,
but please don't speak of it yet 1t was
true, as Mordaunt said to himself, and
huge joke, for of course she was engaged
before she was married, as poor Jack
might have guessed if he had not been
too crushed by the blow to see the point
If such wit.
From the fort, 90 miles away, had
come an invitation to most of the set
tiers to celebrate the glorious Fourth by
n ball and the first grand display of fire.
works that part of the country had ever
seen. The collections had been very
munifcent, and the amount of patriotic
finder was SO large that two wagons
We're required to transport the well
boxed packages from the train. There
was great enthusiasm among the invited.
Every wagon in the settlement was sup
piled with board seats, and the big stage,
which was one of the fort properties,
was borrowed for the convenience of
Mrs. Lane and the only other two wom-
en- in the place whose position entitled
the coach, in which of course Uncle ,Jer-
~ had Il pace. Lily was now so well
that her mother arranged to leave her to