Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-04-29

might, I should never get the place
l should have liked to win in Jennie
Atkinson's heart, that made me re-
solve, after a day or two at the hotel.
to go inland and geta little shooting.
l had brought no servant with me
from England, but I engaged man
who knew the country and who had
emigrated from the old home some
years before, and with him started
to do the first part of the journey IN
land by rail, with the intention Of pur-
chasing horses and of engaging such
further assistance as might want at
q later stage.
Before / went, however, I had an
other experience of kind to take all
the zest out of my anticipations Of en-
| joyment.
In the first place, then, missed my
good old friend the doctor, who called
at the hotel one afternoon while was
out making some necessary purchases,
and who wrote the following note,
which found waiting for me on my
return:
Dear Mr.. Blair: What is this hear
| about your going up country? Do not be
| so tll-adviseo as to start on any expedition
yet. have unavoidedly been prevented
from undertaking the care of you prom
ised, but If you can spare few days be-
4 fore starting inland. will manage to come
4 with you myself and look after you.
can handle gun yet. though not, perhaps.
SO we'll as could 20 years ago. Yours,
| NATHANIEL MULLlON"
l was struck with my own ingrati-
tude when I read this, and should GER
tainly have put off my expedition until
l had seen my old friend again, if
had not, that very evening, on look
ing out of one of the hotel windows
caught sight of Dick Mullion towering
about and evidently watching the
house.
What his intention could be it was
impossible for me to guess, but 1 felt
a strange SILVER down my back as
met for moment his dark eyes fixed
upon my face. The moment he saw
that l had observed him, he turned
sharply and disappeared. y
And I made up my mind to leave
Cape Town without another days de-
lay.
I was turning away from the win
dow when came face to face with
Jennie Atkinson. I saw at once that
she had seen young Mullion outside
the window, and that his mysterious
action had puzzled and alarmed her as
much as it had me.
We looked at each other at first with
out speaking. Then she looked down,
her lip trembling.
There" said l. in low voice, you
saw him, didn't you? Can you doubt
any longer that he has some sinister
design upon me?" I!
II won't admit that" she said quick
ly. Its puzzling, very puzzhng; but
how do you know he was looking out
for you? Isn't it at least equally pos
sible that was the person he wanted
to see?"
She blushed very prettily as she said
this, and Liked her for 80 valiantly
standing up for the fellow. At tho
same time her suggestion was not .
very good one, and had to point this
out.
eff he had only wanted to see you"
said I, "why could he not have come
straightforwardly to call upon your
father. as half dozen of the men you
met on board hare already done?"
but papa doesn't like him." said
Jennie.
II should think not" could mot re-
sist retorting to this. II don't know
who would appreciate the good quail
ties of man who does his wooing by
| peeping in at the windows!"
/ Az TINT
was, burst out laughing.
"Oh, well, I'm ready to allow that
he didn't come to see me. But even II
he looked in for the express purpose
| of seeing you, the mere meeting of his
eyes with yours couldn't do you any :
positive harm, you know!"
| But although she laughed the mat
ter off lightly, knew she was really
as much puzzled as I; and though we
did not say so, we both thought that
her suggestion as to his being subject
to attacks Of insanity seemed more and
more likely to prove shrewdly correct.
Old Atkinson, who had been delight
\ ed at the departure of the doctor and
his nephew, did not hide his disap-
pointment when he heard that too
was going away.
He was the simplest-minded of old
match-makers, and though Jennie and
did not own it in words, we were
both equally amused by his evident re-
grets that she did not try to persuade
me to remain.
| When her father was lamenting my
departure, Jennie's eyes would meet
mine; and the simple old man, little
knowing the reason Of our amusement,
was pleased to see that there was a
good understanding between us, which
he hoped might "eome to something
on my return to Cape Town.
ITO be continuedI