Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-04-16

the bank of the lagoon would prove
your devotion and do you more good
than if you were actually ting and
enjoying yourself"
II don't take well to sitting on .
snow bank in>the dark" said Kentland.
II look nicer in front of CRATE, with
the rudy freight bringing my noble
profile into strong relief against the.
dim background beyond"
Kitty rose with great hauteur. "As
said in the beginning, Mr.. Kentland,"
said Kitty, II say again: You are an
idiot. Iwash my hands of you. want
ed to help you. I don't care any more.
If were Violet I, don't think would
ever look at you again" Then she
marched sternly out of the room, and
Kentland heard her tell the rest of the
house party gathered at the foot of
the stairs that he was too lazy to go
skating.
The front door slammed and Kent
land, looking out of the window, saw
the party tramping away to the park.
II suppose I ought to CO." he said, CIV
ing another dismal glance at the crate.
He thought about it for awhile and
then sadly went downstairs, put on
his oyercoat and cap and the white
wooden mittens that Violet had given
him, and went out into the darkness.
"Wow!" said Kentland to himself.
"Confound skating parties, anyhow" rot
'sPlease, mister" whined voice at
his side, ''gimme a dime; I'm freezing
to DEATH" =. .-'' K
Ktntland looked at the tramp for
awhile. Then brilliant inspirati on
seize<l him. ''You come with me,'' be
said to the tramp. He led him back to
Mrs. Van Dolah's kitchen and gave him
two cups of hot coffee and a generous
slice Of steak. Then he described to
him certain party of ten people who
would be skating in a crowd in Lincoln
park. He put his overcoat on the
tramp, and the white mittens, and the
cap.
You go up to the park" he said,
sternly, "and sit down near the bank
in the snow somewhere so that you
can be plainly seen from the lagoon.
Don't sit near enough so that the
skaters can come up and talk to
you, but not too far away SO that
they can't take notice of this coat,
and this hat, and these gloves. Sit
somewhere near the electric light
but not too close. When this party
sees you and waves at you, why, you
wave back, and when you see them
going to take their skates off you
cut for this place as fast as you
can. Don't try to talk to this party
or I'll have you sent to the peni'
Tertiary for life. And don't rul,
away with this coat, for if you fol-
low my instructions TIL give you one
! of my old suits and overcoats to-
morrow that will be just as good,
and pair of shoes and a five-dollar
bill into the bargain, and maybe you
can blackmail me into doing some
thing else for you. Now go on"
| Kentland fairly pushed the tramp
out of doors and then with a sigh
of joy went back up the stairs four
steps at a jump. He reached the
den unobseryed, and moving screen
so-that he would not be seen from,
the billiard room he noiselessly Sc
cured pack of cards and, lighting
a cigar, sat down in front of the
CRATE fire and gave himself UP to
the delicious abandon of solitaire.
After he had beaten the 10 game
twice he got down his favorite book
and read it through. Then he sat
in the window seat and smoked his
pipe in silent comfort while he
watched the falling snow outside.
Suddenly he heard knocking at
the side door. He hurried down and
found the tramp outside. He hur-
riedly received back his overcoat
cap and gloves, while the tramp
breathlessly told him that he had
followed instructions to the letter
''They seed me lots of tines" said
the tramp, land waved their mitts at
me, and give 'em the glad han
rite back agen. They're a-comin
home now" Kentland handed the
tramp fve-doflar bill and gave him
an address to call at the next day tc
get the promised old clothes. With
a gurgle of joy the tramp faded
away down the street and lS-ntlanC
thoughtfully walked around in the
snow on the top step and Their
rubbed his face with handful OF
snow until his countenancc was q
good, ruddy color. He hauled or
his coat and mittens and reached the
front hall just as the house party
returned.
"Why in the world didn't you come
home with us?" asked Kitty. awe
all went over to where you had been
sitting, but you were gone"
EYES," said the Harvard boy, '.you
ought to have helped carry all those
skates home. I say, we're just about
turned to ice. Really, that was
about the coolest skating I ever did
''Well," put in Kitty, II suppose
Mr.. Kentland is even colder than the
rest of us. We were moving about
while he had to sit still up in that
| terrible snow bank. Poor bow. !