Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-03-27
CHAPTER VIII.


The next day was wet and rainy, and
not ut all favorable for farm work.
Il think I'll go hunting" Dick said to
Mr.. Boone. perhaps can run on a
coyey OF partridges.'
"A mess on 'em wouldn't go bad, | al
low" said Mr. Boone. If | won't so
liable to reumatiz I'd go long, but
don't keer to be laid up a week from
slashiu' round through the wet. so
reckon I'd better stay to home. You
might ask Mr.. Wayne TO 60, eff you're
hankerin after comply" he added, with
= sly twinkle of his eye.
"Air. Wayne and l can't hunt on the
same trail" answered Dick.
81 see that" said Mr.. Boone. so does
everybody. I've wanted to say suthin'
TO We about matters n things fer quite
A spell, an i dunno bur now's as good
= chance as l sh'll be likely to git. |
want you to understan' that mother m
I don't uphold Nancy in what she's a
dom. We've talked to her about it, but
Lord! it don't do the least mite o. good
50 try an argy or reason with a gal
that's got a foolish idee in her head. l
don't reckon she keers an awful sight fer
Wayne, hut she thinks she's dom suthin'
purity smart. an opposin' her only makes
her all the more determined TO hev her
own way. | don't want We to blame us.
We don't like it, but, as | said afore,
we cant help ourselves. She's eighteen,
an can do as she likes IL she sets about
IL. But | feel free TO say she's maxim
\ fool of herself. an it's my candid opin-
yum that Wayne's maxim a fool of her
100"
II done blame you in the least for
what has happened" answered Dick. Il
have blamed no one but Mamie and
Wayne from the first. LII shesreally cares
more for him than she ever did for me,
she's doing right in choosing him instead
II me. IL she doesn't, she's doing wrong,
and I've told her so. But il doesn't make
much difference with us about that now,
for all is ended between us. She told me
no. aud when girl tells me that I'm
not the fellow to 20 coaxing round her,
asking il she hadn't better think it over
and say YES. | take il for granted that
she knows her own mind and means
what she says"
wall, I'm desprit sorry anything's
happened" said Mr.. Boone. with a sigh
.Mother'n aud me both felt as eff wed
ike TO hev match of 1t atwcen you an
she gal, an we s'posed twas the same
as made But it seems as CT you couldn't
Ia sartiu o. nothin' till it's DONE
Dick shouldered his gun and set off
As he weat around the corner of the
house he saw Mamie standing in the
kitchen aoEe. shaking the crumbs from
the tablecIoth fer the chickens TO pich
~. She gave him one sidelong look. anC
a turned her Alteration on the poultry
'"Ah. you needn't look at me II yol
don't want 20" said Dick. with resentfu
feelings rising in his breast. You can
blame me for anything except the EN-
Enlistment of your charming Mr
wayne's face. | haven't tried TO proven
your intimacy with him, and | don't IN
tend TO. But I'm not obliged 70 like hin
because you do. Miss Nancy Boone.
Ii was somewhere near the middle Q
The afternovn when Dick started towar'
home. Suddenly he caught sight of III
orint OK q mans foot in the soft. rain
Ynoistencd earth. He bent down aud ex
amined L very carefully.
We'll" he said. as be ScrItinized I'll
Footprint, "this is rather strange thin
% find here. Ii must be at least thre
miles from AIR. Porter's. l can't mas
inc Whist Measure a man would End in
ShFee-mite walk IN taeSe Noo1Ss ~ ~
dead OF night. among the mosquitoes an
gnats."
From which the reader vii readily Or
derstand that he believed the track {
have been made by Mr.. Wayne.
Hc GOT down on his knees and exam
med the footprint sim more closely.
was certainly made by foot that wor
a boot from down below" That Wa
.-;sauk fran, fba na-rnxr sole small he,
end general shape.
Nobody wears such q boot bI
Jvss ne,''i saFi Dick. ssN1a she ,EAaae Ia.