Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-04-19
af A LUCKY JOKE.

''It's only piece OF fun, said NIL
iicent Manton. Everybody must do
something for amusement. And il il
so cruelty, fendishly dull at saS
jean"
Dull ehp" Her elder BROTHER
elder by a good score Of years
shrugged his shoulders. ';You find &
dull, do you? Well, you must remem.
Der that you insisted on coming, in
spite OF all our remonstrances You
thought it was military post eh, and
that there was some flirting to be
donep Well you've found out your
mistake by this time
Eyes, l have" frankly admitted
Miss Manton, clasping her hands on
top of her curly head. And I wish
TO goodness was back in dear old.
Chicago! But in the meantime I
must try and keep myself alive. y
Her blue eyes scintillated wickedly,
the corners of her rose leaf lips tele.
Rraphed 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
mAam." @
why are you corresponding vita
her?''
.I'm not. That letter was not FROM
me; it was from David Belfeld the
express agent-Or at least 80 she will
suppose. He wants to see her-or at
least so she will think-up to the sta
ton. And she'll 60 to him. She's
just fool enough for that How he
Will stare! And how she will long for
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 a dark
frown. us that your idea of fun?'
said he. Milly nodded. "A splendid
joke" said she Such a piece of
prim perfection as that Yankee school
ma'am is! l haven't forgotten yet
what scornful look she gave me that
night was teasing poor little Roggy
Willis at the sheet and pillow case
party. 1t 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 1st of April;
he's very sick, don't you understands
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
time"
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 mean
and cruel thing. l did not think it
was in woman to play such a con-
temptible trick as that.
ooh. you're setting up to defend
the Yankee schoolma' am are youp"
replied Millicent defantly Appar-
emily she is the queen of all hearts,
Il don't care copper about Miss
Perkins," said Manton, land you know
that as well as do But I like to see
fair play. And l mean to go and tell
her that all this is malicious joke on
your part"
go by all means" said Milly
calmly. "But 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 picnics.
yachting parties AMI government on
GERS to pass away the time.
10 her amaZement she had discov
cred that San Jean was a wild and SOL
1tSry nook, far from the luxuries of
Civilizations Sahara in the woods.
She had tried her best to get up a
Irritation with the foreman of the
steam saw-mill and with David Bel
field. the handsome young official at
the railway express Office, but neither
OF them seemed inclined to respond;
and Milly Manton, like ..Mariana'' in
the 'Moated Grange" could have
cried out in sheer desperation: II am
weary weary; / would that were
dead!"
Sick! alone. and something to say
to me that must be said! Oh, l
wonder what it can ber' said Phyllis
Perkins to herself as she sped with
the long. swinging stride of true
daughter OF the wilderness through
the flower-enamelod woods. springing
lightly from stepping to stop
ping-stone across the foaming bed Of
the river pushing her way through
thickets of mazanitha and copses of
family smelling nutmeg trees .'lf
only j could have got the note in time
to take the train!"
Phyllis was the very embodiment
and impersonation of truth and it
never for one instant occurred to her
to 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 IN
the rude wooden steps of the un-
painted pine building above which
lowered the rudely traced sign: ..San
Jean Station.
All was still. The heat OF the sun
hiss drawn little bubbling spots OF
resin out of the green boards. and the
sweet spring scents came up from the
glen below
Phyllis knew that the mex. rain did
not stop until toward O'clock, so that
the quiet and silence seemed not un-
natural She opened the door and
went in No one was there. Tbs
door into the ticket Office was open,
but the seat in front Of the desk was
empty. Phyllis looked around in
some perplexity.
MR. Belfeld!" she called. The
deep mountain side sent back her
voice In a muffled echo A sense OF
sudden terror came upon her-a blind
instinct for flight. In the same in
slant she thought she heard a groan.
Once more she looked all around her.
Surely that groan had risen out of
the very depths of the earth. and
there. almost at her feet was the iron
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