Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-02-21
CHAPTER XIX.

If Fraser had been given to the analy-
sis OF his own spiritual symptoms, he
might have been a little surprised to dis
cover how aromatic and tonic a draught
he had imbibed in learning to hate
O'Rourke.
"I've bit Of news" he said one day
to Maskelyne. "Maybe yell be able to
guess why bring it. 0'Rourke's going
to be married"
"Yes?" said Maskelyne, quietly. Fra
ser's bit Of news was like stab to him,
but he was not the sort OF man to make
a show of his pain. !.
"He's engaged to a friend of yours"
said Fraser. ut was you that introduced
him to her."
II think not" returned Maskelyne.
I'VE did though" cried Fraser. II got
the news from Mrs. Farley, and she got
It from the lady herself"
IT introduced O'Rourke to an Ameri-
can lady here" said Maskelyne, rising
from his seat involantarily-"a Mrs.
Gpry."
"That's what I'm telling ye," said Fra
ser. "They're going to be married" Mas
kelyne sat down again without q word.
''Hector O'Rourke is going to be married
to the Mrs. Spry to whom you introduced
him month or two ago. There's no sort
of humbug or nonsense about it, for it's
fact"
Il can hardly believe it." returned
NIaskelyne.
s'Ye don't seem to be woildly delight
ed" said Fraser, latter all. l thought
ye'd skip like q young he goat upon
the mountains"
II am very much obliged to you, In
deed" Maskelyne answered. II win &c
and see O'Rourke," he added, with an
air of sudden decision and awakening.
SWELL" said Fraser, rubbing his hands
and beaming, "the interview ought to b
a pleasant one. I'll not keep. ye from Il
q moment. I'll say good-morning."
The two shook hands on the pavement
In front of the hotel, and Fraser stool
there to watch Maskelyne as he stepped
into cab and drove away.
"Now," said Fraser nodding and smil
eng to himself, 'that's not moy oydoyal o
an ardent lover. But there's spoke mum
Der nine in your wheel, Hector, me boy
and there's another or two in the cOurs
Of manufacture"
Maskelyne wandered about In his ow1
homemade labyrinth until he had quit
made up his mind that there was n
way out Of it, or through 1t. But fnall
he packed up a portmanteau, took tn
tidal train and carried his cobwebs I
Brussels. There they were just as stron
and unbreakable as ever, and even whel
a day or two later, he carried them
Janenne, they seemed to bind him in Nh
strands Of steel. But being actually {
Janenne, he found that he had added
new perplexity to the old ones. He WI
atIu as far as ever from seeing his wa
to Houfoy, but he saw quite clearly TIL
A was impossible not to 80.
The day was inclining toward its clio
and there was a sense of ease In Il
vide 6elds to which he was not alt
kether insensible, foolishly broken up al
down In spirit as he was. The fell
were more inviting than the road In mar
waya not least perhaps, because tn,
1Hered fewer chances Of encounter.
Sauntering In this downcast and IRE
olute mood, he found himself sudden
charged by q troop OF half a dozen dOl
who ali Ieaped and bayed about hi
with demonstrations Of welcome. Folio
ing than, . gun under his arm, appear
the major, and behind the major an 4
eenAnnf, who bore the dead bodies Of
nair Of welI-grown foxes.
.sHilIo r. cried the major cheerily, wh
vut q hundred yards away. "How q
-. old fsllow3 Upon my word, I'm q
= 80 Yea. HOw's 0'Rourker
sHa was Ia health when saw I
aankw unld Mnnkelyne on whose nocl
~ mnnfaan e Ms wicked rival grated