The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-01-09

| 'aE1 $500
Hes my o,Un cousin" she whispered to
herself.
reason I'm here. I'd never got money
enough to go anywhere farther than
a horse could carry me If hadn't
taken a fly at placer mining and hit
her to beat h-er-the very mischief"
Miss Matte looked first at the bar
barrie splendid necklace and then at
! the barbaric, splendid man. Things
grew confused before her in trying to
realize that it was real What two
planets SO separated In their orbits as
her world and his? She had the i'm
agination that is usually lacking In
small communities, and the feeling Of
fairy story come true possessed her
"And now. Matte" said he, Il don't
know what's manners in this part Of
the country, but I'll make free enough
on the cousin part of it to tell you
that | could look at some supper with
out fiinching. I've walked heap to-
day, and amt used to walking"
Miss Matte sprang up, herself again
ut the chance to offer hospitality.
"Why, you poor man, said she. "Of
course you're starved! 1t must be
nearly o'clock. | almost forget about
eating, living here alone. You shall
have supper directly. VIII you come
In or sit Il spell outsider
Reckon I'll come in," said Red.
Don't want to lose sight Of you now
that I've found you"
1t vas some time since Miss Matte
had felt that any one had cared enough
for her not to want to lose sight of
her, and delicate warm bloom went
over her cheeks. She hurried into the
little kitchen.
Mattel! called Red
"What Is it, WHIP" she answered,
coming to the door.
"Can | smoke in this little house,"
"Cer-tainly. Sit right down and make
yourself comfortable. Don't you re-
member what a smoker father was?"
Red tried the different chairs with
his hand. They were not stalwart
lot Finally he spied the homemade
rocker in the corner. There's the lad
for me-" he said. drawing it out. Got
TO be kinder careful how you throw
$50 pounds around"
Mercy" cried Miss Matte, pan in
hand. do you weigh as much as
that, WHIP"
II do" returned Red, with much sat
iCf az nd fyvn
pounds of it fat at that"
"What great man you have grown
up to be. Will"
Red took in a deep draft of tobacco
and sent the vapor clear across the
little room.
ION the hay scales, yes" he answer
ed, with sort of joking earnestness,
"but otherwise l don't know"
The return to the old home had
touched the big man deeply, and as he
leaned back in his chair there was
shade of melancholy on his face that
became 1t well.
Miss Matte took in the mass Of him
stretched out at his ease, his legs
crossed. and the patrician cut OF bis
face. to which the upturned mustache
gave cavalier touch. They were good
stock. the Saunders, and the breed
had not declined in the only two ex.
tant
Hes my own cousin" she whisper
ed to herself In the safety Of the
kitchen. And such a splendid looking
man" She felt pride of possession
she had never known before, Nobody
In Fairfield or vicinity had such
cousin as that. And Miss Matte went
on joyfully fulfilling an inherited tn
stinct to minister to the wants OF
some man. She said to herself there
was some satisfaction In cooking for
somebody else. But alack- a day. Miss
Mattie's ideas Of the wants of some.
body else had suffered a Fairfield
change. Nothing was done on large
scale In Fairfield. But she sat the lit.
ne cakes--lucky that she had made
tnem yesterday-and the fried mush
ana the small pitcher Of milk and the
cold ham and the cold biscuit on the
liable with a pride in the appearance
Of the feast.
Supper's ready. WILL" she said.
Red responded instanter. He took a
0ok at the board and understood He
| (Tn hn