The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-12-14

fess this to her worshipers? But here
the door opened In her very face and a
stranger entered.
He was a man Of fifty, compactly and
strongly built. A squarely cut goatee.
slightly strealsed with gray, fell straight
from his thin-lipped but handsome
mouth; his eyes were dark. humorous.
quality that struck Mrs. Baker was the
blending of urban ease with frontier
frankness. He was evidently a man
who had seen cities and knew countries
we'll. And while he was dressed with
the comfortable simplicity of Cali
fornian mounted traveller, her ineXpe-
rienced but feminine eye detected the
keynote of his responsibility in the
carefully tied bow of his cravat. The
Sierran throat was apt to be open. free
and unfettered.
Good morning, Mrs. Baker" he said
pleasantly, with his hat already in his
hand
"I'm Harry Home, Of San Francisco. "
AS he spoke-his eyes swept approvingly
over the neat Enclosure, the primly-tied
papers, and well-kept pigeon holes; the
pot of flowers on her desk; her china
silk mantle, and killing little chip hat,
and ribbons hanging against the wall;
thence to her own pink, flushed face,
bright blue eyes, tendrilled clinging
hair, and then-fell upon the leathern
mailbag still lying across the table
Here it became fixed on the unfortu-
nate wire of the amorous expressman
that yet remained hanging from the
brass wards of the lock. and he reached
his hand toward it.
But little Mrs. Baker was before him,
and seized it in her arms She had been
too preoccupied and bewildered to re-
sent his first intrusion behind the par
tition, but this last familiarity with her
sacred official property-albeite empty
capped the climax of her wrongs.
allow dare you touch it?" she said.
Indignantly "How dare you come in
here? Who are you, anyway? Go out
side at once!'
The stranger fell back with an amused
| deprecatory gesture. and long. silent
laugh. I'm afraid you don't know me,
after ALI" he said. pleasantly. I'm
Harry Home, the department agent
from the San Francisco office. My note
of advice, No, 2Ol, with my name on
the envelope. seems to have been mis-
| carried. too"
Even in her fright and establishment
it flashed upon Mrs. Baker that she had
sent that notice, too, to Hickory Hill.
But with it all the feminine secretive in
| ,tinct within her was now thoroughly
aroused. and she kept silent.
II ought to have explained" he went
On, smilingly; but you are quite right.
| Mrs. Baker," he added, nodding toward
the bag las far as you know, had
| no business to go near it. Glad to see
You know how to defend Uncle Sans
property SO we'll. was only n bit puz-
zlcd to know" pointing to the wire),
"if that thing was on the bag when it
was delivered to your"
Mrs Baker saw no reason to conceal
The truth. After all, this official was
| man like the others. and it was Just as
well that he should understand her
power ATS only the eNpressmans
foolishness." she said, with slightly
coquettish toss Of her head. "lie
thinks it smart to tie some nonsense on
that bag with the wire when he filings
| it down."
MIR. Home, with his eyes on her pretty
face, seemed to think It q not inhuman
Or objectionable folly. "As long us he
doesn't NEEDLE with the inside Of the bag,
suppose you must put up with it." he
said. laughingly. A dreadful recollec-
ton that the Hickory Hill postmaster
had used the inside Of the bag to con-
vey his foolishness, came across her 1t
would never do to confess II now Her
face must have shown some agitation.
Tor the official resumed. with a half
paternal, half.rsassuring air: but
enough Of this. Now. Mrs. Baker, to
come to my busineas herel Briefly.