Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-06-25

square oh0ul00xAy 0l0OWe0 MS way
through the crowd and walked ashore.
He had . longish pale face, tired blue
eyes and . somewhat startled express
sion, like some animal that had been
scared from the grateful dusk Of his den
into the garish light Of day. There wa
IN air Of scholarly refinement about
him, but withal it could not be denied
that he wa an extremely unimpressive
personality. He was not ugly BY any
means, neither was he at all handsome.
\ kind Of dreary neutrality, which il
the mark Of 1.-THE average man. seem
cd 20 envelop him from head to foot
like dull drsb tint. Apparently he was
shout 30 or 30 years Of age. His coat
and trousers were Of black broadcloth
Of vaguely clerical cut. and his broad
brimmed soft felt hat was Of a similar
style. He looked ~ il he had slept and
had not enjoyed being awakened With
the most colorless manner he stepped up
TO Nj. and MIRA Brinckman, who felt
somehow . trife chilled, and did not
give him half 90 ELUSIVE q welcome a.
they had been prepared to do. Hulda,
Aagda and the younger girls, as soo
a. they had canght . glimpse Of him,
scattered up the little slope, without
waiting to greet him, and in their vir-
ginal bosoms q fond illusion persisted.
Hulda tried to persuade herself hat his
unpropossessing appearance was, on the
WHOLE . matter for oongratulation, as
II made IL 90 much the easier for her to
remain truer to her resolution to hate
him. But for all that, she could not rid
herself Of . vague pang n she walked
up the hill toward the parsonage.
Dinner wAs announced at l O'Clock
for this was IN old fashioned country
menage-And al the family gathered
promptly ON the hour In the large, sun.
ny dining room. The chatter Of the
many heels sounded sharply upon the
brown painted, unexpected floor. but n
no one In the house was troubled with
nerves there was no necessity for muf.
ding ones footsteps. The paneled walls
were also painted In an unobtrusive
oolor and adorned with diverse smoky
photographic one Of which represented
Napoleon at the bridge Of Arcola and
another . terribly damboyant eruption
oe vesuviuA The windows were low
and soantily draped with chintz cur
tainat and On the little lodges which
were formed BY the thickness Of the
walls stood towering roses and pinks
and Gala lilies The room was pervaded
b. savoy odora and every time q maid
enAered from the adjoining kitchen,
Carrying some steaming dish, q sound
ives heard Of sizzling and boiling, which
Yves extremely appetizing. 1t was a
pgetty sight to see the six girls, all
glowing with health and vigor, stand
ing behind their chairs waiting for the
father and mother to take their seats.
But between the pastor and his favorite
daughter o seat had been left vacant
this time, and the girl Stina had been
trapaferred. much 10 her disgust, to the
other side Of the table, where Fritz, who
sat next to his mother, was her neigh.
bon. Mira Brinckman was a large, hand.
some matron, with q plump. sagacious
faca, wearing an air of maternal au-
thority. II wa easy to see that she was
the dominant spirit Of the household.
The look Of serene determination in her
eyes oontrasted strongly with the good
humored and half deprecatory glance Of
her husband.
They waited fully five minutes before
NJ. Falck made his appearance, and a
cloud had begun to gather on the brow
of the hostesa Fritz expected that the
curate would surely be scolded for being
late and anticipated the scene with sat-
iaaction, for he knew that his mother
had two infallible tests for the judging
Of character. One was punctuality at
meals, and the other was the condition
In which . man left his room in the
morning. A guest who, like the music
n sherifi. left his bed tumbled, his
clothes strewn about ON tables and chairs
and soaking wet towels littering the
door abe would have believed capable
Of any iniquity.
In . rather formal and perfunctor,
manner MI. Brinckman introduced his
daughters 10 the new curate, but made
Fritz the subject Of q little humorous
eulogy. which, however, Mr.. Falck &C
VOPSOO WAVAA A0vAev. AuC pEsSVOH S0Au u
hrte9 grace, whereupon all seated them
selves and with an acute sense Of con-
straint began to eat the soup, containing
in each plate two preserved plums. All
the girls glanced sufreptitiously at Mi.
Falck. who blushed under the conscious
ness Of their interest In his person. He
had lived q lonely and studious bachelor
life aud associated with young
ladies. In fact, he had always been
rather afraid Of them. not because they
possessed no ~sttraction for him. but be-
cause he feared their ridicule. He had
N idea that girls were much given to
gi9gling and made fun Of the men who
tried to win their favor. Now he was
fully aware how badly nature had
equipped him for the role Of q lady kill
e.. and common prudence would seem
to dictate . cautiously reserved attitude
toward al approaches Of the willy sex.
He had occasionally, when his bachelor
menage seemed particularly dreary,
contemplated the possibility OF marriage,
but with characteristic modesty he had
fancied hia futuro bride a maiden al "A