Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-05-06

- 10y NhN gNh @AAAA IAlAttAi~s S4lf
asked, and her voice was faint, as IL
J far away.
because it took longer" replied
Frank, simply.
w.
They got back to the Grand Hotel in
a torrent OF rain, a deluge poured out
of all the urns Of heaven; muddy to
their waists, wet TO their skins and
chilled to the bone. Eva, after a hot
supper, was sent Off to bed by her
father, and the three men-Slr Archi-
bald, Frank and Bertie-sat In the
drawing room, where a few other Wis
TORS, all very cross at the bad wealth
er, tried to SOlace themselves wtth IL
lustrated papers or albums. The old
gentleman took q dO2e in an easy
chair. Frank gaZed pensively at the
straight streaks OF rain, which fell Ike
IN endless curtain of close steel nee
dies, thrashing the curtain of the
ford. BERTHE sippcd a hot grog and
looked at his shiny slippers.
And you did not miss my company
on your excursionT' he asked, address
ing Frank with n smile, just to break
the silence that reigned in the room.
Westhoye turned TO him in some sur
prise, as If reused from a dream; then,
with n frank laugh, he briefly IN
swcred:
"No."
Rertie stared at him; but his friend
had already turned away, lost in
thought yer the patter Of the rain; 50
BERTHE at last took up his book again
end tried to read. But the letters
danced before his eyes; his ears and
nerves stil thrilled mcomfortably un-
der the remembrance of that one short,
astounding word which Frank had
fired into the silence like q leaden bull
let. 1t annoyed him that Frank should
take no further notice of him.
Frank stood unmoved, looking out at
the mountains, scarcely visible through
the watery shroud; what he saw was
their walk back from Moldehof; the
meandering. downward path through
the tail, dripping braken: the pelting
rain streaming ia their faces as from n
watering-pot; Eva, closely wrapped in
her wet macintosh, and clinging to
his arm as IL seeking his protection; be
hind them her father, carefully feeling
the slippery, moSs-grown stones with
his walking stick. Frank had wanted
to wrap her in his own waterproof
coat, but this she had positively re-
iected: she would have him made III
for her sake, she said, In that far-away
voice. Aid then, when they were
home again, and had changed their
clothes and dined. and laughed over
their adventure. Sir Archibald was
afraid lest Eva should have taken cold.
Frank remembered at this moment a
fragment of their conversation; his
asking her. a little surprised, in spite of
himself. '"Have you read lbsen's
Ghosts? You spoke of Oswald when
we were up on Moldehof."
As il happened. he had himself read
stGhosis.- and he did not think it a
book for a young girl; she noticed his
surprise, and blushed deeply as h re-
piled:
Eyes, I have read it. l read a great
deal. and papa has brought me up on
rather liberal lines. Do you think that
| ought not to have read Ghosts"
She herself had seen no harm in IL,
had not, perhaps, fully understood 1t,
as she candidly confessed. He had not
ventured to tell her that the study OF
such n drama Of physiological heredity,
was. to say the least, unnecessary for
q Young girl; he had answered vague
ly. and she had celored yet more deep
iy. and said no more.
.'She must have regarded me as a
pric Of a schooimaster!" thought he, i'll
nj ease. ''yVhy should she not read
what she likes? She does not need my
permission for her reading; she is
grown mp enough. She must have
thought me a pedantic owl"
Frank said BERTHE, again. Il
'What?' said Frank, startled.
~We leave this place tomorrow, l
supposeT' -.
Eyes; that was u plan. AT least If
the weather improves"
"What Is the name OF the next out
iandish spot we are going tor
syeghlunSnaes; and from thence TO
Romsdal and Gudbr1ndsdal."
"And the RhodesT'
a'They are going to Bergen"
sTO-morr0wY
~ don't know"
And he stood once more lost in
thought; the gray, wet atmosphere
without cast a gloom on b scene
within: and IN MIS- eoul, too. reigned
the deepest gloom. What was b nse
1900 <oortrvuo xvhnn n fnyU L