Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-09-23
CHAPTER XVI.

CHAPTER XVI.
Frs he next morning as soon as he
| was up Alan went to his Sis
I@S5SSI ter's room. He found her
tSzsSy dressed and ready for him.
She was seated before cheerful
grate fire looking over magazine she
had brought to pass the time on the
train.
Come in," she said. pleasantly
enough, he reflected, now that Miller
was not present to absorb her atten-
ton. 81 expected you to get up lit
tie earlier. Those guns down ut the
barrooln just about daybreak walked
me, and couldn't go to sleep again.
There is no use denying 1t, AL, we
have a barbarous way Of amusing our
selves up here In north Georgia"
He went on and stood with his back
to the fire, still unable to rid his brow
of the frown 1t had worn the night be-
fore.
"Oh, l reckon you've got too citifed
for u.s." he said, "along with other ac-
complishments that fast set down
there has taught you"
Adele laid her book open on her lap.
Look here. Alan" she said, quite
gravely, what's the matter with your"
Nothing that know Of" he said,
without meeting her direct gaze
3 well, there is" she said, as the out
come Of her slow inspection of his
clouded features.
He shrugged his shoulders and gave
her his eyes steadily
II don't like the way you and Miller
are carrying on" He hurled the words
at her sullenly You see, know him
through and through
"Wcll, that's all right" she replied,
not flinching from his indignant stare,
"but what's that got to do with my
conduct and hisf'
"You allow him to be too familiar
with you,' Alan retorted. Hes not the
kind of man for you toto act that
way with. He has flirted with dozen
women and thrown them over; he
doesn't believe in the honest love of Il
man for a woman or the love of wo-
man for a man,
..Ah, 1 am ut the first of this!' Adele,
instead of being put down by his
stormy words. was smiling inwardly
Her lips We're rigid, but Alan saw the
light of keen amusement in her eyes,
us he really SO dangerous? That
makes him doubly interesting. Most
girls love to handle masculine gum
powder. Do you know, if was Dolly
Barclay, for instance, an affair with
you would not be much fun, because
I'd be so sure of you. The dead level
of your past would alarm me"
THANK heaven, all women are not
aliker' was the bolt he hurled at her.
IF you knew as much about Ray Mil
Ter as do, you'd act in more dignified
way on u first acquaintance with him."
"On first-oh, l see what you
mean" Adele put her handkerchief to
her face and treated herself to merry
laugh that exasperated him beyond en-
durance. Then she stood up, smoothing
her smile away. Lets go to breakfast.
I'm us hungry as bear. told Ray
burn-I mean your dangerous friend,
Mr.. Miller-that we'd meet him in the
dining room. He says he's crazy for q
cup of coffee with whipped cream in it.
I ordered it just now - a
The dew" Alan bit the word In
two and strobe from the room, she fol-
lowing. The first person they saw in
the big dining room was Miller, stand
ing at the stove In the center of the
room warming himself He scarcely
looked at Alan in his eagerness to have
n chair placed for Adele at little TIA
BILE reserved for three in corner Of
the room, which was presided over by
a slick looking mulatto waiter whose
father had belonged to Miller's family.
I've been up an hour" he said to
her. Il took stroll down the street
to see what damage the gang did last
night. Every sign is down or hung
where 1t doesn't belong To tease the
owner, an old negro drayman, whom
everybody jokes with, they took his
wagon to pieces and put 1t together
again on the roof of Harmon's drug
store. How they got 1t there is puz-
zle that will go down in local history
like the building of the pyramids"
Whisky did it." laughed Adele.
'srhat will be the final explanation
II think you are right" agreed Mil
ler
Alan bolted his food in grum silence,
unnoticed by the others. Adele's very
ora m at tho "a bla !, q che ,,rnroro1 MI
ler's coffee. and her apt repartee added
to his discontinue. He excused him
self from the table before they bad
finished, mumbling something about
seeing II the horses were ready, and
went into the office. The last blow to
his temper was dealt by Adele as she
came from the dining room.
Mr.. Miller wants to drive me out in
his buggy to show me his horses" she
said, half smiling. "You won't mind,
will you? You see, he'll want his team
out there to get back In and"
"Oh. don't mind, /" he told her. II
see you are bent on making goose of
yourself. After what I've told you
about Miller If you still"
But she closed his mouth with her
hand.
Leave him to me. brother" she said
as she turned away. am old enough
to take care of myself, and-and-well,
s ! know men better than you do"
When Alan reached home, he found
that Miller and Adele had been there
half an hour His mother met him Mt