The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-03-04
4 CONTRARY cOURTsHIP

>U0~~~o.~~~
7 HATE your she said, clenching her
small white teeth.
Mackenzie, head and shoulders
taller than she, looked down and
smiled at the vehemence.
The laugh irritated her beyond en-.
durance.
Just because other people decide to
make fools Of themselves, we are ex-
pected to-" she went on 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
stroked his moustache, and looked in
terrogatively at the speaker.
I'VE 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"
ITO the dogs" Mackenzie was dis
tinctly in teasing frame of mind to-
night.
''To the poor" corrected Phyllis,
with a stamp Of her dainty foot.
"Perhapsv' Mackenzie's drawl was
more than ever apparent Perhaps 1
shall not ask you to marry nae. l
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 met l
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-
piciously.
I'll" she began. And then,
won1an-like. she fed from the room,
leaving himself matchmaking him.
self for a brute and a boor.
And yet" he soliloquized with a
grim laugh, III hadn't said some
thing of the kind, this state Of things
would have gone on forever. It's no
use. II 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 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 1 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
GOODNESS, he loved her, from the top Of
her curly. bronze-gold head to the sole
of her dainty foot. He turned OF to
the billiard-room, and sought the COM
pany of his genial host, Miss Farrelps
guardian, and an old college friend Of
his fathers. Mackenzie himself had
only come back on long leave from In
dia a month ago, to find that a bride
and a fortune were awaiting him in
the old country. A mutual friend Of
the young peoples fathers had thus
arranged matters ere he shufled OF
this mortal coil, with an idea Of bene-
nting both, In more ways than one!
Neither Of the legatees, however, up
to the present had seemed to regard
It In that light! Phyllis openly de
elarcd that nothing would induce her
seven to zee the young man, and was
only persuaded into tolerating his pres
ence In her guardians home by the
consideration that she would thereby
be able to refuse him every day!
And refuse him she did-even before
the Hateful words had passed his lips.
It was all the more odiouD to her be
cause Ronald turned ont to be hand
some and gentlemanly, and under 9th
Or circumstances she might have casi
I favorable eye upon himl He wa
hoExid perfectly horrid and hatefull