Alaska sentinel., 1905-04-20
A CONTRARY COURTSHIP
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I HATE you she said, clenchlng her
 small white teeth.
 Mackenzie, head and shoulders taller than she, looked down and smiled at the vehemence.
 The laugh rriated her beyond en- durance.
 Just because other people decide to make fools of themselves. we are ex- pected to-" she went oil scathingly. of course, the world thinks 1t an ex- cellent arrangement that we should marry each other, divide the money, and say nothing more about it-where- as-"
 "Whereas--?' Ronald Mackenzie stro@ed his moustache. and looked in terrogatively al the speaker.
 We shall just do nothing of the sort" she finished in decided tones. The money of fathers old friend-'
 Sounds like German grammar book. doesn't it:" put In the other coolly.
 Phyllis Farrell took no notice of the untimely interruption.
 The money of fathers old friend can go to-
 "To the dogs" Mackenzie was dis tinctly in a teasing frame of mind to- night.
 ''To the poor corrected Phyllis with stamp of her dainty foot.
 "Perhapsp MackenZie's drawl was more than ever apparent. Perhaps shall not ask you to marry me. I haven't done so as yet, you remember, although you have assured me seventy seven times. that nothing will induce you to marry me. You hate me? I don't remember ever having been gull ty of asking you to love me-
 Tableau.
 Phyllis drew herself up to her full height. which wasn't more than five feet at the most. This was turning tables on her with vengeance. Her cheeks flooded with an altogether charming color, her eyes shone sus- plciously.
 "I-I-" she began. And then, womanlike, she fled from the room leaving himself anathematizing him. self for brute and boor.
 And yet" he soliloqulzed with grim laugh, If I hadn't said some thing of the kind, this state of things would have gone on forever. It's no use. If were to propose she would refuse me; it's just what her contrary nature would prompt her to do. Be cause don't appear to want her at all, she may fall in love with me. But she will have a hard fight of It. poor little thing Why couldn't the friend of my father leave the money to her internationally And yet, I'm glad he didn't, for l might never have met Phyllis. but for that will.
 A tender light came into his blue eyes. Phyllis Farrell represented all the world to him just now, though as he said, it would be simple madness to tell her so. In spite of his apparent coldness, he loved her. from the top of her curly bronze gold head to the sole of her dainty foot. He turned off to the billard-room, and sought the com pany of his genial host, Miss Farrell's guardian, and an old college friend of his fathers. Mackenzie himself had only come back on long leave from In- dia month ago, to find that bride and q fortune were awaiting him fin the old country. A mutual friend of the young peoples fathers had thus arranged matters ere he shutfied off this mortal coil, with an idea of bene- fitting both, in more ways than one! Neither of the legatees. however up to the present had seemed to regard 1t In that light. Phyllis openly de- clared that nothing would induce her even to see the young man, and was only persuaded Into tolerating his pres ence in her guardian's home by the consideration that she would thereby be able to refuse him every day!
 And refuse him she did-even before the fateful words had passed his lips. It was all the more odlous to her be- cause Ronald turned out to be hand some and gentlemanly, and under oth- CT circumstances she might have cast favorable eye upon him! He was horrid-perfectly horrid and hateful!