Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-12-20

After that, l waited only for what
might promise to Is fitting oppor
tunity.
The opportunity came one day
when Setter was afleld, and her
mothers absence at one of the neigh
boris left Nan alone with me. They
had slung hammock for me under
the shelter of the farmhouse porch,
and the girl was sitting on the door
step, sewing. Not knowing any ira
jectory of indirection in such mat
ter, sent my first shaft as straight
Gs l could aim it.
Nan, you care great deal for Mr..
Wykamp, don't yeu?" said, sitting
up and trying to secure an eye-hold
upon her.
She bent lower over her work, and
q dull flush began to creep slowly up
under the softened brown of her
neck and cheek.
us that any O. your business?" she
queried, antagonistically.
ut is. owe you my life, Nan, and
I can't keep silence and see you
throw yourself away on that scoun-
drel."
"Humph!" she said. "Paw an nav
we been putin you up to say that,
reckon"
Neither of them has ever said a
word to me about yourself or the en-
gineer. But know what I am talk
ing about. The man is scoundrel,
dyed in the wool. He doesn't mean
to be honest with you; he has never
meant to be honest with any woman
he has ever made love to-
She went on sewing steadily, and
but for the dull flush deepening now
to crimson l should not have known
that I had touched her. But the ex-
plosion came at last.
You're towards. all of you!" she
burst out, the beautiful eyes which
were her major charm flashing in
dignation, and the ripe lips curling
scornfully. "You don't darst say it
to his'n face-nary one of you!''
BE patient, Nan, if you can. I'm
only trying to do you service. Bring
him to me and shall show you how
willingly I shall confront him with
his past and give him a chance to
clear hinself-if he can"
She was silent for a full minute.
Then she said:
Hes done cleared himself-to me-"
Then he has lied to YOU
She flashed out again at that.
Il say you don't darst call him a
liar to his'n face! 1 said minute
ago at it was paw an nav at set
you on. ! know better, now. 1t was
the school-ma'om; that's who it was.
You needn't to tell me anything
about her l know"
What has Wykamp told you about
Miss Sanborn?"
That's none O. your business,
either. But if was her, I'd keep
mighty Quot. I'd be 'shamed to let
on. l would So"
Miss saahora has never lisped
word to mo. or to anyone, Nan. And
she has nothing to be ashamed of;
She was innocent as-as you mean to
be. You will understand me when l
say that II were her brother
the world wouldn't be large enough
to hold Wykamp and myself"
81 don't believe it," she said, stub
bornly. lou can't prove mare thing
ag'inst h;:n-none of you"
81 can. I can prove that which
should make most men and all
women despisc him"
"Humph!" she said, again. Talks
mighty cheap!"
1t was now OF never. I had come
to my final round of ammunition, and
if the shot missed the battle would
be lost. took the newspaper clip
ping from my pocket-book and read
it aloud to her, prologuing it with
as much of Grantley's letter as was
necessary to clear the reporters
story OF any possibility OF being mis-
understood. She heard me through
with her needle at her lip. and l was
-dismayed to see her eyes grow hard
with ADDED incredulity, The shot
had missed.
"Let me see that" she commanded,
when l had made an end.
! returned the slip and the letter
to my pocket-book
mot now, Nan. You are disap-
pointed and angry, as you have a
right to be. But you should quarrel
with the man-not with the facts"
II don't believe mare single word
of it, an l never will, less'n I see
it with my own eyes" She said it
deliberately and quite without heat
You've jest fixed it up amongst you,
an it's mean lie from beginnin' to
end. If l cared enough about 1t I'd
tell him what-all you say"
I shrugged my shoulders. II owed
it to you to tell you, Nan, and I've
paid the debt. The facts are exactly
as | have stated them, and if you
still refuse to believe 1t will be the
worse for you. l have spoken first to
you because 1t seemed no more than
fair, but ! must warn you that I
can't in justice allow the matter to
rest here"
Her needle was flying again, and it
was we'll that the thread was strong.
"What-ail will you do?" she que
ried, without looking up.
81 shall do what l ought to have
done in the first instance-go to your
father with this information"
/ expected another outburst and
braced my tagging nerves against
the shock of it. 1t did not come. She
relapsed into logged silence, keeping
her place on the doorstep and sew
ing diligently until her task was
finished Then she went into the