The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1902-07-03

lily, poking up the gravel with her
sunshade. "I've-er- only tried one
side of the question, and don't Ike
it. AS for the other side. T.
"What?" he interrupted, picking up
courage, and edging along the seat
towards her.
"Might try it some day." she said
presently, by way Of rounding of her
previous sentence. f
you'll have no difficulty about
that" observed Mr.. Dalton, with an
other glance at the ring.
"No," she agreed listlessly. II sup
pose my turn will come some day"
Mr.. Dalton opened his mouth to
ask question, but shut it promptly
as the enormity of his presumption
struck him. Then he opened it again
determined to know the worst, and
limited:
''Er-I hope he's in a-er-good po-
sition, Miss Wylde."
She looked at him quizzically, a
faint smile curving the corners Of
her mouth.
eyes," she said slowly, "he's in q
good position-good enough for me-;
but he's SO awfully dense!"
"Dcnse!" echoed Mr.. Dalton.
Eyes, woefully dense and stupid.
I've encouraged him for a long time
now, but he's too-er- He won't do
as want him to. believe if I asked
him to he'd run away"
"Some fellows don't know when
they're lucky" he observed.
"Well, it's not for me to say
whether he's lucky or not" she re-
Piled. 81 know that I've encouraged
him, and he's too dense to see it.
Don't you think so, Mr.. Dalton?"
"Ier-really I don't know the
chap" he confessed, somewhat sur
| prisedly.
She looked at him, with her eye
brows wrinlkled perplexedly, and
nodded her pretty head.
ooh, yes, you do" she stated en-
phatically. "You know him very well
indeed
do I?''
Eyes. He is employed she
laughed little confusedly as she
stopped in obvious hesitation; then.
lowering her voice, she continued Gin
the contingencies with you.'
"Oh!" Mr.. Dalton's face first ex-
pressed blank amazement, then utter
disgust. He said something under
his breath that Miss Wylde did not
hear something he would have been
very sorry for If she had heard.
whats his name?" he demanded.
She pursed up her lips and shook
her head.
ST don't feel at liberty to disclose
it at present" she said naively.
= "But Irmust knows" Dalton burst
out. II have right to 4 ~
He stopped abruptly, and felt utter
II disgusted as she burst into mu-
steal peal Of laughter. ss
ooh, dear" she ygasped, "this. is
lkilling!" 81,
at will IN the end" said Dalton
mournfuHy,,lookin ct her joyous
features and thinking 81 his own sad
fate: His doleful face only stimu-
lated Miss Wylde's laughter, and her
pretty shoulders heayed. convuIsively.
II never saw anybody look as
sorrowful as you'll" she jerked out.
"Your face is funny" 5
Funny, eh7" he repeated. .'You
go and play the deuce with chaps
feelings, and then tell him that his
face is funny!"
Miss Wylde nodded feebly, and her
laughter increased.
eyes," she said weakly, 'your face
is funny-awfully funny!'
Dalton watched her for q moment
in disgust.
a"I shall hate you soon!" he OBJ
served vindictively., .if you don't
Estop that sniggering!"
"You could never do that" she said,
rising from her seat, and nodding
her pretty head confidently as she
stood before him. "a man never
hates a pretty girl. He thinks he
does-that's all.''
Dalton gazed at the ring he hated
on the finger he loved, and felt that
his case was hopeless.
"When fellow hints at his affec-
ton to a girl" he argued within him
self, "and she laughs at him, it's time
to chuck up the SPONGE Therefore
he determined to be nasty.
"You're not at all devoid Of self
conceit," he sneered as he rose, too.
'Who told you that you were pretty ?
I didn't
enc; but lots. Of other fellows
have" she asserted, with pert nod.
"You have, too, in your own way.
You haven't told me to my face that
you think me pretty; but you've UNI
consciously limited the fact in more
ways than one"
"Then I ernphatically retract all my
late hints" he said gruhly.
eyes," she replied calmly, ''it's the
way with you men. I suppose you
think me anything but pretty now.
You can't find word in your mind
wicked enough for application to me,
can you?"
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