The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-12-27
the wooing that's not long ADDING"

ours was fully six months a-dolng,'
said Roderick, smiling. 1--WE waited
as long as possible: on account of her
mothers death. and for other reasons;
and then we married. \ right and
wise and prudent marriage, as | think
a true love marriage always is he
added. pointedly, for he felt his sister
was listening To every word he said.
And he knew that old Mrs. Grierson
was one to whom everybody told ev-
crything. though V @ scandal. passing
through the alcmbic of her sweet ma
ture. came out harmless: she was no.
ted for never having been heard to
say an i'll word of anybody.
You are right" she answered; and
her eyes. placid with long and patient
ly borne ~Sorrow-Shc was Il childlcss
widow-rested kindly on the young
bride. by her face | should say that
Mrs. Jardine was one of those rare
womcn who are in the world but not
Of it,
How well you read her. | thought
YOU would" cried Roderick. warmly.
If ever there was Il sanity creature
born But / am her husband, and
ought not to speak"
"Who is to speak for us if not our
husbands. l should like to know" said
young Mrs. Grierson. And when
there are actually three brides pres
cnt. BY the bye. Mrs. Thomson. | did
not know till a few minutes ago that it
was Your wv sister-in-law | was in
wiling You 10 meet: but shall learn
the ms ana outs of Richcrlen people
in time. You and your brother must
have married within ii few weeks Of
one another"
NO. some months" said Rodorick,
with his eyes firmly fixed on his plate.
Bella. with some smiling word or two,
turned back again To her next neigh
Dor. with whom she had been gayly
converSing all dinncr-time. SO the
difficulty passed. seemingly unnoticed
by everybody.
When the ladies rose. and he vas
forced TO let Silence pass him without
a warning or explanatory word. catch
ing only the bright smile which show
ed she was ut cas and happy. because
underneath this outside show was the
sweet inner reality that they two We're
everything to II another. ROderick
yeXed himself with conjectureS as to
what was happening in the drawing
room. and blamed himself for what
now seemed the moral cowardice Of
letting his young wife drop ignorantly
into the very midst of her foes. SO
absorbed was he with these thoughts
that he quite started when Il slap on
the back reused him to the conscious
ness of his new brothcr-in-law. Mr..
Alexander Thomson.
Didn't see you till this minute. Very
odd-my wife never told me we should
meet You here. And was that your
wife:-thc uncommon nice girl that
sat beside GricrSon: phew." with a
slight whistle; then c~ontidcntially. the
women are all fools. we know.
old lady cuts up rough still? Never
mind: what's the odds, so long as
you're happy: Glad to meet you again,
my boy. When are You coming to
see u.s."
Had ii been possible to frame q
speech more calculated than another
10 set every nerve tingling in Roder-
ick'S frame, or touch to the quick his
pride, his ScnSitiveneSS. his stron.
family feeling. these words of Mr..
Thomson would have accomplished it.
He had for>iLiy to say To himself that
they were we'll meant. and To shut his
eyes in an agony of brotherly pity to
the rapidly reddcuing face, thickening
speech. and always coarse manners of
the per>on-you could not say gentle
man-Whom Bella had chosen TO marry
before he could bring himself to reply.
Even then it was as briefly as posi-
bic.
Thank You. We have only Just ar
rived ut %lsichcrdcn. and are going TO
HlaCkhall as soon as possible"
Blu we shall see you before we 60.
Bella will be delighted, and if she isn't
shall: and | hope I'm master in my
w house. Depend upon it," drop
pms IL Lli IltttN ny UPON iIt taDlt,
and looking round with a triumphant
CLEAN in his tishy eyes. the II thing
a husband should try for from the
Very first is To be master in his w
house
IF he can be lie will be without
need to say a word about it: and if he
can't be. why. it's no good trying"
The laugh Went round at this naive
reply of young Gr~ierSon'S.b but Roderick
never said a word. And when the gen
tlemcn fell into gcutlemen's talk. poll.
ties ana SO on, though he liked it. hay
inG been long enough absent from Eng
land to feel an interest in all that wa
going on there, his mind continually
wandered not only TO his wife, whose