Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-09
,HISCOURTSHIP
BY HELEN r.. MARTIN,

Author y "Tillie: A Mennonite Maid

ton she would have to face on her re-.
turn or on the morrow.
but she never seems to mind the old
lady's upbraidings: she takes them with
an apparently philosophical calm he
thought Il wonder whether, against
all the stress that will be brought to
bear upon her. she will with equal
calmness and philosophy persist In her
devotion to Abe l should think she'd
fiud 1t hard to hold out against the
cold blooded obstinacy of that brutal
old Observation-Disclosures than against
the woman's warm temper. fancy
the Dutchman could be cruel under
some circumstances. Now, I'm In.
clined to think Eunice would fare bet,
ter If she favored that sheep that came
to court her this evening Hen Muckle.
benny. He looks inoffensive and soft
hearted, while Abe Morningstar is o
genuine son of his father-small soul.
ed, selfish and brutal. But she doesn't
know that 1t is she Hen came to see,
and the Aorningstars will take care
that she doesn't find 1t out. l might
do her good turn by telling her on
the quiet"
His meditation turned at last from
sheer WEAKNESS into another channel,
and be fell to thinking Of the awkward
situation he would have to confront
when. on his return to town, he should
be obliged to meet Miss Ellery and
Miss Parks in his true character. How
he was going to carry 1t of was
question which not infrequently occu-
pied his leisure moments.
81 wonder whether Georgiana was
In the least shaken out of her orbit by
the shock Of Eunice's correcting her
quotation from Izaak Walton and de.
clining to be a recipient Of charity
that was the damsels phraseology, II
remember. Probably not. She could
hardly forget herself long enough to
entertain more than a mere passing
wonder about another woman.
''Her wishing to give that dress to
Eunice-it was not because OF any
sympathy with Eunice; it was merely
an exploiting Of herself, an insistence
upon her theories. which she feels set
her above and apart from the common
herd. If something could happen to
her to knock out Of her her own fool
idea of herself and make her just
simple. natural girl. why. with such
beauty and distinction as she has, she
might be very charming woman"
He took his pipe from his mouth
and clasped his hands behind him as
he bent back his head to the stars
while he dwelt upon the picture of
revised Georgiana which his fancy
called up. He was just wondering
whether the deception he was playing
upon her in his disguise might not he
made in some way to work such re-
vision in her when his attention was
arrested by the sound Of approaching
carriage wheels.
In the quiet Of the country evening
the beat of the horses hoofs could be
heard from distance, and he had
time to decide that it was no doubt
the buggy containing the truant low
ers that was coming up the road and
to wonder how their return would be
met by the angry heads of the house
when the vehicle drove In at the barn,
and he saw as he strolled In that d.
rection that Abe was alone.
What had the fellow done with Eu-
nice? Kinross was surprised into
quick feeling Of alarm for the girls
safety. He was on the point Of STEP
,f% ho int n Tn I'm
quire after her when he bethought him
that he would do better to keep out OF
the "mixup."
"It's none of my business. OF course
Abe would justly resent my solicitude
for the girl
So, with the reflection that he was
living in the midst Of fast thickening
mysteries, he shook out his pipe and
went indoors for the night
To reach his bedroom he had to pass
the opening to the long, narrow hall
which led into the redoubtable back
building, and it was just as he came
to this passage that his step was ar
rested by something which gave him
a momentary thrill of excitement. The
lamp he carried shed light down the
passage and his eye was caught by
white figure moving swiftly and noise
lessly at the farthest end Of it. AL
most instantly the figure disappeared.
Whether it had run around a turn in
the hall or dissolved into ether he
could not be sure. Was it a wrath or
what? Should he pursue it? No; its
garb was too suggestive of woman's
nightgown to make pursuit Gu his
part advisable. He would get Mrs.
Morningstar's permission to sleep down
there some night, and then, If ghost it
we're, he would surely make it's &C
quaintance.
With this conclusion and feeling 'ac-
tually exhausted with the evenings
succession of episodes he went to bed.
CHAPTER MI.
~ INROSS' aversion next morning
IL to departing with his books into
N the woods, the small interest
4 \ he felt in the philosophy Of the
schools as compared with the philoso-
ply Of the actual life of the Morning