The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-26
CHAPTER XVII.
HeIen'S Toast.

Judge BriscOe was sitting out under the
afternoon sky with his chair tilted back
and his feet propped against the steps.
His coat off, and Minnie sat near at
hand sewing button on the garment for
him, and she wore that dreamy glaze that
comes over women's eyes when they sew
for other people.
From the interior of the house rose and
fell the murmur of a number Of voices en-
gagged in a conversation, which, for a
| time, seemed to consist of detected mono
| sylables; but presently the judge and
| Minnie heard Helen'S voice, clear, soft and
trembling a little with excitement She
| talked only two or three minutes, but
| what she said stirred up a great cOmmo-
| tion. All the voices burst forth at once
| in observation-disclosures shouts; but pres
emily they were again subdued and still,
except for the single soft one, whcih held
| forth more quietly, but with deeper agi-
| tatiOn, than any Of the others.
You needn't try to bamboozle me-
| said the judge in a covert tone to his
daughter, and with a glance at the parlor
window, whence now issued the rumble of
| Warren Smiths basso. II tell you that
| girl would follow John Harkless to Jeri-
| chO."
Minnie shook her head mysteriously,
and bit a thread with a vague frown.
| well, why not?" asked the judge
| GROSSLY.
"Why wouldn't she have him, then?''
'Wel, who knows hos asked her yet?"
| Minnie screamed derisively at the dem
sity of man. What made him run off
| that way, the night he was hurt? Why
didn't he come back In the house with
her?"
! "Psha W."
Don't you suppose a woman under
stands?'
Meaning that you know more about it
than I do, I presume" grunted the old
| gentleman.
Yes, father" she replied, smiling be-
| nignantly upon him.
Did she tell you?" he asked abruptly.
mo. no. I guess the truth is that
| women don't know more than men 80
much as they see more; they understand
more without having to read about II"
"That's the way of it, Is it," he
laughed We'll, it don't make any differ
ence, she'll have him some time
mo, father; it's only gratitude"
| "Gratitude!" The jugde snorted scorn-
| fully. "Girls don't do much as she 5
done for him out Of gratitude. Look
what she's doing; not only running the
Herald for him, but making it a daily,
and a good daily at that First time
| saw her l knew right away she was the
smartest girl I ever laid eyes on;-I ex-
| pect she must have got 1t from her
mother. Gratitude! Pooh! Look how
| she's studied his interests, and watched
like cat for chances for him in every
thing. Didn't she get him into Eph
Watts company? She talked to Watts
| and the other fellows, day after day, and
drove around their leased land with 'em,
! and studied it up, and got on the inside,
and made him buy. Now, If they strike
it-and she's sure they will, and I'm sure
| she knows when to have faith in thing
why, they'll sell out to the Standard, and
r,,1if for ha
their lives If they want to; and Harkless
gets as much as any without lifting a
finger all because he had little money
| mighty little, too-laid up in bank and
a girl that saw where to put 1t. She did
that for him, didn't she?'
Don't you see what fun it's been fol-
herr" returned Minnie. shes been hav-
| ing the best time she ever had; never
knew any one half SO happy"
Yes; she went up and saw him at that
party, and she knows he's still thinking
about her. I shouldn't be surprised II ne
asked her then, and that's what makes
| her gay
We'll, she couldn't have said yes be
cause he went back to his bed the next
day, and he's been there most Of the time
since"
"Pshaw! He wasn't over his injuries
and he was weak and got malaria"
well, she couldn't be so happy while
he's SICK, II She Cared very Inucn apou
him.
Hes not very sick. She's happy be-
| cause she's working for him, and she
| knows his illness isn't serious. He'll be
| a we'll man when she says the word He's
| love- sick, that's what he Is; never saw
| a man so taken down with 1t In my life >
Then it isn't malaria?' Minnie said
| with smile Of some superiority
you're just like your poor mother,
| ppnflnnlHn
rather red "She never could learn tt
argue What I say Is that Helen cares
about him, whether she says she does
or not, whether she acts like it or not
or whether she thinks she does or not.
he added irascibly. DO you know Wha
she's doing for him to-day"
Not exactly"
} well, when they were talking togethe
at that party, he said something tina
made her think he was anxious to ge
away from Plattville-you're not to re
peat this, child; she told me, relying OF
my discretion
"Well?'
DO you know why she's got these mer
to come here to-day to meet her-Warre1
, Smith and Lands and Horner, and Bos
s well and young Keating Of Amo, and Ton
; Martin and those two fellows from Gaine
county?' ~
Something about politics, isn't 1t?"
Something about politics.! " h
echoed IT should say it is! Wait till it,
, done, and this evening I'll tell you-if yo7
can keep secret
Minnie set her work basket on the steps
"Oh, I guess I can keep a secret sh
said but it won't make any differ
ence.'
You mean you've said it. and you']
stick to it that it's gratitude till thef
wedding day.
"She knows he gave her father some
8 thing to do, and helped him in other ways
} when no one else did
Il know all about that She reproache
herself for having neglected Fisbee Will
:, a stranger took care Of him, and save
him from starving-and worse. She's un
e reasonable about it; she didn't know h
was in want till long after. That's jus
> like Fisbee, to tell her, afterwards. H
didn't tell her how low he got; but h
limited at it to her. and guess she under
| stood; 1 gathered that much from him
Of course she's grateful, but gratefulnes
don't count for everything.'
Yes it does.'
= well, I never expected to have tn
last word with woman"
n well, you needn't" said Minnie.
: II don't. I never do" he retorted. Sh
e did not answer, but hummed a little tun
Warren Smith appeared In the doorway
and looked up at the tree-tops.
Judge" he said, will you step inside
We need you"