Mower County transcript., 1907-08-21

ain, an Oi know yer way Of sitting
them things. It's too strenuous ye
are. Misther Hampton. And what did
ye do wild the young lady, OF make
bould to ask??'
Hampton care1essly waved his hand
toward the rear room, the door of
which stood ajar, and blew a thick
cloud of smoke into the air, his eyes
continuing to gaze dreamily through
the open window toward the distant
hills.
who's running the game over at
the Occidental?" he asked, profession.
ally.
"Red Slavin, bad cess to him!" and
her eyes regarded her questioner with
renewed anxiety. "But sure now,
Bob, ye mustn't think of playin' yit
awhoile. Yer narves are in no fit
shape, an won't be fer wake yit.'' -.
He made no direct reply, and she
hung about, tapping the dust-rag un-
easily. s
- "An' what did ye name ter be doin'
wild the young gyurl?" she questioned
at last, in womanly curiosity.
Hampton wheeled about on the
hard chair, and regarded her quizzing-
ly. MRS. Guffy,' he said, slowly,
you've been mother to me, and it
would certainly be unkind not to give
you straight tip. Do? Why, take
care Of her, of course. What else
would you expect of one possessing
my kindly disposition and well-known
motives of philanthropy? Can it be
that have resided with you, off and
on, for ten years past without your
ever realizing the fond yearnings of
my heart? Mrs. Guffy, I shall make
her the heiress to my millions; shall
marry her off to some eastern nabob,
and thus attain to that high position
in society I am so well fitted to adorn
sure, and what else were you ex-
pecting, Mrs. Guny?"
"A loikely story" with snitf of dis
belief. ''They tell me she's old Gillis'
daughter over to Bethune."
''They tell you, do they?" sudden
CLEAN Of anger darkening his gray
eyes. "Who tell your"
"Sure, Bob, an thet's nuthin' ter git
mad about, so fur as I kin see. The
story is in iverybody's mouth. 1t wus
thin sojers what brought ye in thet
tould most ov it, but the lieutenant
! Brant of the Seventh cavalry, no less,
who took dinner here afore he wint
back after the dead bodies, give me
her name."
"Brant of the Seventh?" He faced
her fairly now, his face again haggard
and gray, all the slight CLEAN of fun
gone out Of 1t. ,'''Was that the lads
name?''
"Sure, and didn't ye know him?''
"No; noticed the :'7' on his hat OF
course, but never asked any questions,
for his face was strange. I didn't
know. The name, when you just spoke
it, struck me rather queer. IL used
to know Brant in the Seventh, but
he was much older; it was not this
man" -. = s>--''' s-sIssS N.s* - =.
She answered something, lingering
for moment at the door, but he made
no response, and she passed out ST.
lently, leaving him staring moodily
through the open window, his eyes ap-
pearing glazed and sightless.
An hour later he was still sitting on
the hard chair by the window, cigar
between his teeth, thinking. The low
ering sun was pouring perfect flood
of gold across the rag carpet, but he
remained utterly unconscious as to
aught save the gloomy trend of his
own awakened memories. Some one
raped upon the outer door.
Come in," he exclaimed, carelessly,
and barely glancipg up. "Well, what
is it this time, Mrs. Guffy?"
The landlady had never before seen
this usually happy guest in his pres
ent mood, and she watched him Gu
riously.
"A man wants ter see ye,' she an
nounced, shortly, her hand on the
knob.
"Oh, I'm in no shape for play to-
night; go back and tell him so.'
"Sure, an it's aisy 'nough ter see
thet wild half an eye. But this un isn't
thet koind Of man, an he's so
moighty perlite about it. Oh jist cudn't
sind the loikes of him away. It's
'Missus Guffy, me dear madam, wud
ye be koind enough to convey me COM
pliments to Misther Robert Hampton,
and requist him to grant me a few
minutes of his tonne on an important
matter? Sure, an what do We think
of thet?" ~.,- =.
To be Continued.
Everybody Should Know