The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-12-12

of assembling. Undoubtedly. then, il
he could associate with them jointly the
old formality would continue, and. bet
ter still, he would be. relieved from the
dreadful apprehension Of q separate en-
counter. Perhaps, too, that object which
had provoked his approach to Sophronia
! might also be achieved. For the next
few days fishing was neglected. and
Paul combined the outdoor study Of bot
any and geology.
So marked a change in her husbands
%avccation did not escape Alice's sharp.
bright eyes. When she commented ON
his taste for curios, y as she termed IL.
Paul's abstracted "Eh? Ali i presume
So seemed more o disguise than 9
slight. In q word, she grew suspicious,
jealous. unhappy. 1amenting as lost
what she had not cared to hold and
burning TO prove beyond q cavil that
which she would give worlds TO disbe-
lieve. That right jolly party became a
compound of inanity and Mason Welles
easily its quintessence. However. when
this beamful young man, In his pursuit
Of the vicarious mote, suggested q jaunt
to the summit artfully mentioning that
the Mantell girls were going and add
ing. land of course Mr.. Dupont, Alice
agreed with an eagerness which he mis-
interpreted, for her delighted should
have been taken as ''heartbroken.
Nor was this the only error that Mason
made. He offended the twins sense of
decorum, representative in it's entirety,
| by a jocular reference to their intimacy
with Paul.
IT detest that Mr.. Welles, - said So.
phronia frigidly.
He is abhorrent to all ideas of de-
cency, !" agreed Abigail.
Ill fated Mason, not TO have applied
discrimination to his own easel IL
such was their united judgment, what
might not be their individual impulse?
But no man while digging a pit ever
whistled more merrily than he. when
we get there, he meditated, sTH man
age TO separate the girls, and it will be
hard If ! can't arrange to have Dupont
come across n of them while pretty
Alice 10 looking on. And then'-
So settled was Mason i'm the certainty
OF laughing last that he regarded with
composure the way In which the party
took seats in the great mountain wagon,
though It was hardly in accord with his
desire, for Paul and Alice were side by
side, like Darby and Joan, with the
Mantell sisters as prim and demure
neighbors. 1.-THE return will be slightly
different. " he unused, with triumphant
smile, and it will be dark then too"
Compunction for two ~unintended
wrongs had drawn Paul to Alice. Be-
lated appreciation and poignant regret
had dragged Alice close to Paul. To the
infinite repugnance of the twins, this
couple incontinently INDUCED in soft
and cooling phrases and more than once
on the drive were u~ndeniably holding
hands. And, still worse, when there
was a heavy jolt Paul embraced Alice
with exaggerated tenderness, although
she was safe and secure In an interior
corner, and the unprotected maidens
who should have been his care were
bobbing up and down like electric balls.
Ere the destination was reached that
respectful admiration which the Man
tell girls had shared for Paul Dupont
had faded away, its place permanently
retained by Indifferent contempt.
''Sappyl'' whispered Sophronia
.ttSpoonsi'' concurred Abigail.
But hnpless Mason Welles was un-
aware OF these changes OF sentiment;
otherwise when the cloth was spread on
the ground and the hampers were in
process of unlading he would not have
been SO intent ON sending Paul hither
and thither and on employing the Man
tell girls with distinctive errands. His
eagerness, too. prevented him from per-
ceiving that Alice was studying his
maneuvers with doubt and aversion.
Everything seemed to be working just
to perfection. Paul was engrossed with
q kettle, some damp. kindlings and a
broken match down I'm the ~ravine, hid
from the sight Of every one excepting
his wife. Bophronia had been inveigled
ON the heights after berries and Abigail
down the road to the farmhouse for
milk, each sister believing that the 9th.
er was close by.
''I'll take a shy at S~ophronia first"
Mason resolved. There's more OF the
March hare about her, I think And
he clambered mp the rocks to her side.
Look down there = he said, pointing
to Paul "There is your darling quite
| alone"
Sophronia glared. What, you empty
pated fopi' she screamed. do you
think You can insult me with impunity?
Take thati'' and she cast the pail of
berries full In his face.
Mason did not await further eccen-
tricitieg. He sped like q channels down
the mountain side until he came upon
| Abigail.
Your sisteri'' he exclaimed. Look
our for heri She's crazier than a loonl''
''Insolent puppyl" retorted Abigail.
and the milk blended with the berries.
Mason turned and fed. in fear Of
other singnlarities; but, alas. where
could BE ind sheltera Down the path
was stalking the vengeful ~sophronia;
| close behind him painted the indomita-
BILE Abigail. In q furry of terror he
bounded to Alice's side. Save me,
go 49, &4E M-I LRW