The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14
THE SPIDER TO THE FLY
j. DOU ALL REID

on bushes. an was going to take her with
him for the day-that If she couldn't get
leave from her work she'd take IL. That's
all, Colin; an now. If you'll let me say IT,
you should make an end of this, for your
own sake, IL not for hers. Find out what
he is. and make her choose between you. If
l were a man I'd scorn to be a tame cat
to any woman-an there's no right-minded
woman would ask a man to do it," she
concluded in hot anger.
you wouldn't. anyway. jeanne, and
Alec's lucky chap said Colin, with
touch of envious admiration that quite
blinded him 10 the asperity with which
jeanne referred to Jessie and her doings.
Yet though he did not notice it, 1t was
there. and there was a reason for 1t.
jeanne was one of the young women al
ready referred to. whose ideas tended all
in the direction of self-education and i'm
provement. tendency manifested in moth
ing more strongly than her very unusual
refinement of speech-unusual for one of
her class. that is. Except for an occasional
slip. no one could have taken her for one
whose tongues first exercises had been in
the factory bat" and it was to this fas-
eiuiOuS CAOiCe Ol lndI Jessie udQ
referred I'm calling her. as she did. Miss
Pwopa." Thanks to her dead fathers tut
ton. the wicked little fiirt could speak
very good English herself when she chose.
But. then. she didn't often choose. partly
because the bulk of her admirers didn't.
and partly to annoy Miss Pwopa" be-
tween whom and herself there was GER
tainly no love lost.
When he parted from Jeanne at her IA
Tiers door all Collins recent agitation had
gone, and he was at least outwardly cool,
and even Indifferent. But there was a look
In his seyes that jeanne did not like, and
that stirred in her momentary doubt
whether she had acted wisely in meddling
with the matter.
On his reaching home his mother was
quick to notice that something was wrong,
/ and in answer to her question he told her
the whole dismal story. concluding with a
wistful. request for her advice.
| Mrs Bain's opinion was in entire accord
with that Of jeanne Teller and Alec Glen
| as to the suspicious nature of jessie
| latest Irritation. but. unlike them, she was
unwilling to attach any graver blame to
Jessie than the reproach Of sheer thought
| lessness. The girl was young-not yet
nineteen-she SAID and had had her silly
| head turned by a host of 1attering adj
mirerA. In this last instance, that Of the
/ man Aylmer, Mrs. Balm was inclined to
think that 1t was only the girls vanity that
had been touched, and had it not been for
| the proposed excursion to Edinburgh,
would have advised Colin to do no more
than look on and exercise patience in the
full certainty that companionship so ill
i assorted could be of no long duration.
But this Edinburgh business mak's a.
the difference in the world" she concluded.
The less is no ane that would willingB-
| gang wrang, an he couldna do much to
put her wrang against her will In Glas-
cow here. But for her to gang to a place
where she kens naebody, an with a man
she kens naething ABBOTT! No, it's bad.
bad as can be. Ny advice to you, Colin,
is to see Jessie an have a talk with her.
Don't let her anger We, but try to max
her see how foolish 1t Is to risk sac much
for man she kens naething aboot-a man
who may be gaun under false name
who may even be married. for anything
she kens. Point out to her that while he
may pretend to be very fond of her, he
takes care never to be seen with her In
daylight-that he'll neither take her near
his folk. nor gang near hers. If We gang
the right way to work, yell max a quick
| end of Mr.. Aylmers schemes. or 1 dinna
ken Jessie French. She has both pride and
spirit an once she sees she's being made
| a fool of, she'll max short work OF her
sly wooer." -
/ The advice thus received>furnished Colin
with ample material out of which to con-
struct a programme before he slept. but
between constructing programmes and car
rying them out there Is a difference. and
| as 1T turned out, all his efforts to have
speech with Jessie next day were fruitless
| Whether the mischievous mink OWNED his
| intention and set herself to Illustrate IL
out of sheer pervesity. or whether she
had really made up her mind to jilt him
outright, he did not know but neither al
| the breakfast and dinner hour nor yet
| when the factory closed for the day, could
he get what he wanted. He might as well
have stayed at his work, instead Of taking
the day of. for all the good it had done
him.
But though so far bafi1ed, he was not al
j all inclined to accept defeat, now that the
necessity for action had been forced upon
|
ton, he set out for Govan street, all else
forgotten in an unshakable determination
to have this thing ended one way or an
other.
Govan street Is rather dark at night. t.
which circumstance it was due that ir
turning into il he came into violent collision
with a man standing just round the corner
of the wall.
"Confound you for laundering idiotI
said the stranger. angrily. Cant you lool
where you're going?'
Somewhat taken aback, Colin was on the
point of offering an apology when thought
struck him. turning him rigid. The speaker
was at least approaching middle age, with
sallow. sinister face and heavy blacl
moustache. He was fashionably dressed
and his speech and accent were assuredly
not those of workingman. Who was he
And for whom was he waiting?
With the knowledge Colin possessed, I,
ask the questions was to have them answer
ed, even If the hot anger that surged up II
his breast had not blinded him to the pos
sibility of mistake. Surveying the othe