Morris tribune., 1895-10-09
tnat big, ugly brute away, for goodness

that big. ugly brute away, FOR goodness
sake! ~
The great hound was growing ant
shifting iii suspicious fashion in thu
neighborhood of the officer s ankles, oc
casioning that gentleman no little con
Germ.
"Sh-h--get away, Michelle Liz
down, sirrel" cried Jeanette, catching
/! up billet of wood and chasing thu
hound from the visitors, much to ia
mics satisfaction
i And now the claim of stranger to the
rites of hospitality had dawned ppor
the startled girl, and as if she had not
heard the officers free and easy speech
she said:
Won't you sit down? You must be
cold. And she placed chairs for them
near the stove and was handling d
fresh log I'd put in the box stove when
the sergeant came quickly toward her.
s'Allow me, Miss ST. Denis, = he said.
At the same moment he had drawn
off his mitts and seized the log Of wood
she had lifted in both hands. In doing
this his hand accidentally touched hers.
She looked up at him suddenly and the
4 color on her cheek deepened not a little.
''How cold your hands are!'' she re-
1 marked. Their touch quite startled me
they are like lead. = But she let him
take the log, and perhaps he did not
know that this simple, commonplace
act of politeness. which with some
! would have. passed as a matter of course,
was recognized gratefully by her as a
Difference she felt was only her due,
even if she were only Gabriel St. Dem
is daughter.
'sHave you put your horses in the
stable?'' Marie asked, turning to the
sergeant There are four or five spare
stalls, you know. and lots of hay, q
Tt was significant that she did not adj
dress herself to the officer But Jamie
resented this. He must show this untu-
tored child Of the prairie that he was in
command of the party. .s . ss
s Don T fret, my dear, - heremarked,
with an assumption of graceful face
tiousness; my men know how to make
themselves at home. You press the but
toni mean, you find the hay, and we
do the rest. =
Marie looked at him wonderingly for
an instant She did not know whether
to put this mans strange speech down
to his ignorance of the common civil
ties of everyday life or to "a chronic
crudeness or rudeness of manner She
only slightly bit her lip and made no
comment. She would be charitable and
ascribe his familiarity to the former by
pothesis. 1t would not do to neglect the
sacred rites of hospitality, even if-and
here her heart sank within her at the
thought
In another minute the private AMI
the scout had come into the room Al
last Jamie asked abruptly:
''When do you expect the old man
back?''
The sergeant turned uneasily in his
chair when he saw the look of wistful
entreaty and pain upon the girls face
ON hearing this blunt question.
eff you mean my father, she an
swered, 1 am not in position to tell
you. Do you wish particularly to see
him -
'SYup-yaas, just reckon we want
TOTO have an opportunity of interview
ing him, . answered Jamie in his hap
piest manner He was under the inn
preston that his humor was Of d light |
and graceful kind and he looked into
the faces Of the others to mark the sig14s
of appreciation of these qualities. But |
he was nettled at discovering only q I
stolid imperturbability in them. Had |
his perceptive faculties not been co
dulled by conceit he might possibly
have detected a look of unqualified dis
gust and shame there instead.
Now, look here, my dear" he con
tinued, its no use of you tryin this
innocent sort of dodge on with me. We
want to see the old man, and / guess
we'll see him, 'posin we've got to waiS
in this ere house for a fortnight =
Sir" interrupted the girl suddenly,
and turning her great clear eyes full
upon him, with almost an incredulous
look in them.
The sergeant coughed and shifted un-
easily in his seat. The constable kicked
the heel of the scout surreptitiously
with his outstretched foot, and the lat
ter seemed to find something that inter
ested him immensely III a pair of snow
shoes which were crossed on the wall
over the dresser. The half breed woman
paused in the performance Of some
work, folded her arms, and looked at
the officer with brows that knitted like
gathering storms. But Jamie saw none
Of these signs and continued:
You don't seem to understand, my
DEAR pretty girl like YOU
But he had overstepped the mark this
time. The warm blood mounted into
the girls face, she held her head erect
ind looked at him unfinchingly as she :
Sir, by what right do you insult two
1efenseless women?'
The sergeant's breath came and went
in quick gasps. Could he risk calling
his superior officer to sense of what
was proper and rely on Townley, the
private, and the scout becoming tempo :
.arily deaf? For he knew if he smoke liz | !