The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-07-13
THE
Bl'a1lg!Wyn Mystery

1 He'll not trouble you, Belle" said
young Molloy.
But he will" declared his sister.
81 know why he's coming. m tell you
now. A child of nineteen Is likely to
care little about such things. but at
any rate you can understand. The
mans fve-and-thirty if he's day. II
there is darling girl in the world, as
good as she's lovely, and as lcyable as
she's good, It's Lillian Lee"
whats that mean?" asked young
Molloy, rolling over idly in his chair.
Suppose he be five-and-thirty, and
Miss Lees good and pretty, what's the
one thing to do with the other?"
ooh, the density of it," said Miss
Belle. "Amn't | telling you? He's in
love with her, and he pesthers the life
out of her to marry him" In her anger
the sweet musical hint of Irish IN her
speech broke into a most decided
brogue "And I'd invited lillian to
spend month with me here, and now
she'll be afraid to come. I'd been
looilin forward to it so. and now me
pleasures clean spoiled"
"If she doesn't like the fellow" said
Bob, why doesn't she send him about
his business?"
THAT sounds like sensible ques-
ton" Belle answered. II don't sup
pose that yen understand word Of
what I'm saying, but I've had it on me
mind for more than year, and now
that the mans coming near, | know
that he's made up his mind to lay a
regular siege to poor Lillian. She's
afraid of him. She doesn't like him.
Butt could kill him for it-he has
some kind of fascination or power or
"He can't make her say Yes while
she means No | suppose" said Bob
sitting up in the lounge chair and tap
ping his pipe against his heel.
That's the misery of IT," said Belle.
"Thats why he frightens her.
"Then," declared Master Molloy. ris-
ing for his tobacco pouch. "she must
be a little chuckle-head
Indeed she isn't" cried Belle, We
hemently. She's as level-headed a
gyurl as ever we met in your lofe. And
she's plenty of courage and spirit and
determination and all that. we've
never seen her? I'll show We her por-
trait an We shall tell me IL she looks
, the kind of girl to be affected that
way"
She pumped the work on which she
was engaged into little fancy basket
beside her, and walked into the next
room. In a moment she returned with
the portrait, mounted on a bevelled
and gilt-edged plaque Of cardboard,
some ten by eight inches in size, and
thrust 1t into his outstretched hand.
1--WE seen this said Bob. Il was
going to ask you who it was, but for
got. say, Belle, she is a ripper and
no mistake. BY Jove, l wish thought
there was nice young gal like that
growing up for me-"
The portrait had been tinted by an
artists hand. 1t represented girl OF
twenty or thereabouts in winter COS
tune in the open air, with a back
ground of snow-laden trees. The fig
ure was 1.-the and we'll posed, and
through its furs revealed. no more than
that. The face was very beautiful
with eyes Of an innocent childish blue
the lips not actually smiling. but look
ing as If they were about to smile. the
whole countenance radiant with a
gentle intelligence, and framed in hair
of an unusual tint of reddish gold The
fault OF the face was that it was toe
ethereal, too sensitive 1t was not a
weak face either, though any expert
enced observer bearing Miss Bellies
statement in mind, would have had nc
'. difficulty in understanding that its
owner might very well be susceptible
to influences of kind which would
leave other women of her years and in
man looked at it long and seriously
Perhaps because Of his Irish blood, ne
|. had an intuitive unconscious under
standing of it.
, IL know what you're driving at
. Belle" he said, at last: II can feel 1T
!, though l can't say 1t. There are
snakes, We know, thatll look at little
) bird till the poor thing grows bewild
cred, and will take header into the
jaws that are waiting for 1t. He's
!. snaky kind of a Johnny, is Mr.. Alloy
sius Brangwyn. and this is just the
sort Of little bird for him. Poor littl,
bird!"
: He kissed the picture with boyisl
, impulse. and handed it back to his sis
! ter.
81 didn't think you'd understand
9 Bob" she said as she received it. Blu
n We see exactly how feel. and We know
h now what it is that makes poor Ltlial
'. afraid Of him."
It Marry her off to some nice fellow
g that will take care of her." Bob coun
J" selled, sageiy. There ought to b,
4 lots who'd be willing to carry on cir
l. like that. Has she got money!"
n She's not rich, but she has enough
q and to spare, and there's more coming
But as for eligible men that are jus