The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-12-10

mlnu. II may keen me from mdhluB
quite a fool of myself. ! have never
had a great amount of respect for the
men who die of u%nrequited affection
and he smiled sarcastically.
BE yer goin' ter a me ter the
p~oorhouse?"
Not if you are a good boy. We're
going to hunt up a new suit of clothes,
as soon as l write a letter. Don't you
think you could wash a little of the
dirt from your face II / should show
you where to find water?"
He led the way to the toilet room,
then returned to his desk.
Dear Miss Grant he wrote. I'VE shall
still be friends, but / cannot meet you on
the old footing just yet, and so do not
wonder If you do not see me for a little
while. 1t is hard to b~ear-harder even
than L thought it would be. II you never
marry until you find someone nobler than
yourself, / shall certainly not be Obliged
to bear the added burden OF jealousy.
Yours. etc.
RUSSELL J.. MAYNARD"
1T isn't at all satisfactory" said
Russell, as he folded the note and put
it into an envelope, but could do no
better If l racked my brains for a
week"
Nearly three months had passed n
he had not yet summoned courage to
visit Miriam Grant. She had spent
part of the time with an old friend in
a ~neighboring state, and since her re-
! turn he had planned several times to
call on her, but never felt himself
quite strong enough to do so.
sT don't want m maka a fool of NV.
self" he thought. 1T has never been
my ambition to marry a wife who did
not love me. II she can't, she can't.
and / shall not beg for what is not
given freely; but, oh, Miriam. If
you"
He stopped suddenly and began a
romp with Dick.
81 found a lovely lady to-day, uncle"
said Dick, finally.
"Wheresdid you find herr" I
"She rang the bell, and Mrs. Wilson
was busy, so / opened the door. She
said you must bring me to see her
some day, and said thank you; uncle
will be pleased to- Did l do it right?"
Quite right" answered Russell.
laughing. You are learning very
fast"
81 told her perhaps we would come
tonight, and she said she should ex-
pect us; hen she went home without
/ seeing Mrs. Wilson at all"
Il don't know about allowing you
to make engagements for me, young
man." answered Russell. carelessly. as
he took up the evening paper and set
tied himself comfortably:
Cant we go just a few minutes"
pleaded Die. she was so pretty and
so good, n l love her just awful"
Mercy on me! Has it come to that
so soon? What is the lady's name.
may l ask?"
Miss Grant. She said you knew
where she lived"
"Miss-ahem-yes. l know What
did she say about my-your going to
see herr"
Dick repeated the conversation. and
was rewarded by being told that he
might go to call on the pretty lady,
q and soon he was seated in a chair very
close to her side, busily engaged with
a picture book.
n How did you happen to do it?'
asked Miriam of Russell, with a glance
e at the boy.
: Il don't know, I'm sure" he an.
g swered, with a smile. II had to make
a fool of myself in some way, l think.
My friends tell me that l couldn't have
succeeded better"
you haven't added to our reputa.
" ton as a man of common sense and
" good judgment" answered Miriam
with a laugh.
ig 81 am kept well posted in that di
rection; but really suppose you'd
It laugh at me for saying so-but the lit
p tie chap makes such things quite easy
in to bear"
Russell. why haven't you been tC
I'd see me before? 1 felt hurt to thinl
I'd that l should be the last of all you
of friends to learn of your new acquisi
a ton"
to Il haven't treated o fairly, but
well. to tell the truth, l haven't We
I'd arrived at the stage where / am viii
ling to meet you simply as a friend"
S; Il am glad of it."
er What do you mean? Miriam
1 I huooCll hNGAAalCNs AAQ lis law ~
ne came a shade paler. He did not wan
at to make a DOL of himself a secon'
rs time, he thought, and he had beef
very sure thai Miriam Grant returned
a his love.
Il do not mean to propose" answer
st ed Miriam, with blushing cheeks ant
= laughing eyes, but l have no objec
ton to confessing that"
"Confessing what?" Russell had he
in his arms, and Dick was staring
wide-eyed on such a scene as he hat
sr- never before witnessed.
That / was mistaken in you
id thought you an ~easy-going individual
i'd without much purpose. n who woul'
A. be easily swayed by public opinion
and such a man, though very pleasan
ho as an acquaintance. was not my idea
as a husband
Russell and Miriam have been mar
MI - ~.