The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1906-11-02
CHAPTER xvl,,-{con.inued.)

and experienced people, and the great,
grave king who collated and edited tho
current wisdom of the East was HIM
self among the wisest of manking.
Ard yet he allowed to pass beyond
his censure the amazing dictum. that
the net is spread in vain in the sight
Of any bird Simple Belle Molloy
could have told Solomon better than
that.
She ard Billery parted for the time
being at the church door and went to
their respective places, and sat out
the service with the rigid air of devo-
ton. What the gentleman thought
about is not worth in quiry, for he
dropped into one of those brown stud
les into which all but the most ardent
of churchgoers do sometimes fall, and
allowed his mind to play vacuously
over a thousand things which were
each forgotten as soon as they float.
ed to the top of the waters of his
sleepy intelligence. But the lady
thought about gentlemen. He had n
little-though she knew that it must
be very little indeed-of his own;
the merest small fragment of a wasted
fortune, which, of itself, would scarce
suffice to hold body and soul together
But then he had position on the
Record, and he was an intimate friend
and associate of its wealthy and in
fluential proprietor, and he was I'M
doubtedly very clever man, and had
In n hn tn In no
were kept in order. And Miss Belle
had a little in her own right-not so
little but that with good management
1t could be made to serve for two. And
she rather thought that Billery might
prove very tractable partner if reas-
enable means were found to lead him
on the path on which he ought to go.
What very different place the
worlo would be if it should ever come
to pass that everybody will be able to
tell what everybody else is thinking
about. There are many scientific ger.
tlemen who are teaching us to look in
this direction, but in the meantime we
lie snug enough in our own contempla
tions, each weaving out of our own
cocoon, and quite safe from the intru-
sion Of our acutest neighbcrs. Miss
Belle marshalled all her forces and
thought out all her plans within
score Of yards of her intended vic
tim, and the good, easy man never
came within mile of guessing it,
When the service was over they met
at the porch again, and after few
minutes of 6. eeting and gossip they
strolled away, side by side in the sun
ny, languid weather, with the Sabbath
peace everywhere about the tranquil
fields. In little while they were sit
ting on the veranda, overlooking the
well-kept small garden and the broad
shining river. Miss Cole, faded lady
of some two score years, who played
at being Miss Bellies chaperon, was
making tea in the drawing room, and
Billery had leave given him to smoke
cigarette. The odors of the garden
and the scent OF the tea and the to-
bacco mingled agreeably together and
a cool breeze came up from the river.
Miss Molloy had taken off her hat
and was thoughtfully sticking long
hatpin through it, and her hair was
prettily disordered by the breeze. She
had really beautiful hair of fine
glossy chestnut tinge, and it waved
and curled quite naturally, and was al
ways disposed to rebel from strict or
der. For some reason the lady's colo"
came and went, and her bosom heaved
with slight irregularity. There was
silence which lasted for two or three
minutes, and Miss Cole came out on
the veralda with tray, which she de.
posted very carefully On a small bam-
boo table. 1t was we'll that she had al
ready placed it there, for. as she af
terward declared, she felt as if she
had been struck by lightning and de-
prived of her forces when Miss Molloy
said:
did you ever think of settlin' down
in life, Mr.. Billery?'
Settling down?" said Billery, walk
ing from new day-dream. "No.
don't think l ever did. Matrimonially
Il suppose you mean?"
"Can offer you cup of tea?" asked
the lady.
Thanks, very much,' said Billery;
'your tea is always delicious, Miss
Molloy."
"Now," Miss Molloy retorted, "if you
really thought that, ye'd come oftener
for it. Don't We think SO, Fanny"
Miss Cole coughed an embarrassed
little cough and laughed an embar-
rassed little laugh, and said she really
couldn't say.
"Do you like it sweet?" asked Miss
Belle, bending forward toward Billery
with the sugar tongs lowering over the
bowl, and her eyes raised just at the
telling angle.
mo, no. said Billery, with what
Miss Cole took to be meaning EN-.
phasis: "only one lump. No more"
Cream?" said Miss Belle.
~ Very little" said Billery. And
again Miss Cole. who was unduly sen.
;8sitive. thought she read meaning in
the tone. But Billery was literalness
ttself. from his boots 10 the little up
80 :, HSY.c, x,x,ol + - 49, <