The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-02-07
THE
BrangWyn Mystery

thing like that as a bull charges a
gate? You let me alone for that. now.
'Twould be indecent in either OF them
TO be thinkin' of courtin' ~immediateiy
on top of a tragedy like the one they're
both just through with, and l know
there's nothing farther from t"".r
moinds. But ye know as well as ,
that he'd doy'-Belle was very Il.
phatic and therefore rather more than
usually Irish-"he'd doy to save her
from the merest little harm. Ye know
he worships the very shoe she wears"
No." said Billery. "as a matter OF
fact, my dear, ! don't know. He hasn't
taken me into his confidence"
We'll if ye don't know, she knows,
and dew. And she's let the cat out
OF the bag tonight, Hamilton, if never
she did before. She thinks the world
Of him"
And well she may, by George
said Billery. There amt a nobler
fellow OF the planet"
That's just her way CT thinkin'."
cried Belle. But there's a difference
between thinking highly of a man an
bein' in love with him. Now, Lillian
Lees just as much in love with Alloy
sius Brangwyn as ever Aloysius Brang.
wyn was with Lillian Lee, and for him
she's the one woman on the earth.
and has been years out o countin',
though she's barely two-and-twenty,
They just adore each other, and
there's the long and short Of it. But
they're in a position of great delicacy,
and they're just the people TO exagger-
ate it. He's asked her twice already,
and he'll go about thinkin' that she's
wasted her heart on hat unutterable
villain, and a never think an feel
again like a live-hlooded woman. An
he'll be maxim a nun an a blessed
angel of her in his own melancholy
Don QuiXOte way, aud she'll have TO be-
quiet and miserable--for it's not every
woman in the world that will take her
courage in both hands as | did with
you, my dear. And If they're not tn
go on always in that way, breakin'
both their hearts for the want of a lit.
tie understanding, they'll want a per.
son OF tact about them"
Upon my word, little woman said
Biliery, you're breaking out in a new
place with a vengeance. And you're
going to be the person OF tact?"
Il am, then" said Belle, in vivid az
firmation. And I'm goin' to he the
person of determination in the bar
gain. Therell be no shillp-shally
where | am, an that yen live to see
Mr.. Billery."
THAT | shall live to see," he an
swered, II know | shall throughout my
wretched and henpecked existence"
Il dare We to repeat the word" she
cried.
"'Henpecked' was the word | used
said Billery. "Henpecked!"
IN henpeck ye!" said Belle. She
kept her word by kissing the bald
spot. Hamilton, tits wonderful to
think how little a time we've been
married, for ye're just as easy to wear
as an old shoe already. But amn't !
right In what I've been saying? And
haven't | your subloime %approval:-
I've not the slightest doubt you're
right, my dear. And l think you're
just the identical person for the bust.
ness, and | wish you well with it with
all my heart. Only-one word. Haste,
as the poet observes. my dear, is half
sister to delay"
"Oh, I'll take time" said Belle. "But
what'll you bet that I don't have them
safely married before our own first an.
niversary m roundH"
you act with so much promptituda
in these little matters" her husband
answered, rising and shaking her in u
waggish way, that l shall be prepared
for anything"
So Mistress Billery laid herself out
formally to besiege Lillian with pre-
cisely such an eager determination not
to be defeated as she had displayed
on an earlier occasion. She talked
eternal Aloysius. 1t was her plan In
some slight way to provoke Lillian to
defend him. AS, for instance. that il
was absurd to go on hiding himself as
he did now that all the world was wait
ing and eager to receive him and to
make amends. Or that he had a duty
to the world which he could not fulfil
by moping by himself forever. That
he had great talents, which he was
burying in a napkin. Thus urged. Lii
Ian many a time shot far beyond her
wi intent, and her heaving bosom
and tender. glowing eyes were mora
eloquent thar the words In which she
sang his praise.
Lillian" said Belle, after n of her
warmest outbursts. "don't We think We
women are mighty quara creatures.
even to ourselves? Now, it's as plain
to me as the nose on Hamilton's face
and that's a plain mans plainest
f~eature-that ye're rs much in love
with Mr.. Brangwyn as W. woman
was in love or could be-" Lillian
blushed like fire and hung her head,
but she offered nc disclaimer. 'Rut
that's Of course, and I'd be a fool not
to see II. But the curious part Of 1t Is
that we've been In love with him all
along"
"Oh, Bellc!" said Lillian. and she hid
her burning face In both hands.