The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1902-07-10

She took up an iron from before
the fire and held it near her glow
ing cheek, looking at him the while.
"You seem to forget that other
people may be worried about you as
well as your father" he said, with
an emphasis that was tenderer than
he had really meant to make it.
The girl opened her eyes with q
babylike stare as she rubbed :. the
iron smooth on a cloth. "Other peo-
ple?" she repeated. ooh, yes; you
mean my mother, and Aunt Lucy,
and Cousin Jim. They are all in town
to-day, but perhaps they'll hurry back
because they are worried"
He felt that he was not making
much Roadway. The abrupt motion
he made tipped his chair down with
La crash. &SS4<}aa II
"You know said the girl, spread
ling out garment with elaborate
care and beginning to run the iron
over it with skillful haste. J"I never
felt SO fattered in my life. Here is
la criminal loose ins the country-not
SO very much of criminal, either,
| just the man that got into 10 fight
with Sol Virgins, and laid Sol up
for a willie and here comes an officer
and stands guard over me, so that ]
won't be harmed. 4 Now, isn't that
beautiful? I, suppose that's what
the country hires officers; for-4to
come and sit here and watch. me
iron,i and scare off criminals"
Her mockery set his face ablaze;
but he would not allew himself to be
ridiculed out of his purpose.
I'D do more than that for you,''''
he said, leaning his elbow on the
table and looking up at her. (
"Would you?' she asked. 81 wish
you knew how to iron. IL you could
only take that off my hands now
or perhaps you wouldn't mind split
ting up a little wood there and max
ling a fire in the ,stove.'
Ben Pringle Sfrowned.s Il dona
know nothin' about that kind of
work." he said, firmly; ''but ]. know
how to catch up with people that's
hiding criminals from the officers -
She set the iron down before the
fire and perched herself on the edge
ofthe table. care there people who
do such a thing as that?' she asked
with awe. 'tMercy, what wicked peo-
pie they must be! When you catch
people ut thing like that, what do
you do to them? Take them to jail?''
eve, settle with 'em," he said,
darkly. S saEf
ooh, how awful that sounds" she
said, with shudder.' t'And now,
with so many criminals to catch and
people to be settled with, how can
you stay here and bother me with my
ironing? Do hurry off now and tell
Sheriff Barton he isn't hiding here"
She slipped down from the table
and began ironing again, humming
the remainder OF. that little tune, as
though the discussion was quite
finished as far as she was concerned.
"I'l look around little first" he
said, rising with darkened coun-
tenance. His eyes were fastened up
on the door Of the closet, and he drew
near it.
The girl stepped back toward the
door and flung up her head like a
deer. The time for TESTING was over.
''What are you going to do?'" she de-
l;manded. E~ 4Fa
"I'msgoin'. to see who's hid in that
Closet he Numbered, extending .
hand. 9 y 80
But she was too quick for him, and
sprang to the closet door and stood
with her back against it, her round,
young arms laid out on either side.
Her blood was up, and her brown
eyes flashed fire into his. ~
Don't dare to & touch me!''. she
cried, the red glow surging into her
face; and determined ais he was, he
fell back discounted. y 81:
you've got somebody in there .
he said, sternly, tan I'm going to see
who it is before I leave.''
"Are you?" she said, smiling at him
tauntingly, as though she dared him
with all his height and strength. All
right-come push me away and break
down the door!"
He stood and looked at her with
the kind of helplessness that strong
men feel in a clash Of wills with
women. He could have crushed her
with one hand. He could have thrust
her aside as though she. had been a
gnat. Yet there she was, standing
up and defying him.
81 have to do it, Miss Bert" he said,
falteringly. It hate to do it might
~, but the law compelsxne to see in
to that closet" =.
"The law doesn't know anything
about it," she retorted, with all a
woman's unreason.
"But it has to know he said, al
most suppliantly. "Just stand out
o. the way, now, Miss Bert, an let
me look into that closet
She stood still, her pretty head up,
her arms thrown back against the
wall.
''Do, now, Bert" he pleaded, des-
perately. 81 hate to do it-if /
wasn't compelled, the fellow could
go hang for all of me. But I just
Il rAr1