The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-01-03


something's"
Miss Bagge went obediently and
strummed her banjo, and mentioned
once more that she was a little Ala
bama coon, and young Mrs. Stewart
ran hurriedly to her husband.
I'm going to quarrel with her." she
said. breathlessly.
That's right" said Henry, calmly;
"anything to stop that row."
I'm going to ask her to go back to
town tonight, Henry"
But, my dear, isn't that rather
rude?"
'Of course it is. That's why / am
doing it. You'll have to see her to the
station"
The private row was quickly and
quietly over. When the last word had
been spoken the s~clf-invited guest
begged ten minutes to write a letter,
and then she pronounced herself ready
for Stewards escort to the station.
Sorry you are obliged to go, Miss
Bagge," said Stewart politely.
Its an important engagement"
said Miss Bagge, trembling, cor l
would have stayed. Good-by, dear
Mrs. Stewart. | dare say we shall
meet again soon"
Now an odd thing happened. AS
Stewart handed his charge into the
boat a letter fell from her pocket on
the deck of the Gadfy. Mrs. Stewart,
in her usual good temper now that her
husbands old admirer was departing,
nallp1 70 ha~ n & coon &c cha n,+;n,l +In
letter; but Miss Bagg paid no atten-
ton. 1t almost seemed that she did
not want to hear. When Mrs. Stewart
picked it up and saw that it was adj
dressed to Henry Stewart, Esq, and
marked private and confidential"
she opened it without a moments hest
tatiOn.
MY A HENRY-It Is so sweet TO be
near you again. Just as the wind signs for the
seashore, so do | sigh for you Can you inn
agtne what you are and ever have been TO
me? You are indeed my king, and you know
that | am your willing slave. Yours faithfully.
CONSTANCE BAGGE'
Young Mrs. Stewart sank down on
a low d~eck-chair and gasped and
looked across at the two.
"Well," she said, this o is fear
full"
There would be a good half an hour
before Henry returned, and in that
good half hour it was necessary to de-
eide what was to be done. What was
quite clear was that the creature must
have had some encouragement to in.
duce her to write such a letter, and
"Why, she is taking his ARM" she
cried.
Indeed, Miss Constance Bagge wa
resting her hand upon the arm of Mrs.
Stewards husband. Henry was carry
ing her banjo, and, looking back,
la~ughingly waved it at his wife.
Does this mean" asked, Mrs. Ste w
art, distractedly, THAT they will
never come back?'
The letter seemed to explain his
slight ditfidence in agreeing to the
lady's dismissal; it explained also why
when Miss Bagge had hat morning
made her unexpected appearance on
the bank hailing the boy with a shrill
Hi" Henry had only laughed very
much. ~n
Mrs. Stewart summoned the boy.
Yes, mem, there is a trine up liter
than this. 1t leaves Thames Ditton at
eleven fifteen, and you get to good old
Waterloo at about ten to twelve. And
| wish to Gawd," added the boy, pious-
ly, that | was there nah. This plice
is a lump too quiet for me-"
That would give half an hour to
speak her mind to Henry (f he did
come backG just half an hour to ex-
tract from him a confession, and then
a rush for the last train up. At Water
loo she could take a cab to Uncle
Georges; and if Uncle George couldn't
see her through, why, nobody could.
Uncle George was an agent general.
He was a stern man, and he treated
everybody as severely as though they
were his fellOw-countrymen.
The white-fanneled figure came back
to the riverside.
He has managed to say good-by,
then?" said Mrs. Stewart, ~fiercely. Il
should like to have seen the parting"
Henry came on board and went
straight to her, and, with the assur-
ance of new husbands, kissed her neck.
She's an impossible creature" said
Stewart. He sat down beside mis- wife
and took an evening paper from his
pocket. II believe she took the extra
away with her. I've had to buy an
other"
There was something in little Mrs.
Stewards throat that prevented her
for the moment from starting her lee
ture.
she wasn't SO bad, you know" he
went IN, lin the old days. OF course
| was a mere youth then. But now she's
too terrible for words. | suppose if
girls don't get married they get warped
and changed"
II want to speak TO you, Henry" she