Evening star., 1896-01-18
and distinctly. ..that has nfty-nine v.ria,

and distinctly. ''that has ffty-nine varia-
tions."
piece. but that word ..vsriations' stopped
him. He stole quick glance at her, but
she was looking fesolutely at the carpet.
Must be the tune the old cow died on
laughed the farmer. (which variation was
You whistlin'?'
-. = ;. was as whIstl,ng listing the fourteenth varia-
The strong color surged up over the
Lady, had fifty-nine variations given in his
book. and there on the board before him
was the Identical situation that he and Hat
tie had noticed and studied In the four
teenth variation.
Now he remembered Wyllie's wonderful
play Of 1870, and black to win.
Holding his breath, he made the move.
Lost the game, schoolmaster!" shouted
the old farmer, but the schoolmaster con-
trolled the moves.
Again 14-23, and every checker player
stared In amazement. Again N-27, and
then 1t slowly dawned them that the
remarkable moves.
One more move, and then the piece, on 2
went the ''long jump removing three
pieces and winning the game.
around the successful one, with hearty con-
gratulations.
Bill Keller slipped into the hall unob-
served. and after putting on his great over
his way out and started for the stables. AS
he passed the kitchen door Edna came out
and stopped him.
Are you going home, Mr.. Keeler?' she
asked.
"Yes: haven't anything to stay for" he
answered.
you'll be lonesome drivin' that twelve
miles, all alone" said Edna. sympathetical-
YES" he answered, "considerin' that
expected to take some one with me, it'll be
dunn lonesome"
The contrast between that moonlit drive,
as he had pictured it to himself, and as it
would now be. struck him with full force.
He pulled his cap over his eyes. His vocab-
ulary was not extensive:
Dunn it!' he said; and 1t is doubtful II
any fate could have got more than that
from him.
I'm awful sorry for you, Billy" said Ed
ma, softly, and then he saw that the pretty.
foolish creature was crying.
She had thrown a white woOlen "dfa-
me nd-dusted" thing over her head, and her
blond hair blew around her face. The spar
kling moonlight fell on snow crystals. dia-
nlond dust and tears, making dazzling brill
liants of all.
Bill Keeler's mind moved slowly, but
when she repeated Pm awful sorry" he
realized that sympathy is a blessed thing.
He took her hand-she slipped into his
arms.
The small boy who saw this scene from a
"proscenium box" behind the rain barrel,
COuIu never go OH from mere III his report.
''They stood close together he said after
ward, IAN they jest whispered
Where on earth is Bill KeelerT' asked
Farmer Bates. v
Guess he's gone home" suggested Uncle
Tommy.
Don't let him go!' exclaimed the hos
pitable farmer. "Here. Ernest, you run
an" the kitchen door opened, and there
in the doorway stood Bill Keeler with his
arm around blushing Edna.
Il come for a wife, an by jing! guess I
got one," was all he said.
There was double wedding and a supper
to be remembered.
Sometimes, in these later days, when
Prof. Field finds his wffe's country wit too
sharp for him, he says:
you know you really proposed to me- for
| If you hadn't helped me to win that game
,ou would have married Billy
To which she replies, sedate1y: "It was
purely my interest in checkers, dear.
couldn't bear to see good game lost by q
| foolish move"