Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-06

why uld YOU rlSe!" he asked re-
proachfully. Am l not an old enough
fried to be greeted without Formally "
, 1t is really snowing!' dhe girl ex-
claimed irrelevantly.
Yes he answered, really showing
here in New Orleans
THAT doesn't happen more than once
in five years, does it?'
why, l don't know. 1t showed two
winters ago
Did it? Oh, yes, I remember. That
was the winter l spent north.
Yes" Houghton'S tone was encour-
agingly interrogative. He would have
given much to know the details of that
winter in the north upon which Caro-
was 50 Tet1cent There had been lines
about her mouth and an added some
thing to her manner when she came
home. He thought he saw in all this
the work of suffering, and at tho
thought jealousy plunged in it's ready
dart. What mental anguish do young
girls undergo, unless-he reused HIM
self to answer the question Caro- was
putting to him for the cnIru time.
Snow on Mardi Gras? No. at least
not that l ever heard Of We have
saying, you know, that the gods al
ways semi good weather for the car
nival
What GODS" asked the girl alb
stractedly.
lie weather prophets, guess. What
are you in such a brown study about"
He stopped and took the book from
her loose clasp. "Thoreaus Walden!
No wonder you are dreamy
1t is a grand book.
1T is an exagseration.
How"
Because it was written by a man
who tried hard to make himself be-
lieve that he was happy While his heart
| was breaking"
who? Thoreau?"
Even Thoreau. He took to the woods
heart that had just been wrung by
woman's hand and stamped upon by
+, woman's foot
Il didnc know"
well, if you read the book again
you will see why called it an exag-
geration. The poor fellow tries SO hard
to make himself believe that he cares
only for chpmunks ana pine trees"
| 1T is interesting, though Houghton
continued, leaning his elbow on the
mantle and looking at the fire. IT al
ways like to study the work man did
while his heart was bleeding. 1t is his
| best work"
do you think SO? Oh, shouldn't
| "Yes?"
II shouldn't think anyone could work
when he was feeling as though his life
| had been stamped out of him..
Houghton smiled sadly as he turned
again to the fire. He was right then.
She had been through the mill; knew
what it was to breathe when every
breath hurt. If he only knew the man
who had caused her pain. Houghton's
| jaws squared slowly and he faced
| around.
II want yo uto promise me some
thing he said, almost abruptly. you
have neither father nor brother want
you to regard me as both. If there
is a cur on the face of the earth that
needs Kicking
Caro- interrupted him in astonish-
ment. What are you saying?"
IF anyone has sighted you"
But no one ever has. At least
''Ah, at least dear girl. If you had
any one nearer and dearer to straight
en- this thing out I should never dare
to intrude. But you have not, and
you are so dear to me-, You know how
] have loved you ever since we used te
play with stuffed dogs. You remembe,
those white, woolly things that looked
no more like dogs than they did like
kangaroos? If honest love ever gave
man the right to protect a woman
surely have the right to shield you
Tell me the scamp's name and I prom
Use you
Don't! Oh, let's talk about some
thing else!" The girl dropped her fac,
into her hands, but Houghton could
see the furious blush that swept t,
the roots of her hair.
I'm BRUTE he said penitently
'sbut can't take it back little one.
ought to know
The girl threw up her head an,
looked at him quietly.
There is nothing for you to know,
she said steadily. 1--WE are making
great deal of fuss about nothing"
Nothing? Do you fancy that tits
lines about your mouth mean nothin,
to me- That after all the years GU
hearts have beat in sympathy, you ca
lbe unhappy and I not know it?' H
came up to her chair and laid his han
on her hair. You will let me settl
with this fellow, dear, if only for tn
sake of the old times when used t
thrash every boy that turned you i
t class at school," The kindly gravit
of his tone carried wave of home
sickness to the girls heart. 1t had bee
many weary month since her oil
rlay-fellow had seemed so near to he
ut seems like old times to have yo
standing over me. lecturing like an ar
y cient-what?"
He smiled into her uplifted eye
It Mariner. perhaps he suggested.
v did the ancient Mariner use to lie,
v ture? I thought"
> We'll, he had a story tnas he had
tell on every occasion or else go ma
d. I'm about in the same fix"
70 'You!"