The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-27

render him patient toward any indig-
nifty, even when administered by q
younger sister. So he took his scold
Ing with meekness. and made no open
show OF resistance or disapproval,
though In his inmost soul he resented
the treatment hotly; only he turned
away from Mabel, and addressed him
self once more to his first confessor.
Why don't you abuse me, Mildred?"
ne said. Am l beyond even your cen
sure, that you refuse to say anything
harsh to me? Have you given me up
altogether? If you have, know it is
only what l deserve"
Miss Trevanion moved abruptly
away from the side of the oaksn win
dow frame, against which she had
been leaning, and went up to where he
was standing, rather apart. She laid
her hand upon his shoulder.
Poor old fellow!' she said, softly;
wlhereupon Eddie Treyanion, in spite
OF his twenty years, fairly broke down.
and buried his face on his arms, and
burst out crying.
This was too much even for the
queens stoicism; she repented her
righteous anger Immediately, and, put
ting her arms around his neck, pro-
ceeded to press her lips lovingly to the
only portion of his ear at all visible,
while Mildred, with tears in her soft,
blue eyes, told him to cheer up and
nave courage, and maybe they'd man
age 1t somehow, you know" with
good deal more to the same purpose.
LAS the girls hung round him in this
fashion, and patted the shining Eddie,
until looker-on would have deemed
him suffering angel at least, Denzil
Younge sauntered upstairs in his mud
stained scarlet coat. Entering the
picture gallery on his way toward his
dressing room, and not seeing very
clearly, in consequence of the fast
approaching darkness, he came upon
the tableau at the end of the apart
ment almost before he had time to COL
lect his senses
The three figures looked gray and
ghost-like to his bewildered eyes, but
one thing was distinctly evident and
that was Eddie Trevanions unmistak-
able distress.
beg your pardon Denzil said
hastily. I'm awfully sorry, Miss Ire
vanton, to have intruded in this rough
manner. but unfortunately l did not
perceive you until l was quite close.
However, as | have committed my
blunder. can may try to be of
some assistance"
Mabel looked up eagerly. We're was
a golden opportunity. Here rich
young man with nothing on 18th to
sssssEessGaaX and stioyi
ably good-natured!
Could he be Of some assistance"
OF course he could-the greatest
Mildred would only look up and an
swer him. Mildred did look up and
answered him-answered him very dis
tinctly indeed, though scarcely in the
spirit that Mabel had hoped for, hav-
ing intercepted 1.-The queens glance
and interpreted it correctly.
You are very kind" she said. stead
iy-"very kind indeed; but this is a
matter in which, fear, you can be Of
no help to us.
Let me try" he implored. eagerly
Impossible" she returned coldly;
you do not understand; it is a case in
which no stranger can take part
Thanks very much all the same
When Miss Trevanion said that, of
course there was nothing left for the
young man to do but to bow and go
on his way, which he accordingly did
with a bitterly hurt feeling in his
breast, engendered by that one word
stranger"
What stress she laid on it! How
obnoxiously it had sounded as applied
by her to him. How coldly distinct had
been her voice when speaking it,
Well, it wasn't her fault, he suppos I'd,
she was gifted with neither heart nor
gracious manner nor anything else
tender and womanly-only with a glo-
rious face and figure, which of course
did no good to any one and only made
one Where the deuce had Conner
put his brushes? That fellow was
growing more confoundedly careless
every day; and how abominably that
brute of horse he had given one hun
dred and fifty pounds for last week,
had taken that last water jump this
morning, just when the entire field
was looking on, too! On the whole, it
hadn't been SO very pleasant day, as
he had fancied in the first heat of the
moment, when it was all over and he
was discussing it during the homeward
ride with old Appleby. Hanged old
nuisance that old Appleby was by the
bye!" And SO on and on indefinitely
sped Denzil's reflections, while the
cause of them all stood still in the
gallery where he had left her. with
her kind little white hand on Eddie's
shoulder.
Hadn't you better go and get your
self ready for dinner, dear?" Mildred
suggested, tenderly
And then Eddie told her that it was
of little use for him to go and clothe
himself in broadcloth and fine linen
when he knew that the first bit he ate
would infallibly choke him.
This, seemed dreadful to Miss Ire
vanion. He must be far gone, indeed,
IN his misery when he could refuse to
accept the goods the gods down stairs
were preparing for his delectation, and
she was Just BEGINNING to argue with
him on the subject of that presuppos d
strangulation, when Mabel broke in
suddenly