The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-07-12

a die, and he's not ugly enough to set
the dogs barkin', neither"
II think he's the handsomext man |
ever saw" said Miss Belle. AN be-
tween ourselves, Master Bob, l could
to-" She laughed as she said 1t, but
she blushed at the same time, and a
second later she gave a half.humorous
little sigh. But then, we see, Bob,
I'm a born old maid. I'm as plain as
a pikestaf, and I'm on the shelf at
four-and-twenty. II the late lamented
Admiral MollOy had known the differ
ence between a Derby winner and a
clothes-horse | might have had a little
money, an SO might you, poor boy"
Don't" said Bob. Il wouldn't have
changed the pater for all the money
In the world. He was a nailin' good
officer, and a mar from his badness to
his boots"
And when did you say" asked
Belle, to divert the talk, that Mr..
Brangwyn was coming here?"
'Billery said he was coming directly.
Billery always was a queer old bird,
but he's queere now than ever. He's
just got back from Paris, and he's
cram-full of mystery and importance.
Poor old Billery used to booze a lot,
but when ] met him outside the Cri.,
and asked him to come In and lay the
dust, he looked at me as II I'd asked
him to pick a pocket. I'm off It, says
Billery. until my Investigations are
completed / never liked him to see
that I was chafin' him, and | asked
him serious and solid what he was in
v~estigating. My lips are sealed, says
Billery. You will know in time. The
world will know | think the chaps
In the Cri. must have fancied | was
mad, for / went In laughing fit to
split"
He laughed anew at the recollection,
and then gan to fill his pipe when
he heard a soft voice from the room
behind him pronounce his sisters
name, and almost in the same second
that young lady s%hrieked. aloud and
rushed into the interior. He spun
swiftly around on his heel, and was in
time to see Miss Molloy cast herself
into the arms OF a young lady whom
she kissed again and again with Irish
fervor and with many tender murmurs
of Darling" and Dearest" and
How delightful of you to think of me-"
And whilst Bob was still staring at
this unexpected scene, Belle turned on
him, flushed, touzled, and radiant, and,
dragging her visitor forward by the
hand, announced her as Miss Lillian
Lee.
This is me brother Bob, that's just
back from the Mediterranean ocean.
We were talking of We only a minute
or two ago, an | was shown him that
lovely tinted portrait, and | can tell
we, darlin', that we've made another
conquest, and if Bob hasn't the cour-
age and the honesty to confirm me,
he's nc Molloy."
There's no doubt of me right to
the name, Miss Lee said Bob. IF
we can trust to Bellies criterion I'm a
Molloy all over"
THAT is very nice Of you," said the
newly-introduced lady. giving him her
hand and laughing.
Master Bob, aged nineteen, was a
lad Of what may be called the hand
some-ugly type. His tanned face, with
it's half-chiselled lose and chin and
lips, spelt sincerity and courage. His
six feet of %unripened manhood had
grace in every line of it, and his hon
est eyes spoke alteration. The woman
who was to be twenty tomorrow
looked at him with an almost mother
ly admiration. But before her Bob's
heart went down like a ninepin.
Ito Be Continued.)