Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-01-03

for him to fix her age at Is years less
than his own-and this gave one fruit
full topic of conversation. She admired
Scott and Dickens, and disdained the
new stuff" as he did. Longfellow was
her favorite poet-and his. Her tastes
and interests were simple and domes-
tic, yet she was greatly diverted by the
coloners experiences in business and
politics. The other women were civil
to her, but little distant. This may
have been due to the suspicious hints
let fall by Josephine and her aunt, or
it may have arisen simply from the
fact that she was widow. All single
women and most married ones think
that the widow should take her place
on the funeral pyre, beside the body of
the husband, after the Indian fashion.
When the fishing party had departed.
the next morning, the colonel betook
himself to the bowling-alley whittier
none but few old enthusiasts ever
came. At one end of the long room,
in little alcove, there was q window
that looked out over the ocean. The
widow was fond of this quiet, secluded
spot, and on days when Josephine and
her aunt were away, the colonel usually
found her there. She had a soft crepe
shawl over her rounded shoulders, and
she was busy over beaded purse.
She scarcely looked up from her work
as he approached and seated himself
by her side. care you going to play?"
she asked; and he replied. according to
the regular formula: presently. May
1 sit here?"
"Certainly." She looked innocently
beyond him, toward the alley. "Did
your daughter come down with you?"
Miss Josephine never played.
''She has gone fishing with her aunt
and the rest of them. Why didn't you
go too?"
AS matter of fact the widow had
not been asked. 81 do not care for
fishing" she said. and as she did so
she baited her hook with a sweet
smile and threw it out toward him.
The colonel's old heart gave a youth
full jump, and his hand trembled lit
tie, as he readjusted his eyeglasses.
II took pains to find out whether
you were to be of the party" said
he: "and when 1 found you were not
going, I decided that I did not care
for fishing, myself"
It is about half a mile from the
boat landing to the entrance of the
Balboa. AS the fishing party walked
this distance one small detachment,
consisting of Miss Josephine and Mr..
Grandin, fell so far behind and moved
so slowly that even the sympathetic
Aunt Harriet glared fercely at them
as they came upon the steps.
Mr.. Grandin was another who did
not care much for fishing. He was
saying: "People were altogether too
thick in that beastly little boat. I
have not had word alone with you
all day"
Anything to say?"
| "Only the same thing"
"You may say it just once"
81 love you.''
"Walk faster; I can see nv father
| looking at us from the corner of the
piazza"
"And the widow is with him-your
step-mamma that is to be-"
Don't you dare to say it. If I
thought SO, I would marry the first
man that asked me.''
81 will be the first''
| Next morning a letter and a news
paper lay beside the colonel's plate
when he came down to breakfast a
little in advance of his daughter and
sister. He recognized the same ad-
dress on both-that of his attorney
in the eastern city where he resided
and he broke the seal of the letter
with some eagerness:
"My Dear Colonel: got the stun print.
ed in the Times, just as you asked, though
| they would not use your name. It points
| to you plainly enough, however. don't
understand the game. but you probably
know what you are doing. Is there q hen
on in the Blue Elephant? Should buy ar
sell? Sounds funny to read that the fail-
| ure of the mine will affect your fortunes.
remembering, as I do, how cleverly YOU
sneaked out of it unscathed year ago.
"As you requested. have started an in
quiry. about the young man Grandin, and
will be ready to report on him in a few
days. What is the matter? Another moth
at Josephine's flame? My dear fellow, 1
have told you thousand times that you
are too supicious.
yours, A r. w"
Then the colonel unfolded the news
paper and, finding the marked pas
sage, read as follows:
Politics Is Money.-It is rumored that
the true reason for the sudden withdrawal
Of well-known citizen from the sena-
torial race, and his departure for California.
was not at all his friendship for the gov
ernor. as was alleged at the time. but
the disastrous failure of an enterprise in
which he was financially involved to n
very considerable extent. When the Blue
Elephant went to pieces, the event was not
supposed to have any political Significance.
but its largest owner was known to be a
certain colonel who is now suddenly out Of
politics. 1t costs money to be senator in
this state, and the pastime is we'll enough
for millionaires. But a fortune that is re-
duced to bare bones, and which perhaps
scarcely exists at all. will not stand such
strain.''
The colonel smiled grimly as he
read the article, and several times
during the course of the breakfast,
which he ate by himself, without
waiting for the ladies, he chuckled, as
though something on his mind was
11fOr61nO him