The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-09-08

NY worst enemy mad the phrase
enecttve at any rate, Miss Deane."
You mean that he ruined your ca
reer?"
"Well-er--yes. suppose that de-
scr1bes the position with fair accura-
cy."
Was he a very great scoundrel?"
He was and is"
jerks spoke with quiet bitterness.
The girls words had evoked a sudden
hood Of recollection. For the moment
ne did not notice how he had been
trapped into speaking Of himself, mol
did he see the quiet content on Iris
face when she ELECTED the information
that his chief foe was q man. A GER
tain tremulous hesitancy in her man
ner when h next spoke might have
warned him, but his hungry soul
caught only the warm sympathy Of her
words, which fell like rain on parched
soil.
You are tired" she said. won't
you smoke for q little while and talk
to me?"
He produced his pipe and tobacco.
"That is Il first rate pipe" she de-
clared. my father always said that a
straight stem, with the bowl Mt a right
angle, was the correct shape. You evil
IDENTIFY agree with him."
absolutely"
"You will like my father when you
meet him. He is the very best man
alive, l I'm sure"
you two are great friends, them"
Great friends! He is the only friend
l possess in the world"
What! Is that quite accurate?"
"Oh, quite. OF course, Mr.. jerks, I
can never forget how much l W to
you. like you immensely, too, al
though you are $3.50 gruff to me at
times. B~ut-but-you see, my father
and l have always been together. 1
have neither brother nor sister, not
even a cousin. My dear mother died
from some horrid fever when I was
quite a little girl. My father is every
thing to me-"
Dear child" he murmured, appar-
emily uttering his thoughts aloud rath-
er than addressing her directly. $50
you find me gruff, eh?"
"a regular bear when you lecture me.
But that is only occasionally. You can
be very nice when you like, when you
forget your past troubles. And pray,
why do you call me a child?
Have l done SOP"
mot a moment ago. How old are
you, Mr.. jerks? l am twenty-twenty
last December"
And l." he said, twill be twenty
eight in August"
Good gracious!" she gasped. II am
very sorry, but l really thought you
were forty at least"
81 look it, no doubt. Let me be equal
ly candid and admit that you, too,
show your age markedly"
She smiled %nervously. "What a lot
Of trouble you must have had Toto
to give you those little wrinkles in the
corners Of your mouth and eyes," she
said.
! wrinkles! How terrible"
!, II don't know. I think they rather
J suit you. Besides, it was stupid of me
| to imagine you were so old. l suppose
exposure to the sun creates wrinkles,
and you must have lived much in the
g open air"
EARLY rising and late going to bed
are bad for the complexion" he de
| clared solemnly.
Il often wonder how army officer.
= manage to exist" she said. "They
never seem to get enough sleep, in the
east at any rate"
$50 you assume | have been in the
army"
Il am quite sure Of it."
o MAY | ask why?
+ "Your manner, your voice, your Quiet
air Of authority, the very way 70,
walk, all betray you"
"Then," he said sadly, II will not at
tempt to deny the fact. l held a com
nine years. 1t was a hobby OF mine
= Miss Deane, to make myself acquaint
ed with the best means Of victualins
- my men and keeping them In goot
health under all sorts Of fanciful con
- ditions and in every kind Of climate
especially under circumstances whel
y ordinary stores were not available
: With that object In view l read VI
every possible country in which IN.
regiment might be engaged, learne'
, the local names Of common articles 0
food and ascertained particularly VIVA
20 provision nature made to sustain HE
., .. The study interested me. Once, dur
l ing the Sudan campaign, 1t was reall
useful and procured me promotion
" 'Tell me about it."
III During some operations In the desei
81 it was necessary for my troop TO 10
q! low up a small party OF rebels mounte
10 on camels, which, as you proDaDI
We know, can 20 without water much ION
er than horses. We were almost VIII
IN striking distance when our horse
completely gave out, but luckily n'
- ticed indications which showed tho
there was water beneath a portion 9
~ the plain much below the general leVe
:, Half an hours SPADE work proven lna