Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-04-15

tuc Olu luan . WOTuS, spoken as GQeY
were with mingled earnestness and
good humor, and with no trace of
preachiness at all. I readily agreed,
therefore, that might have been
hasty and a little to blame, though 1
own said nothing about the abstrac-
ton of the book, and was grateful
that Dick Mullion did not mention the
circumstance either. even, under
the strength of this feeling, held out
my hand, which Dick Mullion took with
little more reluctance than thought
was proper. Then l left the two to-
gether to go on deck, and was sur
prised to run into old Atkinson, who
had been on his way to the reading
room, and had caught the last words
of the doctors discourse.
"Psalm-singing old humbug!" was
the stock brokers' characteristic COM
ment on the few words he had accident
ally overheard.
No." said l, .he isn't that. To do
the old boy justice, he means what he
says; and think if you'd been there
all the time, Mr.. Atkinson, you'd agree
with me-
"Ah, well, perhaps" replied Mr.. At
kinson, with shrug of the shoulders.
The stock broker was of those
persons whom even their friends have
to say that they ''have no soul" And
favoring my attentions to his daugh-
ter, as he did, he put uncle and nephew
under the same ban as undesirable
persons to know.
think he must have gone straight
to his daughter with some sort of hint
as to disturbance having occurred
In which Dick and were concerned:,
for shortly after this 1, with my senses
made acute by my admiration for this
girl, saw that she was deliberately
seeking an interview with Dick Null
lion, who, as it seemed to me. was de-
Hberately trying to avoid her.
But who can avoid woman for.
long? Especially when she's as pretty
as little Jennie Atkinson! The end
was that she had her way, and l, round
the corner of deckhouse near where
they were, heard her first words to
him.
What's the matter with you this
morning, Mr.. Mullion? You look as if
something had happened to worry
you"
suppose ought to have gone away,
but didn't. was maddened by mo-
ticing how different their voices were
when they spoke to each other from
what they were when they spoke
to me.
Il am worried" said he, in low
voice. which was new to me. .No. YOU
needn't be sorry for me. I'm fool,
! believe. At least, I'm the victim of an
idea"
could not help starting violently
when / heard this, for it seemed to
me to point to the. fellows being
mad. As moved, my chair creaked,
and the next moment Miss Atkinson
came quickly around the corner of
the deckhouse and met me face to
face.
And she gave me most nasty look.
CHAPTER ~.
Listening. Mr.. Blair? A strange
occupation for an English gentleman,
surely!"
'Well, WELL" stammered /, taken
aback by the unexpectedness and the
virulence of her attack, IL couldn't
help it. I was sitting here and-and
you happened to be close by. That's
ALL
Dick Mullion, was surprised to
zee, seemed inclined to take my
part.
1--WE had only just begun to talk"
he said to Miss Atkinson. ''Mr. Blair
could scarcely have,got away in time
to avoid hearing the few words we
did say"
"oh, yes he could. if he had wished
to-" said pretty Jenny, with spirit.
"You were eavesdropping, Mr.. Blair"
Now. there are different sorts of
courage in the world, and I am not
without some of them. So looked
her full in the face, and answered, to
her establishment and Dicks:
well, yes, was, suppose. And
don't ever mean to be prevented
from doing anything I've set my
heart on doing. or from hearing any
thing I've set my heart on hearing,
because OF any preiudices as to what
IN English gentleman may do. What
other Englishmen may please to do
Is their affair; what please to do 10
NINE"
And / looked at her defantly. She
didn't care for me; she didn't mean
to try. So why should mince mat
tersP I never have gone in for be-
longing to. q very elevated class of
humanity, so her scorn did net with
er me up as it was meant to do.
l had thrown down the glove. Both
my hearers looked at me with as
constituent, but in Dick Mullion's
case it was mingled with some evil
dent amusement, as we'll as what
suppose was contempt.
As Miss Atkinson was again about
to give expression to her feelings
about my conduct, he said to her in
low voice:
f Never mind him; if you'll come
up the deck little way I'll tell you
what ! was. thinking about
She allowed herself to be led
away without giving me any further
attention except disdainful look.
But I didn't care. should never be,
one Of those fellows who worry
themselves into skeletons because Of
the opinion Of one particular girl;