Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-12-26

lifted alonS as II listed without re-
gard for law aud order 1t struck Miss
Matte TO the heart. Her girlhood. witt
Its misty dreams of happiness. came
back to her on the wings OF music.
Isn't that sweet tune?" she said
with lump in her throat.
She went up into her room and sat
down moment in confusion, tr-ing to
| grasp the reality of all that had hap
pened. In the middle of the belief
that these things were not SO came the
regret of a sensitive mind for errors
| committed. She remembered, with a
sudden sinking, that she had not thank
ed him for the necklace. And the mon
ey lay even now on the parlor table
where he had cast it! This added the
physical fear of thieves. Down she
went and got the money, counted out,
to her unmitigated establishment. $500
and thrust 1t beneath her pillow, with
a shiver. She wished she had thought
| to tell him TO take care of 1t. But sup
pose the thieves were to fall on him
as he slept? Reds friends would have
spent their sympathy on the thieves.
She rejoiced that the money was
where 1t was. Then she tried to re-
member what she had said throughout
the evening.
"Well, suppose must have acted
like a ninny," she concluded. But
isn't he just splendidr' And as Cousin
Wills handsome face. with its daring.
kind eyes, came to her vision she felt
comforted II don't believe but what
he'll make every allowance for how
excited | was" said she. "He seems
such a large man. Well, ii doesn't
seem as if it could be true" With a
half sigh. Miss Matte knelt and sent
up her modest petition to her Maker
and got into her little white bed.
In the meantime Reds actions would
have awakened suspicion. He hunted
around until he found a tin can, then
lit match and rummaged the barn
amid terror stricken squawks from the
Inhabitants, the hens
zone, two, three, four" he counted.
Reckon can last out till morning on
that Matte, she's white people-just
the incest | ever saw-but she amt
used to providing for full grown
man"
He stepped to the back Of the barn
and looked about him. Nobody can
see me from here" he said in salts
faction. Then he scraped together a
pile of chips and sticks and built a
fire, filled the tin can at the brook, sat
1t on two stones over the fire, rolled
himself a cigarette and waited. A
large, yellow tomcat came out of the
brush and threw his green headlights
on him, meaowing tentatively.
"Hello. pussyw said Red 'You hun
cry too? Well, just wait a minute and
we'll help that feeling. Like bread,
pussyT' The cat gobbled the morsel
greedily, came closer and begged for
more The tin can boiled over. Red
popped the eggs I'm. pulled his efga-
rette to bright coal and looked at his
watch by the light. Gee! Ten min
utes more nowv' said he. Hardly
seems to me as If could wait" He
pulled the watch out several times.
whats the matter with the d-n
thing? believe it's stopped he
growled. But at last Time he
shouted gleefully, kicked the can over
and gathered up its treasures in his
handkerchief.
Now, Mr.. Cat, we're going to do
some real eating" said he. "Just sit
right down and make yourself at
home. This is kind Of fun, by Jinksw
Down went the eggs, and down went
the loaf of bread in generous slices,
never forgetting fair share for the
| cat
"Woosh, | feel better!' cried Red
"And now for some sleep" He swung
up into the hayloft, spread the blan-
ket on the still fragrant old hay and
rolled himself up In a trice.
Il did good turn when | came on
here" he unused. "If have got only
one relation, she's a dandy--so pretty
and quiet and nice. She's a marker
for all I've got, is Matte"
The cat came up. purring and 'mak-
ing bread" He shifted feline fashion
at Reds face.
Zoo! Shoe! Go way, pussy! Set
tie yourself down and Wen pound our
ear for another forty miles. Ike you
first rate when you don't walk on my
face" He stretched and yawned enor-
mously. "Yes, sir, Mattie's all right"
said he. "A-a-a-ll ri''- And Chanta
Seechee Red was In the land Of dreams
Here, back In Gods country, within
twenty miles Of the place where he
was born, the wanderer laid him down
again. and In spite of raid and foray.
whisky and poker cards. wear and
tear, hard times and. hardest test OF
all. sudden fortune, he was much the
same impulsive. honest. generous,
devil-may-care boy who had left there
twenty-four years ago.
fro BE Continued