Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-08-13

markable love for his son. Mrs. Gerard,
it appeared, had been kind enough to
give me more credit than 1 deserved,
and her husband expressed his appreci-
alton Of my efforts in characteristic
fashion.
"1ou are not giving me value re-
ceived," he said, brusquely, "but you've
done all asked, and more"
I wondered whether Mrs. Gerard in
her letters had mentioned my excur-
sion into Cupid's domain, and answered
the question in the negative.
I'm generous man." Gerard con-
tinued, with that curious infection in
his voice which Ihad remarked when he
had pressed upon me his rarest wines;
"and my epdaughter-you have found
out, of course, that she is my step
daughter-will be handsomely dow
cred. dare say shall give her a pic
ture or two-that Constable perhaps
If"
Of" l repeated.
"If she marries the right fellow"
What. asked myself, did he mean?
That there was meaning behind every
word he spoke could no longer doubt.
Why did he remind me of spider3
Why = humiliating reflection = did
compare myself to fly? These ques-
tons were adequately answered later.
Our talk for the present was over. The
lights of the house We're in sight. The
familiar roar of the surf became louder
and louder. and the dogs, brace of
handsome bloolhounds, bayed melodi-
ously.
by Jupitcr!" : said Gerard, sharply,
shat is the voice of Demctrius."
strained my ears in vain, but large
figure doomed suddenly in the fore
ground.
"That you. Demetrius?" my compan-
ion shouted.
Yes" came the measured response,
.it is l."
The Greek, however, had no intention
OF stating his business in my presence.
He assisted his master to descend from
the high buggy and followed him re.
specially into the house. remained
with the horses and helped the coach
man, Jap Byers, an excellent fellow, to
unhitch them-and his tongue. He
chartered volubly.
"Slimy kind o'cuss, that Their Greek,
Mr.. Livingston. I'm liar if he didn't
scare the puddin' outer me-"
| "You don't look as if you were easily
seared," said 1.
81 amt" he replied; that's fact;
but the Greek he done it. An it warn't
| right, neither. Him an me never was
frien's. When he comes a-sashayin'
along as if he owned the hull earth
aim ter look jest a leetle mite above his
head, as if didn't see his royal high
ness; an that MAIDS him an tickles me- y
Jap laughed loudly. had known for
some time that he and Demetrius were
anfriendly.
so he scared you?"
"Yes, sir. Ye see. he bosses it around
the house, but I'm the chief here, an
don't allow no monkey business on my
premises. Well, sir, after you left,
Mary, the housemaid, come out, an she
an me had leetle howdy-do. She's
Danish, is Mary, an not one O. yer scary
ones. Why"
Get along with your story, Jap. I'm
in a hurry"
"NIary was tellin' me about the doin's
with the gentleman as was hurt, an
/ givin' me the hull song an dance"
Where We're you, Jap?"
The honest fellow blushed. By the
Pickering light of the stable lantern l
could see his frecliled face blazing.
| 1--WE was in the hay now" he said, re-
luctantly.
"Where you generally sit, eh?"
"Yes," he admitted, with a sheepish
| grin. "Mary likes the smell o the hay"
Go on, Jap"
"D'ye Think" he demanded, eagerly,
that ther Greek was on to the racket
O. me an Mary sittin' in the hay NOW
Gosh! ] guess he was stuck on Mary
h;sself. Why, that accounts for the
milk in the cocoanut. OF course. Well,
sir, when she got through tellin' me
how the pore Teller couldn't speak nor
| move, and"
"She went into all those details?"
why, yes; an she had it straight
from Miss Nancy, too. Wimmen folks
| must talk, or they'd materially go crazy.
Well. sir, she'd got at last ter the end
O. the yarn, an I'd told her good-by, an
was wavin' her adoo as she stood in the
doorway, when all OF student big
shock o hay comes a-tumblin' down an
ketches me right 'twixt wind an water.
1t come nigh KILN me, an Mary, too.
Why, the girl most split herself a-laflin'.
An, Mr.. Livingston" his pleasant voice
hardened, "that Their Greek, damn his
soul, done it"
expressed my establishment.
"fle done it outer meanness. never
suspicioned the cuss, knowin' that the
hay was kinder poorly piled an that
I'd bin keerless about the handlin' of
IT. But jest before you drew up hap
pcned ter start out fer the house, an
then changed my mind an walked
around the barn. Well, sir, as I come
around that ther corner l saw the Greek,
standin' like statoo on PEDESTAL.
Where did he come from? Why, from
the NOW, O. course. He piped me off
ter the house, an then crawed out.
He must ha' known that Danish Mary
an l was frien's, an he calkilated ter
make an everlastin' scarecrow outer me
before her-the son of gun! dropped
onter his racket right away, the second
! seen him. lie come there a-purpose.
Ia "a thumped him good, if it cost me
this place, but the dogs begun barllin',
The Greek he speaks to 'em as if mo-
lasses candy wouldn't melt in his mouth,
an the next thing knew he was talk
in with Mr.. Gerard. but, cuss him, I'll
crit avn,