Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-12-19

~ 49,
wanted in the study at once.
The woman vanished as he turned; the
kitchen door slammed upon her sobs,
and in the study Tom found his mas
ter in a towering rage.
you profess some gratitude toward
| believer" said Daintree, With a
biting ceremony of voice and manner.
mot more than l feel-not half as
much"
"Then you are the exception, and
now's your chance of showing what
you say you feel. I'm going to ask q
favor Of you, Thomas"
"1ou shouldn't put it so, sir. I love
to serve YOU"
"Then go to Parramatta factory and
choose a Wife"
Tom twitched all over and stood
very still without a word. The other
covered him with IN ugly eye.
$50 even your gratitude has it's lin
its" he sneered. Another time l
should protest a little less if l were
you"
"You ask the one impossible thing"
replied Tom, with a groan.
"Pardon me, did not ask it," re-
Joined Daintree, whose blacker moods
inspired him with a perfect genius for
picking quarrels. Though you have
not honored me with your confidence,
1t may relieve you to hear that 1 have
not the least desire to tamper with
your loyalty to some lady unknown. l
ask you to choose a wife-not to marry
her."
II don't understand you, sir" said
Tom respectfully.
"4ou will if you condescend to listen.
The woman Fawcett says we shall re-
quire another servant here. don't
believe a word Of 1.-THE ladies are
bringing their own maid with them
but this idle, impudent, ungrateful
woman holds a pistol to my head and
threatens to desert me at this juncture
if I don't get her a girl. I've had her
here bullying me for the last half hour,
and this is the hole that Pm in-either
the Fawcetts leave this day month,
when l shall want them most, or I
must apply for a convict woman, and
God knows what kind they'll send me.
Now, if you applied for Il wife you'd
have your pick and choose a decent
one, and, as l say, there's no earthly
reason why you should ever marry her"
Surely it would be unfair not to-"
objected Tom, who would have used
a stronger adjective to anybody else.
"Unfair on the girl? Not at all.
You simply let her off a blind bargain.
and she gains good wages and Il COM
Portable home. The girl comes out of
it deuced we'll, the officials are none
the wiser and none the worse, while l
have the advantage of your selection
instead Of theirs"
81 might make a bad choice
ooh, if you want to keep out of it,"
cried Daintree, keep out of it and re-
fuse me the first favor I've ever asked
you to do me! I shall know better
than to ask another. Only in future
let Inc hear less of your gratitude till
you've some to show"
Tom consented without further words.
He disliked the plan as cordially as he
resented the outrageous tone adopted
Wy hGll1llSC, Jul liz "oulu SllDllllI W
both sooner than deny the man to
whom he owed more than he could
even yet realize.
Meanwhile the necessary letters. in
which the convict applied for a wife
and the master undertook to support
her, We're written, the with secret
adherence, the other with a sinister
r11ctn Nnyt dow Ton, roaoiva1 hic ar
der to the matron Of the factory to
supply him with a wife and started in
the early morning following on an er-
rand which his whole soul repudiated.
"You are to take her back with you
said the woman, having read her let
ter, "and to be married from your mas
ter's house,
Tom found Peggy O'Brien and select
ed her. By loon she was a compare
lively free oma Alas. she was an
nnutterably happy one!
Her arm stole within Toms as he
drove. He had neither the courage
nor the heart to tell her the truth out
right. 1t was a cruel position for them
both. He glanced with horror at her
radiant face, and again he noticed her
hair.
where's it all gone to, Peggyw he
asked, pointing to the short strong
locks. "What have you done with it?'
They had reached the outskirts OF
Parramatta. New buildings were
springing up in every direction. and
Peggy jerked her head toward some
scaffoldings.
SIS it where me hairs gomez" she
said, with a laugh. "Mebbe there's
some of t there"
where, Peggy"
"In them new buildin's, like cas- not
An didn't ye hear they strengthen the
morthar wild the hair of the women's
heads? TITS thrue. then, in Parramat
Ia. An it's mighty kind they thinb
themselves to give us the razor instid
O the cat. But where's their bricks an
morthar if they bet us?"
"They used that glorious hair fol
bricks and mortar!"
His praise of it vas dearer far thar