The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-07-20
CHAPTER w.

women translate so readily, Miss Lee
conveyed to Miss Molloy a wish to
speak to her alone.
Come upstairs, dear and take your
hat OFF," said Belle, and the two dis
appeared together. Bob studied Miss
Lees portrait In the lady's absence,
and. arrived at the conclusion that the
master passion of his life had fallen
upon him. He was used to it. 1t was
an experience which befell him at
most ports Of call, and it generally
endured from port to port, or very
nearly. But he felt that this was go
ing to differ from the rest, and that
the image on his heart was inefffface-
able.
It had always been going to be in
effaceable, because he was young and
ardent and Irish, and built that way,
but there was one reason why he felt
himself to be more permanently hit In
the present case than he had ever
been before Hitherto it had been his
habit to fall in love with ladies of
comparatively mature age, and most
Of his inamorati had already bestowed
their hearts and hands elsewhere. He
had always despised mere girls, but
~ N1l ~ 10
worship became younger. For the
nrst time In his history he found him.
self In love with lady who was not
separated from him by gulf of years,
and was still free to bestow her. af-
fections where she pleased.
He spent an hour over the portrait
IAN hour Of rapture-and at the end
OF that time he began to feel little
bored. He strolled on to the lawn and
threw gravel from the footpath which
divided 1t at his sisters window. Belle
appeared and motioned him indignant
ly away.
Are you girls going to leave me to
my own devices all day long?" he
asked.
He felt horribly impertinent in ap-
plying this form Of inquiry to Miss
Lee, but his sister afforded him kind
Of shelter, and he had experience
enough gained from the converse OF
others--to know that the taking it for
granted that q man had by nature the
right to assume airs over the other sex
carried an advantage with 1t.
Go away" said Belle. I'VE are in
the very middle of highly interesting
confab, and we sha'n't have done for
hours"
Millinery" Bob suggested.
Eyes" said Belle. I'VE are design
Ing q wedding outfit Go away. And
don't come back until it's time for
luncheon"
"All right" said Bob. and, going
back to the house for his cap, strolled
away into the fields and lanes, not car
ing In which direction he went so long
a. he was left free to indulge the re-
nections which fioated about the i'm
age OF Miss Lee. He sat upon stile
and smoked. He engaged himself in
many desperate enterprises In many
foreign waters. He volunteered for
some scores Of forlorn hopes, from
some 0f which he emerged covered
With glory. From others he came out
% broken that he had but time to
hand 4 sealed packet Of protest and
farewell to sympathetic comrade ere
his spirit ned.
He was buried with naval and mill
tary honors several times over. and
lived 70 be the youngest admiral In
the service and to sink the entire Ger
man navy in the North sea. Then he
bethought him that the day was hot
and that they kept good beer-uncom-
mon good beer at the Stag hotel. That
admirable little hostelry was at the
waters edge, and the river looked in
viting. He put himself into skin
and took q racing pull two miles up
stream, padded back again. had more
beer, and strolled homewards.
Suddenly . gay voice called him by
name. and. pausing, he saw the figure
4 of man who, from little elevation
q the fields. was waving stick at
1 him ID greeting
my rival" said Bob, waving his
hand II return. "One Of the crowd.
Il wonder how many Of EN- shall
h1ye to cut out before the games
oxer 1 The figure came leaping down
athe green hillside. and vaulted the
etf1o at the bottom. Another followed
d w .Sy 4Aa~<anco ~ h,1ndrnd vardc Tho