Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-03-20
Miss van puren assumed a pretty

the least of the gods"
Miss Van Duren's eyebrows rose.
ooh. but why?"
You'd better look at the size OF the
statue" Chester told her.
She looked. Apparently the sight
amused her.
ITS rather a nice size, l think" she
declared.
..They must also have imagined him."
| said Chester, "as the poorest of the
gods"
Dear me. why?' queried Miss Van
Duren.
Look at his Clothes" said Chester
grimly.
Il can't protested Miss Van Duren
-witI truth. But he has quite an e1-
pensive looking bow and CULVER, she
added. "And besides-gods didn't go In
much for clothes"
Good reason why" said Chester.
you couldn't expect eve a frst-class
god to feel like the real thing with a
~tailor's bill on his conscience, could
you?"
"Oh-that's why you" Miss Van
Duren stopped, e~ndeavoring to conceal
an air of illumination. Talking Of
the least of the gods?" she reminded
him.
"You will also observe" Chester
pointed out, that he is extremely
young. Youth, in this case, Is symbol
ical. Children of his age are ignorant
and greedy and INSCRIPTIONS. They eat
too much, they put their fingers In 9TH
er peoples jam-pots-"
He paused in momentary confusion.
4 CLEAN Of mischief showed in Miss
Van Duren's eyes. ..
"Poor little things-they're so
young she pleaded. You wouldn't
have them cultivate the senile virtues,
at their age? y And you have
behaved SO beautifully, too
Chester edged an inch nearer to her.
"For a younger son-I mean," she
added unkindly.
Chester, with a sigh. renounced the
advantage of the stolen inch. you
must remember that I'm never allowed
to talk of marriage" he reminded her.
"No-only Of love-" said Miss Van
Duren sweetly.
A moment later she shut her fan
with a business-like air.
There's one chance for you, and one
only" she told him. you must marry
money. You must find some uninterest-
ing heiress with a red nose or a squint,
someone with a drawback, who can't
look too high. You must make yourself
charming to her. I dare say" she COM
mented with a fine carelessness, that
you could be charming If you tried a
little"
"I've been told so before" said Ches-
ter. ~
"Ani she wouldn't be critical" Miss
Van Duren encouraged him. "She
would not expect too fundamentally,
I dare say she'd come to be rather fond
of you in time-and you could repair
the family fortunes with her money"
Thank you," said Chester. "Its an
admirable plan. Only my heiress-'
"What-you've found her already? ~
marveled Miss Van Duren.
Chester ignored the interruption.
"She hasn't a red a squirt.
And I'm afraid she looks most infer
nal1y high. Much higher" he added
sadly, than a poor devil Of a younger
son like me-"
"Indeed?' said Miss Van Duren. Her
tone was chilly.
"She has every right to-" declared
Chester. "She is quite the most beau
tiful person on earth at this moment,
and she has a way of looking at statues
that"
He was silent. Miss Van Duren, with
a suspiciously calm face, regarded the
statue of Cupid. Something seemed to
have zone wrong with 1t, for she sud-
denly frowned.
"As a younger son" she began.
81 know" said Chester.
"You can't possibly know. AS a
younger son, It's clearly your duty to
your family to set aside your own per
sonal feelings"
That's what l said," put in Chester.
And marry her." concluded Miss
Van Duren remorselessly.
But, in order to marry her" Ches-
ter pointed out, Il shall have to propose
to her-you'H admit that, I suppose?'
ut is certainly usual" Miss Van
Duren admitted, with the ghost Of q
smile.
And, as a younger son. said Ches.
ter, II shall run the risk Of being con.
sidered a fortune hunter"
by whom?" said Miss Van Dureu
sharply.
.The-the heiress." Chester suggest.
ed.
"If she's the most beautiful person
on earth, as you said just now" Miss
Van Duren remarked, Its barely pos
sible that she might be induced to i'm,
agine that she isn't absolutely repulsiye
to you. In short, you might persuade
her to believe that you were in love
with her."
II should have to do something more
difficult than that Chester returned
Il should have to persuade her to be
iieye that she was in love with me-
Miss Van .Duren slowly furled mi
unfurled her fan.
"I'yt heard it said,'' she ventured
that n woma will believe anything
she's told-when the right man tell.
it to her.
You're a mine of wisdom and /:
fountain of TRUTH Chester told he,
with enthusiasm. Perhaps you coult
let me know another thing"