Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-03-23

his confusion with clear eyes.
'.Oh, yes" he answered. smoothly.
giving the band around his note book
a vicious snap. They are all quite
we'll, thank you. l believe they've been
having a time with the-some disease
or other--I forget what"
II should think sol" exclaimed the
young lady, bestowing on him a re-
proachful glance. Minnie told me
they'd been q%uarantined for six weeks
with scarlet fever
Eyes, that was It," affirmed Dick,
absently. He had been cudgeling his
brains to recall the names Of the
youngsters he saw but rarely. Fielding
-ahat was one-namesake of his
uncle, Of course.
Fielding is n fine little fellow" he
ventured, with quite an air Of propr:1e-
torship. HE grows more like me ev-
cry day, they all say"
He was gazing openly into the face
he found more attractive, as he made
this perfectly safe remark. The big,
gray eyes were raised to his; their
owner spoke demurely:
"Fieldlng was a girl, Mr.. Roberts.
when l saw her photograph last week.
And then she sat there looking straight
at him, grave as n u to all appear
ance.
Again he lushed scarlet, his whole
attitude and name expressive of a
discontinue which i'll accorded with
the personnel Of so elegant a gentle
man. But he made a gallant struggle.
ITO be sure,' he %assented, Ito be
| sure she is, bless her sweet heart. o
know" he went on, recovering n
dence with every syllable, II find it
the hardest thing in the world to tell
boys and girls apart in these days
when they dress SO much alike. Don't
you ever have trouble, Miss Clover
dale?"
His manner was impressively conf
dental.
Never, Mr.. Roberts, and especially
with Maud's children, for they are all
girls, you know"
The dickens, they are!" he ejacu-
lated mentally. Heavens! what a
erts? 1 could talk as straight Is a
string about him! But, why, In Rob-
erts myself! Jove! I'll try Frank.
II guess l don't know much about
children. to tell you the truth. Miss
Cloverdale," he confessed, ingenuously.
But I know Maud's husband to be
the best fellow in the world. Have
| you ever met him."
NO; but I've heard a great deal Of
l;r, frpr, Nirnin In noc nnn n,,o1ifu
1 simply adore IN a man, and must
ave in all my man friends, and that
is straightforwardness."
The beautiful clear gray eyes we're
| again looking straight into his, just as
they had done in the photograph. At
first he returned the glance, but big,
honest fellow that lie was, he soon was
unable to meet it. and dropped the
fearless blue eyes which never before
had quailed. Another minute and he
would have blurted out the whole truth
in an agony of self-condemantion and
embarrassment, but at that instant the
train official marched in and roared
out his endless enumeration In such
voluminous tones that further speech
was out of the question.
MY train,' said Miss Cloverdale,
| rising.
They mingled in the crowd pushing
through the gate. He walked beside her
IN silence down the long platform.
| When, finally, she was seated in the
car, she said, g%raciously, giving him
her hand:
THANK you very, very much, Mr..
Roberts, for all your kindness. You
may be sure that Bessie and I, as we'll
rs Minnie, appreciate it thoroughly.
Give my love to Maud, please. Good
BY"
He could not Dear to leave her so.
Heaven only knows what wild lmpos-
sible thoughts surged through his
brain. But the train began to move.
He pressed her hand closely, and turn
ed away without a word.
When Fielding Roberts returned to
| his office, about 3 o'clock, he found his
partner seated at his desk hard at
work. Books were piled about him !;
papers were scattered everywhere; he
did not glance up from his writing.
How did it go off, old chap?' asked
Fielding, hanging up his hat.
Like a ship aire!" replied Dick,
savagely. she's the dearest, sweetest
girl in the world-square and straight
and true as heaven-and I made the
| biggest ass and fool and dolt and block
head Of myself my worst enemy could
wish. I can't talk Of it Ding, even to
you. So don't ever refer to it again,
or I'll have either to pitch you out of
the window or leave myself, fos good
and all"
Fielding Roberts thought that he
knew his Dick thoroughly but here
vas a new note, a new side to the lov-
able character. He was a wise friend,
however, and he made no reply save a
hearty:
"All right, Dicksie!"
Two weeks later he came over to
Dicks desk n morning.
Dick" he said, quietly, Maud and
1 have been invited out to Bessie Clo-
verdale's wedding, and we are going
next week, Thursday. l want to tell
you hat I was mistaken about Miss
Amy's being engaged to some one in
the Philippines. 1t is another friend
| Of Minnie's who is to marry Amos Clio
! verdale, an officer in our army out
there, nj Amy's brother. The simil-