The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-10-01

was starting in. Emilia looked very
We'll under the light Of the fairy lamps,
and it was all very tender and touch
ing. Muggins changed all that by pre-
tending to start rat or a cat or any
old thing and chivvying it round and
round the conservatory till he got Van
Caters laughing so that he couldn't
speak and another man came up and
claimed Emilia for the next dance, and
there was an end Of that Very glad
Van Caters was Of it, too, for just then
he fell in love with little Marie.
Marie was the only person whom
Muggins feared. She was second
cousin and poor, and visited the Van
Caters most Of the time. You can
Judge of her status in the family by
the fact that the children alternately
hugged and bullied her, and the elders
made her handsome presents when
they remembered her existence.
Marie was little and fragile and SEN
sitive, but by no means a coward. She
remained dependent because she had
been brought up to believe that she
would be doing deadly injury to the
family if she attempted to earn liv-
ing for herself. She had the courage
of a dozen men in her slender body and
was only withheld from rash plebeian
enterprise by her loyalty to the great
Van Caters line.
Muggins was rather nice to Marie.
True, he affected her society when she
didn't want him and deserted her when
she most needed consolation, yet he
paid considerable attention to her COM
mands and came to her after his battles
to be bathed, healed and lectured.
Van Caters, perhaps, might have ex-
planned this partiality. Marie had not
been anxious to make Muggins' ac-
Quaintance. Indeed, Muggins had
been obliged to introduce himself. He
entered into Marie's room one day and
seized pair Of slippers. Marie shrek
ed and Muggins fled down the hall, his
mouth full of red morocco. Marie pur-
sued and caught him just outside Van
Caters door.
Van Caters, hearing the scuff1e,
rushed out and was astonished to find
Marie kneeling on the PROSTATE Mug
gins and pommeling him violently with
both little fists. Muggins was snarling
like a fiend, and his face was screwed
up like withered apple, but protect
himself he could not unless he gave up
bic ,ror opd rolipo,,iSb II ,o would ,, ,o+
while life lasted and anyone opposed.
So Marie continued to beat him.
Van Caters grasped Marie by one
thin little wrist and drew her to her
feet She was crimson and out of
breath, and more than little ashamed
of herself.
81 hope haven't hurt you, Gerard -
she said, apologetically.
Van Caters could have roared, but
he asked very seriously what Muggins
had done.
''Stole," said Marie briefly.
Van Caters looked, but was unable
to ascertain the nature of MugginS'
mouthful.
Something valuable?''
"To me, yes," said little Marie, with
a sob in her throat, and then she turned
and hurried away.
Muggins started after her, his big
under jaw hanging. Then he let the
slipper fall and followed her silently.
apologetically, his bullet head dropped
upon his massive chest. Marie slam
med the door in his face, and Muggins
sat down outside. Presently he began
to claw energetically at the woodwork,
and Marie opened the door on a crack.
Muggins frisked grotesquely and paw
ed the door. 1t was opened a little
wider and Muggins shot in.
"By Jove, that's bright dog" de-
clared Van Caters, picking up the dis
colored object from the floor. ''If it
isn't one of the Turkish slippers 1
bought Marie at the fool bazaar last
summer. Well, WE'LL" and Van Caters
walked into his room, reflective, and
set the poor, little, mangled slipper in
the place Of honor on the mantelpiece.
He had never noticed Marie very
much, but he always had been kind to
her in careless way. Now he noticed
her great deal, for there seemed to be
something uncanny in her ascendency
over Muggins. His own attempt to
discipline the beastly bull pup had
been dismal failure, and here was
little Marie ordering the brute about
as she pleased. He tried to find out
her methods, but Marie was reticent on
the subject and so was Muggins.
Still Muggins relapsed from grace
occasionally. Once when he ate Marie's
best hat Van Caters heard Of it and
wanted to buy her another, and little
Marie refused, almost rudely, to allow
it. There was never more astonished
man than Gerard Van Caters when he
found he had fallen in love with little
Marie, except when he informed little
Marie that he wanted to marry her and
Marie refused him out and out. The
little thing even seemed to take a cold
delight in his discontinue. Only when