Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-11-21
CHAPTER II.-Continued.

Ana What sort of an encounter is it
you've been having with him? Not an
actual battle. suppose? Or YOU would
look even worse than you do!
Now, | was very much nettled by this
speech. betraying as it did the ridicu-
lous admiration women have for mere
inches in man. ! dare say my veXa-
ton was easy to be seen.
Il am quite aware, said ]. that I'm
not six feet high, and I'm quite ready
to believe that's a great disadvantage
on my part. But, at any rate | haven't
got the face of criminal and | don't
look and behave as if had a crime on
my mind
There was no doubt that Miss Akin
ION WAS little disturbed by my re-
marks. A troubled look came into her
own face. and ii was q few moments
before she answered Then she said
don't know why it's always
thought the proper thing to associate
criminal instincts with thick, black
eyebrows. If MI Mullion had light
hair and no eyebrows to speak of,
suppose you would forgive him his
height"
Now. my hair is light. and | am not
particularly strong in eyebrows; there
fore this remark irritated me again
Nobody would have troubled his
head about young Mullion's appeaA
ance,' said |, IF his behavior did not
correspond SO well with it, He sneaks
and skulks about, and seems TO be al
ways on the watch; of course. it may
be only a charming idiosyncracy, but
it is one that nobody admires but you.
Miss Atkinson. dare say the fellow
has talked you round
! did not mean TO he rude, but | dare
say my irritation made my manner a
little more contemptuous than ii ought
10 have been Pretty Miss A kinson
answered very dryly.
Talked me over, has he? He's man
aged it with very few words then; the
great difficulty find in him is to make
him open his mouth at all. -
Nobody but YOU wants him to- /
retorted sayasely.
OF course. | felt at once that ! had
gone much further than had any right
to do, | was sorry, and ashamed of my
self, but | did not know quite how to
draw back or to make amends and
while | was debating the matter, she
spoke again. And ii made me mad to
notice a tone of gentleness and sym
pathy in her voice which | would have
given anything to have called forth
myself
Il don't know that feel any passion
ate desire TO hear young Mr. Mullion
make long speeches" she said, at last,
looking steadily out at the sea but
confess ii seems to me there is some
thing more interesting about him than
there is about the generality of men
of his age: if he doesn't talk much. he
looks as if he thought a good deal and
he looks unhappy and harressed. Be
sides. that. he is certainly a man of
deep and strong feelings, as you would
see if you happened to talk to him
about his uncle
We'll. il wouldn't be natural for him
not to like the Doctor" ! retorted,
gruogingly,, when the old mans been
more than a father 10 him.
Still you don't meet with such
gratitude as his every day. replied the
girl quietly.
And very much doubt the ,alue Of
the quality if it's there, replied hot
ly And my advice to the Doctor
would be to get rid both of the graft
tude and affection Of his nephew as
quickly as possible
Now I'm sure / don't know why ! let
my tongue run on like this. But this
pretty girls praises of man whose be-
hayior certainly laid him open TO I'M
pleasant suspicious irritated me out of
all prudence and almost out OF all cour-
tesv was turning to leave her alb
ruptlv when DR. Mulion's han0s were
laid on my shoulders, and his CHEEKY
voice asked pleasantly:
Anything wrong? You seem eXcit-
ed my lad You mustn't get excited.
You're not strong enough TO allow
Yourself such relaxations
Indeed | was as | saw in a glass a
little later quite haggard from the
strength of my feelings.
where's my boy?' he asked a min
ute after. looking round him as he
spoke.
u left him in the smoking room q
minute ago said | dryly glazing at
me like a tiger, because ] interrupted
him over the reading Of book.
Book. I'm glad to hear H. said the
Doctor heartily. If he would take a
conrse OF sofia ana improving literature
Il would do him all the good IN the
world That's the fault OF YOU young
men nowadays. that Won have no heart
for study. no mind for anything but the
newspaper and often the sporting
newspaper Al that
ala not tell the old gentlemanfny sus-
picions as 10 the quality Of the itera-
ture his nephew was studying. indeed
hardly know what my suspicious were
myself But ! became seized with the
notion that must a all hazards hna
out what book it as that had heia my
beetle-browed friend 50 spellboHnd
So own that ! did something Fhoi-
~ uniustitiabie went back 70 the
smoking room. where ! found DICK
MuIlion no longer reading. but talking
to couple of other men; or rather
they were talking and he put IN NOD
Or a grunt when addressed ! doggen
the fellows footsteps all the morning
like a detective and al last as the pas
sengers came up from the saloon afttf
luncheon. found an opportunity, Is ne
ssas going up the stairs IN front OF me
10 pick his pocket !.
|. had seen where he had pu- the book