The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-10

she tried 10 comfort ner.
A tall shadow fell across the sum.
door. Jack Talbot came through it an'
sat down beside Rob. saying:
MY mysterious passenger sent you ,
message. Rob-a message more mysteri
Gus than even himself. He babe me say
10 you. Darkness is coming, with ligh
behind. What do you make Of that
Do you think he was crazy?"
81 hope not" Rob said, trying e
speak steadily. 1.-The darkness has come,
Jack, quickly enough. Let Us hope the
light will follow
Before Jack could answer Aunt Phe-
my caught Rob's hand and kissed it,
with smiles all over her deeply wrinkled
face.
Fate sometimes disposes of her might
lest men by means of trifies light as air.
Not that Miss Winfield was trite
Perish the insinuationl But if Lawyer
Howell had not chosen to ride abroad
just when and where he did, he would
certainly not have encountered her and
and But let the event be duly
chronicled.
The lawyer rode, soliloquizing, half
aloud: George, but Topmark is a jolly
fool! He thinks he can tame that pretty
| piece of pride. Confound it'll | wish l
had not seen her. want to throw up
the case when think of her eyes. OF
course shall not do it. But who with
out seeing her would ever understand
! Topmark's infatuation? The wonder is
that, having seen her, no longer won
der over it. She might be dangerous to
me, only she sees too far into me. Then
there is that stubborn fact-Jack Tai
bot. Only a fool would overlook him.
But the other one, Topmark's niece
she's almost as astonishing, considering
the stock she springs from. What way
she has! 1t was worth lot to see how
she cooed and purred the other night. 7
might think of calling there, only 1
hope TO get out of this tomorrow at the
latest D."
Sound Of other hoofs here made him
slacken speed. His road ran into anoth-
er some 20 yards away. Through the
thin growth of the intervening point he
saw Miss Winfield, mounted upon the
tall, gray, family horse, with Major. a
scrap of black boy, up behind. At sight
Of Mr.. Howell he set up an atrocious
Singer, crying aloud: Miss Alice
Miss Alice! Oar de We y man Marse Ben
TOXIN fotch ter we all's house t'urrer
night, de man frum town nanny say
she s'pect gwine cut out all your yother
beaus. "
You, Major, hush, this minuter"
Miss Winfield said, her face taking on "a
brick dust hue. She had taken stock of
Mr. Howell upon their first encounter,
and her mind was made up that, failing
Jack Talbot, she could do no better than
marry him. She was unfeignedly glad
of the chance that threw him in her
way, but maiden modesty, as she under
stood it, forbade her to seem conscious
of his presence until Inconsistencies
was no longer possible. Even after they
had exchanged greetings she kept a dis
tant front toward him until he drew di-
rectly beside her, saying, with lazy
laugh
Miss Winfield, you must be here as
a direct answer to prayer. l was think
ing of you, and. behold, look up and
see you'll"
''Oh, indeed! Now, wonder what
you were thinkin of poor me unless you
were wonderin how you managed to
talk to such little goose, Miss Win
fold said, with an arch lift of her brows.
"What a slander!" laughed the law
yer, and at once rode OH beside her He
was in the humor to see what was un-
der and within this undulant plump.
ness. The girl lacked fascination who'll
ly, but he seemed 10 discern in her "a
quality of subtle subservience which
might mean much TO a career such as
he had mapped out for himself.
Still, nothing might have come of it
but for Major, though he was the I'M
likeliest possible Cupid. "Dat boy, he
dest gut ter be mean CIR bust" his
mother habitually said of him, and Just
now he was i'll content with the estate
in which he found himself. There was
small chance for mischief riding thus
within six inches of Miss Winfold's i'm
maculate and starched pink shoulders
unless, that is, one had Majors genius
for it. By the time they had gone a mile
in Mr.. Howall's company the lad had
found long pin which he recalled hav-
ing hidden that morning somewhere in
his woolly crown. Next minute he had
thrust it into old gray so sharply that
that sober animal gave a great bound,
and Miss Winfield lay in heap upon the
road.
Major was there, too, q moaning
lump of arms and legs. But Mr.. Howell
took no thought of him. He knelt be-
side Miss Winfield, noting even in that
distracted minute how firmly the neat
flaxen braids sat in place. AS he slid an
arm beneath her head she opened her
eyes and gasped family, "Water, wa
teri" then collapsed against the arm
from whose support she had chastely
withdrawn herself.
"Water, waterp Major echoed in
precisely her key.
"Shut upl You are not hurt, you
monkey" Mr. Howell said masterfully.