The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-05
CHAPTER XII.
HE BITES.

CHAPTER XII.
HE BITES.
Bonaparte Blenkins was riding home
! on the gray mare. He had ridden out
that afternoon partly for the benefit of
his health. partly to maintain his char
acter as overseer of the farm AS he
rode on slowly he thoughtfully touched
the ears of the gray mare with his
whip.
mo, Bon, my boy" he addressed
himself, don't propose. You can't
marry for four years. on account of
the will. Then why propose? Wheedle
her, tweedle her. feeble her, but don't
let her make sure Of you. When a wo-
man" said Bonaparte. sagely resting
his finger against the side of his nose
when a woman is sure Of you, she
does what she likes with you, but
when she isn't you do what you like
with her. And p said Bonaparte.
Here he drew the horse up suddenly
and looked. He was now close to the
house, and leaning over the pigsty
wall, in company with EN-, who was
showing her the pigs. was a strange
female figure. 1t was the first visitor
that had appeared on the farm since
his arrival, and he looked at her with
interest. She was a tall, pudgy girl
of Is, weighing $50 pounds. with bag
gy, pendulous cheeks and upturned
nose. She strilingly resembled Tant'
Sannie in form and feature, but her
Sleepy good eyes lacked the twinkle
that dwelt in the Boer woman's small
orbs She was attired in bright
green print, wore brass rings in her
ears and glass beads round her neck
and was sucking the tip Of her large
finger as she looked at the pigs.
"Who is it that has Gomez" asked
Bonaparte when he stood drinking his
coffee in the front room.
why, my niece, to be sure" said
Tant' Sannie, the Hottentot maid
translating. She's the only daughter
of my only brother Paul, and she's
come to visit me. She'll be nice
mouthfui to the man that can get
her" added Tant' Sannie. "Her ia
theirs got $4,000 in the green wagon
box under his bed and farm and
5000 sheep and God Almighty knows
how many goats and horses They
milk ten cows in midwinter, and the
young men are after her like flies about
bowl of milk She says she means to
get married in four months. but she
doesn't yet know to whom. 1t was
so with me when | was young" said
Tant' Sannie. "Pve sat up with the
young men four and five nights
week, and they will come riding again
as soon as ever they know that the
times up that the Englishman made
me agree not to marry in"
The Boer woman smirked compla-
Gently.
"Where are you going tor" asked
Tant' Sannie presently, seeing that Bo-
naparte rose.
"Ha! Pm just going to the kraals.
I'll be in to supper" said Bonaparte.
Nevertheless when he reached his
own door he stopped and turned in
there. Soon after he stood before the
little glass arrayed in his best white
Eol1IlI Will lue llIlle IuckS anu shaving
himself. He had on his very best trou-
sers and had heavily oiled the little
fringe at the back of his head, which,
however, refused to become darker.
But what distressed him most was his
nose. 1t was very red. He rubbed his
finger and thumb on the wall and put
little whitewash on it; but, finding it
rather made matters worse, he rubbed
it off again. Then he looked carefully
into his own eyes They certainly We're
a little pulled down at the outer cor
ners, which gave them the appearance
of looking crosswise, but then they
We're nice blue. So he put on his best
coat, took up his stick and went out to
supper, feeling on the whole well salts
fled.
aunt" said Trana to Tant Sannie
when that night they lay together in
the great wooden bed, why does the
Englishman sigh SO when he looks at
me?"
"Ha" said Tant' Sannie, who was
half asleep. but suddenly started. wide
awake. ITS because he thinks you
look like me. tell you. Trana," said
Tant' Sannie. "the man is mad with
love Of me. told him the other night