The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-10-27

But at this moment the lady put
back her curtain an inch or two, and
called brightly: "Father!"
The two young men looked at each
other in guilty silence.
Father, dearl" the fresh voice re-
peated, a trifle impatiently.
"'Father dear says she. To her,
ladl Shpake up to her Father DEAR
whispered Mike.
Darcie felt the perspiration start as
he stepped into the breach.
"Your fathers asleep, Miss a-Bing-
ham; quite sound, you know. He's
awfully comfortable. Do you wish me
to speak to him?"
"Oh, no. Pray do not disturb him."
said the voice. sweetly. ats only my
things; are they at all dry yet? I'm
such a fright, | can't bear TO come out
as / am"
Darcie examined the lady's garments,
respectful depreciation in the tips of his
fingers, and reported that the habit
was dry, but that the boots were not
yet fit to put on. If only there were
something nything-they could dare
to offer her, that she could possibly
| keep on her feet
"Show her me 'herring-boxes, Dar-
Gle, dear" exclaimed Mike, in an
ecstatic aside "And your own little
shippers wild the hobnails. 'Tis pity
we couldn't fit her out, wild the tons av
shoe-leather that's in i'll"
Darcie bethought him OF tiny pair
of squaw's moccasins which he had pur-
chased, as a specimen of native aborig-
inal work, to send home. These he pro-
duced in triumph, and the curtain
dropped upon the lady's toilet.
With the rain still cutting off the
sound of their voices, Darcie command
ed, sternly: LEND a hand here, Mike;
we must get him out of sight at once.
Mind, now, we are doing the simple
minded act. You don't know when a
man has had too many pegs, neither do
| |. The old beggar's asleep, d'you see /?
Collapsed, played out, stupefied with
fatigue
"Ashleep, or dead, if We prefar't. But
don't think that yen kape it from her.
If she has been two months in it and
has niver seen him the way he is now,
thin meral<les is happenin' in the Cor
de Lane, and I'm livin' witness.
Bear hand, nowl Have wild We.
Steady, me boy!"-to Mr.. Bingham.
who reused as they lifted him. and at
tempted to enter into conversation with
his bearers. "Kape a shtill tongue
lettin' your own cat out o. the bag."
Dash it, Mike" said Darcie: 81 feel
as if we were all drunk! feel personal
ly implicated. I'd give a thousand
pounds if she was safe home at the
mine, or if thought she'd let me take
her home. A jag picnic in the rain
isn't just the thing to ask your daugh-
ter to, is it, Mike?''
"Mabby t would be betther we pur-
tended he's sick, and wan av us go for
the little docther at the mine, and he
could beau her home" suggested Mike.
ITO the devil with your doctor
Would you like to hear him diagnose
the case before her in plain English ?"
"Musha, the man has some sinse!
And ye c'u'd aisy give him the wink be-
forehand. The mischief av it is to find
way to get her home"
THE doctor is not in it, do you un-
derstand? I'll take her home myself, if
the weather holds up"
"And if she'll consint to go wild We,
which | misdoubt she'll do nothing av
the kind. She'd feel safer shtayin' wild
the two av us, than goin wild wan"
I'VE shall see," said Darcie. IF she's
the lady she looks, she will know by in
stinct that she is safe with either or
both of us, or with forty like u.s.
"Ye niver can tellwhat notions they'll
take" rumbled Mike, in the whisper of
a bass drum. "The inshtinc' av a wom-
an is, does she like him, or does she not"
well, is there anything the matter
with that?"
There's nothing the matther wild it
for him she happens to lay her fancy
on. IT is good thing kissin' goes be
favor-for thin that gets the kisses.
Belize I'm as honest a man as yourself,
but when it comes to seein' her home,
I'm like the docther, I'm not in it. It's
him wild the shou'thers and the tony
walk to him, and the nate pair av hands,
she'll take; and there may be inshtinc'
in it, but there's small sinse, TO be sure"
Good evening, gentlemen" said Miss
Bingham, gayly, putting back the cur
tains of her tent, and stepping forth
into the light Her high spirits, and her
happy ignorance of everything but the
bright side of the evenings adventure.
struck the young men silent with
shame and pity.
II could smell the most delicious sup
per cooking" she exclaimed. 81 hope
haven't kept you waiting. Why, where
lis hep" She stared in astonishment
about the room. "Is not my father
here?"
I'm bed and ashleep, miss, wild his
boots on, and happy as a man can be-"
Mike unhesitatingly informed her, as If
1t had been the most natural thing in
the world for her father TO go to bed
in his clothes before supper. "Ye'll best
not dishturb him, but sit and ate whilst
the vittles is hot. He's doin' betther
where he is"
I'm bed! In what bed?" Miss Bing-
ham demanded, her color rising.
In me ould bunk over anenst the
wall. And sorry I'd be to have ye go a
shtep higher to 7. II is an ould miners
byste, an not fit for a lady to put her
eye on. The ould mans that weary,
sure he's not partic'ler; he'dfall ashleep
in the middle av the road. viii We please