News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-08-07
CHAPTER VIII.
WOMAN IN A woMAN's wILEs.

T95SI3 p~erson-that is, he felt a de-
e@S gree of conjunction because
he realized that he had not conducted
himself exactly as his father would
have desired him to do. He believed
that he had been remiss in his duty
as a host. Upon the personal part of it
he did not conjecture. This woman
could resent his curiosity if she chose
to do so and might shoot him the next
time they met if she was quicker with
her weapons than he was.
He shrugged his shoulders disdain-
fully, pondered a moment and then
stepped through the window and join
ed the others on the veranda.
Il am going to the corral" he said to
his father. "Ah Sin will have supper
presently"
He would have passed on then with
out further remark, but Erna Thomas
had regretted her anger at something
which second thought told her was not
intended as offensive, and she saw in
this incident an opportunity to atone
for it.
inlay | go with your she exclaimed,
rising.
"If you like" he replied, not pausing,
but s%lackening his gait SO that she
could catch up with him. Richard Max
well would have accompanied them
also if he had been given an oppor-
tunity, but his loquacious guest had
not permitted him to do anything but
listen ever since his arrival, so that he
was compelled to retain his seat.
"You're not overburdened with polite
0ess, are you?' said Miss Thomas, over
taking Lisle half way down the path.
81 suppose you're mad. Are your
mad? Not at all. Why should I be
angry
81 left you rather suddenly, didn't l?
I'm sorry. You-you rather took the
wind out of me, you know"
81 should think your instruments of
torture would do that" replied Lisle.
81 ought not to have offended you. I
apologize"
~Oh, that's all right. Don't men
ton it. Why don't you offer me your
ARM"
MY drm. NudL IOG!
ITO take hold Otto lean upon, of
course"
care you lame? Have you hurt your
selfg'
"Oh, dear, what a hopeless creature
you are! l keep forgetting that you
never saw a woman before. You are
sadly in need of education. TomOr-
row I'll take you in hand. l believe
I'll begin now. Stop just a moment;
crook your arm up-So; hold your palm
against your chest-sO. Now, | take
hold of your arm-so. There! Isn't
that better?'
Isle did not think it was better, but
he thought it wise not to say so. If
she liked it, she was his guest, and ii
should be so.
"We walk together very nicely; don't
You think 500" she continued. "You
are just enough taller than l am tc
make it comfortable for both, and, be.
sides, you step with me beautifully
Don't you think that you step rather
Short for a man?'
~ do not know. Perhaps so. Here is
the corral. There are 80 horses in here
tonight. l always come out to see tina
all is secure before | retire. Shall w
return nowY
"What! SO soon? Don't you think i
is nicer out here? See, the moon is jus
coming up. 1t will be a glorious nigh
after all. / want to ask you something
Mr.. Maxwell. l want you to tell mi
how it happens that you never saw
woman before tonight"
81 don't know. Do you know YER,
many women?'
do l know very many women! Wei
i should say so! Oceans of them"
"Are they all like you? Have the,
all got yellow hair, waists like a was
and
There, that will DO. You'll sa,
something that you ought not to if 20
are not careful. What a queer morta
you are, Mr.. Maxwell! One might pos
itively regard you as quite shocking
one did not know that you haven't &C
it in you to shock anybody. Wome
are just about as much alike as me
dlG dllhC-IO. ulOlty lO lGDo. lOul IL
Their and mine are not alike, are they
And Craig Thompson i know hin
he comes to Kansas City sometimes
he isn't like any other man you eve
saw, is heY"
"He is one of the best men | eve
saw" replied Isle, with enthusiasm.
AZ think so too. We're agreed o
that. He says that am the best gi
he ever saw"
"Does Craig Thompson say that" e:
claimed Isle incredulously.
Eyes. Is there anything remarkab
about itY'
II think there is. If he said that,
shall like you"
"Oh, indeed! Thank your
"Were you ever a motherT' askt
Lisle calmly, remembering that era
had assured him that mothers were @
ways good
He heard a quick gasp from his col
panion. He felt that his arm was r
leased as suddenly as though 1t were
redhot iron, and he turned toward Il
woman in surprise. She had startC
away from him and was standing
1t .4AtA.1- ~ arn xyl,n vrteI,oa tO tY