Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-20
CHAPTER Nv. fContinued.,

ildH BSlS the pcIlGA vi II nv A~1NANN
countrymen-you don show 1t a bit.
Well. I'll tell you all about myself
when I've got my breath properly
For the next three or four minutes
L had leasure to observe her more close
ly, and / could see that she a most
probably. not out of her teens. and
her recent exercise had brought a red
flush to her cheeks hat set them on
in marked contrast TO the delicate
white tint of her forehead. I was stil
looking at her, when she turned
towards me.
II must begin" said she. by telling
you my name. Well, I'm Miss Nora
Courtney. If you please, and some say
that I'm the Honorable Miss Court
ney. but that doesn't matter; and I'm
some relation to him yonder that was
following me. ! live with M rather
IN the next house between this n the
town, and it's very likely IL you stay
here long enough you'll meet me one
Of these days running his messages.
by reason that u are SO
stupid, and then II you saw me carry
ing a jug, or something, you'd be TO"
proud to speak to me. My father a
had q heap OF trouble. and It's altered
him from what he used to be when J
was a child, but he's just as kind now
as ever he was, when they don't bother
him. There! do you want to hear AM
more about such a promising pair OF
people?"
To be sure / do / said. you have
hardly told me anything about your
self"
We'll. to begin again. then" she
said, I'm just nineteen, and my heads
as empty of knowledge as-as this
glass Is of drink"
/ took the hint and her glass, ana
when / had filled ii h continued
II can neither read nor write, that's
how my rather mas brought me up.
Sure he says, If you can't do either
you won't get into mischief signing
bills, and that like. as I've lone myself
Wen, this man who was after me just
now is some relation of mine, though
what 1 don't exactly know. It's a sort
of riddle like that about If Dicks
father was Jacks son'-you know.
Well, he goes by the name of D'Orvflle.
I found out the way to spell the name
afterwards, and his mother is a Corsi-
can lady, and they tell me that these
people are hard to beat in the way of
nursing their bad temper.
IT don't know what ails Maurice, but
something's gone wrong with him, and
he's got my father into the bother, but
If I'd had my letters at my fingers
ends / might have found out something
about Ii to-day. He comes AT odd
times to see us when The fit takes him,
and it's glad I am when he goes.
do you know and here she dropped
her voice, do you know that he and
his mother tried to put my father in a
madhouse, or threatened to, but he got
out of their clutches somehow and took
a droll revenge Cnon Maurice? My
father can leave only a certain part OF
his property to me, by reason of some
law OF other. Laws very ~bothering
Isn't 1t? And when he dies, Maurice,
my cousin, on whatever he Is, comes in
for a lot: so to spite them father lets
nearly all of his tenants go rent free
and a nice time of 1t the man will have
who tries to collect 1t. And so here am
i. that ought to be living in a castle
taking shelter in a gentleman's house
and / not knowing his name.
II can guess what you'd like to be
asking: What made me come here?
Well, I'll tell for o look as il
you could be trusted, and it's Very
comforting to have someone to speak
TO. / got into Maurice's room to-day
u~nbeknown to him. and there l found
his keys in the lock of the box he
always brings with him, and-yor
know how curious a girl is, leastways
/ AMI opened II, and found some
books with writing in them, and / was
pretending to myself that l could read
them, when he came in and caught me
All! you should have seen the evil loot
of him. / believe he's a dynamiter Oh
a Fenian, no less. i don't know nov
got past him, but ] did, and put I rush.
ed, and the door slammed to and
locked Ii, for the key was on the out
side. And then l ran for ii, and / saw
your door open and rushed in, and here
/ am. Now what are you going to ic
with me?"
See you safe home" / said: "and II
you ever car to call upon me In q
proper way-that is, / mean-if-ii
you'll come and see me, / shall be de,
lighted"
Would you. though? Would YOU
really?"
Yes, really" I said; "and-ahi that's
Mrs. Graves / hear, surely-as you'v,
appeared so opportunity, o will LEI
me offer you a cup of tea?"
mot this time, thank you. I'll BIZ
going now. i can slip in, and none o.
them the wiser. Goodbye. and many
thanks for your kindness, and dom
forget that it's a princess who's thank.
ing YOU"
Thus 1t was that I first saw Nora
Courtney. with the roses still fresh or
her cheek and In all the sweetness and
purity of her maidenhood. was
aroused by the quick step of Mcguire.
What luck?" I asked as he rushet
an.
'Oh. may the Banshec fly away with
them! It's the reader says one OF
them. that isn't satisfied 'What
reader?' says L. My reader ne says
All. maybe he haden't the tune of tn,
brogue.' / said, or perhaps twas tn,
Italian that bothered him, See now
let me give you a passage, and / tool
UP my writing and read him that bif
about my adventure In Florence, ant
when Id finished there he sat. turnins
over leaf after leaf OF some apers be.
fore him with one hand. and waving
me out with the other. Well, then
said something TO him in Irish-and Il
wasn't a nd 7 hanoad hi,