Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-06-25

house. I put them in the basement"
lis this your understanding rs you
call it?'
1T Is about rs near as | can get TO
one at present, doctor. | said | should
go there again tomorrow"
And the day after, / suppose. Very
well. Mr.. Philbrick, l think | under
stand you, but I'll ask another ques-
ton. Did you say anything to Miss
Drummond about our
Mortal combat?" interrupted Phil
brick in evident amusement. Why. OF
course not, my dear fellow. You
really didn't think I'd be so childish,
did you?"
II simply wanted to know" respond
ed the doctor. I'm obliged to you"
and he passed on.
Philbrick looked after him with his
curious smile, shook his head solemniy
and proceeded on his way.
Before he arrived at Fairview DIR.
Williams felt better. The acknowl-
edged and determined rivalry of this
Mr.. Philbrick was to be preferred TO n
game OF subterfuges. insinuatiOns and
repeated misunderstanding. 1t put
the matter where it belonged-in the
hands Of the lady TO decide between
them.
Il cannot compete with Philbrick,"
reflected the doctor, lin what | sup
pose is called %gallantry. I'm not witty
and l can't smirk and make eyes at a
girl. In fact, l don't believe | have il
in me TO really please a woman, but
1 can try. Louise must love me for
what | am If she loves me at all, and
with that l must be content to accept
my fate"
Louise herself told him how she had
seen Mr.. Philbrick on the ledge, and
had called to him not to fall in again.
HE thinks his rod she said, has
foated under the bank somewhere, and
he is coming up tomorrow to look for
IL with a spyglass."
HE thinks a good deal of his rod"
remarked the doctor.
Yes; he says it is a souvenir"
If Louise thought TO tease the doc
tor into any manifestation of jealousy,
or even of interest in Philbrick's do
ings, she was disappointed. His meet
ing with his rival had prepared his
mind, and yet if he only knew it, an
exhibition of jealousy might have
made Louise think more highly of him.
Such is the aggravating inconsistency
of young women-some of them.
So Mr.. Philbrick called on the next
day, and on the day after that. Mrs.
Williams observed his assiduous atten-
tons to Louise and was disturbed. for
she thought of her son. She did not
venture to speak plainly TO Louise
about the matter, for her position in
the house hardly warranted that. Mrs.
Williams was a sensible woman in
most respects. She saw that her pres
ence at Fairyiew was q mere formal
ity, and was lot intended as an actual
guardianship, and she sew, too, that
she could not help her son by attempt
ing TO plead his cause for him, There
were times, too, when she doubted
whether she desired his success with
Louise overmuch. Nevertheless, she
took occasion, now and again, to extol
qualities, speaking of his
struggles to gain education and liyeli-
hood at the same time, his loyalty and
true kindness of heart, and eXcusing
his defects, if he had any, on the
that his early loss of his father
had deprived him of proper counsel
during his boyhood.
Perhaps Mrs. Williams good sense
failed her a little in these well meant
discussions. Perhaps ii is generally
Indiscreet TO try to influence a young
woman's heart. AT all events, Louise
did not give the doctor any special
comfort In the way Of showing him
that he was advancing in her favor. !
he met Philbrick at Fairview occa-
sionally and took pains always to con-
zeal his hostility, a matter that was
comparatively easy now that there was
IN understanding between them.
Philbrick, on his part, sedulously re-
from INDUCING his satire at the
!cctor's expense, and so the days pass
ed without apparent friction.
A week after Mrs. Williams went to
an elderly woman was driv-
to the house in a depot carriage. She
brought a note to Louise from her
in which he introduced Mrs.
Appleton, successor to Betsey Hub
bard, as housekeeper.
How much she looks like Betsey.,
thought Louise, only older and sourer.