Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-04-04
your grounds and Capt. Wrinkle is the

your grounds and Capt. Wrinkle is the
guest of your house."
She shrugged her shoulders and sat
down on the seat he had just left.
81 am going to say what I really
would not say if it were not all set
tied between you, Mr.. Fanshaw," she
was putting the stems of her fern
leaves together in her left hand, "and
that is that I do not blame you
much"
"You do not really?"
For moment she gave him full
glance from her deep sympathetic
eyes.
81 did lot sleep wink last night,
Mr.. Fanshaw. was so angry with him
that l could not close my eyes. I
came near asking my father to send
him away. From mans standpoint
1 presume you have done all that can
be done"
He sat down by her.
81 never let my temper get the pest
of me, Miss Hasbrooke, without feel
ing dissatisfied with myself. l re-
Trained from striking him when I
found he would not fight, but what I
finally did was just as bad" He was
looking at the buttons and shoulder
straps in his hands.
Evelyn laughed softly.
HE may not have any more buttons
here in the country" she said, "and he
may have to discard his fayorite suit
for awhile"
ST did it in spasm of uncontrol-
liable anger" was Ronald's defense.
HE deserved more than that slight
humiliation" she smiled; land yet you
must not try to conquer the divine in
clination you now have to pity him
1t shows you are truly noble-noble!'
Ronald blushed to the roots of his
hair.
when he refused to fight me-" he
said, 81 ought to have left him. think
l could if his reasons for not fighting
had not been quite so exasperating."
81 an going to help you about the
buttons and the shoulder-straps," an
swered Evelyn. ~ have maid who
can hold her tongue. / am going te
get her TO borrow the captains Goa
from his room, and ! shall restore hi!
plumage."
He smiled, new light in his eyes
~ really think I should like to hay'
you do 1t, if you will" said he.
HE will wonder who did it," sh
| laughed, land 1 half hope he will sus
pect me of knowing something abou
it; he is tiresome in all things, but b
has more to say about his courag
than anything else"
Just then the plantation bell rang
"Oh, you men are awful-awful!
she went on, grown suddenly seriou.
eff Capt. Wrinkle had been of a differ
ent type you would have been shoot
.ng at each other at this moment
she checked herself; there was tens
look about her lips. you would hav
been in great trouble (for no ma
can escape it who has killed another,
Then he might have taken your life.
He understood, and his heart bea
wildly.
''If he had been of different typ,
he would not have treated me as b
did, and should not have been her
this morning"
She gathered up her ferns and Aov
ers and rose.
"That is quite true" she rejoine
with look towards the house. II mu
be going now; good-by."
She took the buttons and sleeve O
naments from him, and put them int
her pocket, and then held out hi
hand. "Good-by," she said again.
| When Evelyn reached the house an
had entered the great hall she called |
her maid, Marie, mulatto girl, to tai
care of her ferns and flowers.
Have you seen Capt. Wrinkle th
morning?" Evelyn asked.
The maid laughed impulsively as 81
filed her hands with the damp gree
things.
"Yessum, seed i'm, an he act,
mighty strange. never seed a man a
SO quar- in my life" Again Mar
laughed.
what do you mean, Marie?"
"Wellum," answered the maid, II n
ticed i'm go out fur his walk to'ds {
spring, an would er bet my life dat
had on his brass buttons an de stra
on his shoulder, kase seed UNI shini
in de sun; he was smokin' an Walk
as clipper as er game rooster, but abo
fifteen minutes ago seen i'm slinki
up de servants stairs on his tip-toes.
met i'm face to face, did, an, your
miss, as God is in Heaven, he didr
have q sign of button on is COT
an he'd cut off his shoulder straI
too, an more dan dat. he looked
mean as egg-suckin' dog"
Marie giggled again. She had, wi
the usual perspicacity of her ras
OWNED that the officer was not in hi,
favor with her mistress.
AT this juncture Capt. Wink
dressed from head to foot in snow
duck, came down the front stairca,
and, bowling to Evelyn, lie went out /,
the veranda. Without speaking aga
to Marie, Evelyn turned into her ov
room to take off her damp apron.
She decided that she would, later
the day, ask Marie to get the captain
coat.
CHAPTER v.
After supper that night the thr
gentlemen remained at the table aft
the ladies had left, to smoke and dril
4 u . = 80 y