Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-04-17

foot Of the table Is Miss Matte Sdun-
dcrs."
his entertainers Mt the same time-"the
peculiar fact Is that my name is Let.
It's"
"LettuceY' cried Red. Matte.
apOlOgize-he is vegetable"
At which they all laughed again.
"And nOw," said Red, I'm Red
Saunders. late Of the Chanta Seechee
ranch, territory Of Dakota-state of
North Dakota, mean. Can't get used
to the state business. There's Bill and
Dick on this side Of me and two Johns
and q Sammy on the other. Foot Of
the table Is Miss Matte Saunders, next
to her-just as they run-Miss Pauline
Doolittle and Miss Mary Ann Demilt,
who may be kin to the gentleman
you're seeking"
mfr. Thomas F. Demilt?" asked the
stranger.
Hes my sister," responded Miss
Mary Ann. Whereat the youths buried
their faces in the plates. Us Mr. Thorn
as F., in spite Of many excellent quail
tiles. bore a pathetic resemblance to
| the title.
Il mean," continued the lady hur-
riedly, that I'm his brother"
by Jimmy. ma'am," exclaimed Red,
''but yours Is strange familyw
what Miss Demilt wishes to say"
cut In Miss Doolittle, with some as
| perlty, "is that Mr.. Thomas Faulken-
stone Demilt is her brother" She did
not add, as extreme candor would have
urged. "And have some hope-re-
mote. alas. but thereof becoming SIS
ter to Miss Demilt myself"
THANK your said Lettis. ''Shall l
be able to see him this afternoon"
"Oh, mercy. yes!" said Miss Mary
Ann. 'TOm is home oil day."
II can thank the kind fates for
that" said Lettis. II had begun to
think he was a myth" and he fell in
upon the tender meat with q vigorous
appetite Of youth and n good diges-
ton.
Nathaniel Lettis was by no means q
fool, and he had experience in busl-
ness. but the handspring Of the young
fellow was frankness. and in the
course of the dinner he told his errand
Mr.. Demilt had written to his firm ex.
planning the advantages Of starting q
strxwboard factory in Fairfield. II
wss too small thing for the firm to
be interested in, but Lettis had small
elpital which he wished to invest In
an enterprise Of his own handling, and
It had struck him that there might be
q chance for Independence; therefore
he had come to ind out the lay Of the
lAnd.
Red Saunders first glance liking Of
the stranger deepened as he told OF
his business. The cowman did mol
blame people who took obvious ways
and dealt In antiquities, for his ex
perience In the world, which was pref
y fairly complete, had told him that
craft was a necessity for weak ma
lures; nevertheless he cared not fol
those who used 1t.
In his part Of the west a man would
no more think Of giving a false i'm.
preston Of Ills financial standing to
alter his position In ones regard than
he would wear cOrsets. Money was OF
small consequence: its seQuelae Of less
Men spoke openly Of how much they
made, how they liked the Job, how
their claims were paying Such mat
tiers were neutral ground Of chance
conversation as the weather Is In the
east The rapid and unpredictable
changes of fortune gave a tendency to
make light Of ones present condition.
A man would say I'm busted" with.
out any more feeling than he would
say Il have a cold" Now, in Fair.
field. that is not likely lonesome In
that respect. one Of the principal OBJ
5ects in life was to conceal the DOW
erty which would persist In sticking
Its gaunt elbows through the cloth of
words spread over it. Red asked
straightforward questions - shrewd
ones. too-seelng that. the other was