Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-12-29

last loom of buildings rose out of the
prairie, and they drew rein before thu
homestead of Darlington. Swinging
himself to earth Imrie raised his broad
felt hal as he stood before its owner
and his daughter, but Evanson wylr-
lard was, as the messenger had said, a
hard man all through, and there was.
neither panic nor dismay in face or
bearing as he awaited them
We heard a fire was coming this
way in hurry. These were my guests.
tonight, and l brought them along to
help said Imrie and the grim auto
orat answered quietly: Il arm much
indebted to you all. As it happens, al
so, my men are away"
mo time to fool in talking" shout
ed the breathless Jasper. Where's
your plows, Darlington? Someone. turn
out and hitch on his fresh horses %
and inside of five minutes Imrie found
himself gripping the lines of the big
gang-plow. Nevertheless, the hands
that clenched them had, for a moment,
held the slender fingers of Constance.
Wyllard, and her low voice even then.
vibrated in his ears: "He win newer
forget it; know his ways II was
like you, Harry"
I'm used to horses if I'm not mucfs
of a farmer" said voice close hs.
You seem to be managing things Can
you tell me what to do?" and ImrSe
glancing round, saw his rival. WyE
'ard's distant kinsman.
Yes; you can find grain bags and
soak them at the WELL When the
smoke rolls down thick come back tos
me-" he answered, hurriedly.
The horses were nearly frantic, ana
would have mastered him, but an Eng
fish voice came out of the vapor-
Rather wild. are they not? Let me
help you" and Imrie was glad to frank
" accept his rivals assistance
l. needed the utmost strength of both
to hold the beasts to their work. bus
they cheered on one another. and the
treble furrow was finished somehow,
While, when Imrie slipped the clevis at
the end of it, the team bolted incon
tineltly.
The wet sacks were soaked ready
Wyillrd and his daughter had seen tor
that while, when Constance staggered
toward him, dripping under n heavy
burden, Imrie ceased his protests as
with the glare of the flame upon her
face she said: when the rest are
doing so much, | must take my pant.
too"
The fire rolled up to the first OF the
burrows and halted moment there.
stretching out tongues of fame toward
the withered grass tufts that showed
between, ready to seize upon them as
bridge to help it across 10 the wealth
of fuel waiting behind. Sometimes it
also passed that bridge, but scorchetS
and painting men stretched out along
the line flung themselves upon it and
thrashed it dowl with the soaked bags.
Thus, at last the fire was conquered
Wyllard thanked his helpers; then
drew Imrie aside. Walking very stiff
fly, for his side panied him, Imrfe aa-
preached the threshold of WyIlarsTs
house, where he said
"Those are my friends behind. Tilse
last time we met you did not treat MT
as such. May I ask upon what foot
ing you receive me now"
Then Wyllard's face softened, ana
his gray mustache twitched as he 81
Iently held out his hand to him. Imrie
staggered as he passed into the long,
birch-buit hall, where the heads or
wolves and deer reeIed before hiIa.
then tried to recover himself, saying.
ut is nothing. One of the horses
kicked me, think" as Constance
Wyllard with low cry ram tpwarls
him.
STU two me1 had seen and read the
look in her face. One was the Englisl h
sutton, and he set his teeth as he
slipped out into the night, while the
autocrat of Darlington smiled grimfy
He recognized the inevitable, fer he
loved his daughter after his Gwn ia
shion. and it hurt him to yield.
/ 1t was two days later when Imrie,
VINO had lost some of his usual color
and still moved stifily, was driven over
tc Darlington and spert half an hour
IN private with its owne~, who hat re-
duested him to do SO. Wha, passed
. DtlWctll tHcUi bliy the tWD men Know.
but Imrie went straight from that i'm
terview into the presence Of Constance,
/ Wyllard and felt when at last her
head rested on his shoulder, that he,
would have fought prairie fires forever
for such consummation. There wns
wedding later, when, for the 6rsye
time since its building, all the settlers
within a radiue of fWnntv rnfT~<e ns-
sembled at Darlington, and, somewhat
against his wishes, Imrie's bride die
not come to him empty-handed, for
that harvest had set his feet at Iass
upon the road to -Philadel
phia Public Ledger.