Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-12-19

ring note-Red spoke of the vigorous
celebration that had been followed by
the finding of gold. Ii was certainly
well told. but Miss Matte asked in
soft horror when he had finished
"You didn't get-intoxicated-W ing'
did e said he. lost in memory and
not noticing the tone. well. | put
my hand down the throat of that
mans town and turned her inside out
1t was like as If Christmas and Fourth
Of July had happened on the same
day"
''Oh, WILL" cried Miss Matte, Il
can't think of you like that-rolling In
the gutterr' Her voice shook and
broke off. Her knowledge of the eff
feet of stimulants was limited to Fair.
fields one drunkard-old Tommy Nc.
Kee, a disreputable old Irishman-but
drunkenness was the worst vice in heI
world.
Rolling in the gutterr' cried Red In
establishment. why, girl, what for
would roll in the gutter? What's the
fun in that? Jimmy Christmasl
wanted to walk on the telegraph wires
There wasn't anything in that town
high enough for me. What put gut.
tiers into your headY
IL supposed people did that when
they were-like that"
81 wouldn't waste my money on
whisky If that's all the inspiration
rnt ont IF n - rnpljnd Pod
well, of course ] don't know about
those things, but / wish you'd promise
me one thing"
"Doner' cried Red. what is it?'
81 wish you'd promise me not to
touch whisky again"
"Phew! That's pretty big order"'
He stopped and thought a minute. IF
you'll make that never touch it when
it amt needed leaving when it's
needed to what's my idea of the square
thing on promise, I'll go you, Matte,
There's my hand"
"Oh, l shouldn't have said anything
at all, viii. / have no right, but it
seemed such a pity such a splendid
mani meant think You mustn't
promise me anything, WILL" stammer-
ed Miss Matte, shocked at her own
daring.
"Herer' he cried, 'I'm no little kid!
When | promise | mean It! As for
your not having any right. amt we all
there is? You've got to be mother and
sister and aunt and everything to me.
l amt as young as have been, Matte.
and l miss Sideways terrible at times.
Now, put out your fin like good pard-
ner, and here goes for no more rhine
caboos for Chanta Seechee BEDTIME
quit drinking, anyhow" he slipped
a ring of his little finger. Here, hold
out your hand" said he. 'Ill put this
on for luck and the sake of the prom
ise-by the same token, I've got a
moose on yor now, and you're my prop
erty"
This of course was only Cousin
wins joking, but Miss Matte noticed
with sudden hot flush that he had
chosen the engagement f1nger-in all
ignorance, she felt sure The last
thing she could do would be to call
his attention to the fact or run the
risk Of hurting his feelings by trans
ferring the ring; besides, 1t was pref
ty ring, rough ruby In plain gold
band-and looked very well where 1t
was.
Then they settled down for what
Red called a good medicine talk. Miss
Matte found herself boldly speaking
Of little fancies and notions that had
remained In the inner shrine of her
soul for years. shrinking from the mat
ter-of-fact eye of Fairfield; yet this
big, feroclous looking Cousin VIII
seemed to find them both sane and in
teresting. and as her self respect went
up in the arithmetical her admiration
for Cousin VIII went up in the geo
metrical ratio. He frankly admitted
weaknesses and fears that the males
Of Fairfield would have rejected
scornfully.
Miss Matte spoke of sleeping up
stairs, because she could not rid
herself of the fear of somebody com
ing In.
II know just how you feel about
that" said Red. my hair used to be
on its feet most of the time when we
were in the hay camp at the lake beds.
Gee whiz! The rattlers! We put hair
ropes around-but them rattlers liked
to squirm over hair ropes for exercise.
One morning 1 woke up and there was
a crawler on my chest. For Gods
sake, Peter says I to Antelope Pete,
who was rolled up next me, come take
my friend awayv and l didn't holler
very loud neither. Pete was chain
lightning In pants. and he grabs Mr..
Rather by the tail and snaps his neck
but ! felt lonesome in my inside till
dinner time. You bet! / know just
how you feel exactly. | didn't have a
mans sized nights rest while we was
In that part of the country"
1t struck Miss Matte that the cases
were hardly parallel "A rattlesnake
on your chest, Willr' she cried, with
her hands clasped in terror.
"Oh, 1t wasn't as bad rs II sounds
he was asleep, coiled up there to get
warm-sharpish nights on the prairie
In August-but darn II, Matte" wrin-
king up his nose In disgust, II hate
the sight Of the brutesr'
fro BE CONTINUED.