The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-11-20

nance deeply bronzed by weather ou
or which his wide, blue eyes laughed
increasingly. His flannel shirt. oper
little az the base of the strong
round throat and his broad felt hat
indented with a veritable Denver
poke. gave him cowboy effect. He
was perfectly cognizant of this and
traded on IL with the maids at the va
rious houses on his beat, before whom
he staggered not little, dropping
hints OF a western past. strewn with
Indian scalps.
And was you ever there, now, Mr..
! Brannigan?' one OF them once asked
him. and he answered ambiguously:
"Aw. an If | hadn't a been how
would get the wownd on me crown p"
What wownd on your crown? Go
on"
IN show ii We If yen step over
here"
Brannigan bent his FURNISHED curls
and pretty Nora stretched on tiptoe TO
meet them. But just as the two heads
reached one level the hero lifted his
own quickly and kissed the fresh-col
ored face that looked so intently at
him
Sure. the situation was that con.
yaynient | couldn't help it," he urged
fleeing 10 the door with a smart cuff
ringing in his ears. Brannigan called
this sort OF thing Passing the time
IL is only fair 10 add that he passed
II In no worse ways But he was to
learn that there was type of woman
hood demanding more differential APP
proach.
The first time he saw Alma was on
a hot afternoon in August. when she
had just come down from Nova Scotia
and was feeling the atmosphere OF the
south end oppressive. Her mother.
who kept a boarding house. and had
combined with that responsibility the
care OF a shiftless second husband and
his two small boys, had written to
Halifax that Alma was needed: and
Alma who had good place there, had
dutifully responded TO the maternal
summons She was a slender, dark
haired girl. with a delicate complex
ion, and slim, ladylike hands.
Brannigan. swinging in with his
huge ice-block. took a swift. apprecia-
tive look at her, dumped the ice in its
receptacle, and stopped on the return
swing for conversation.
Ills a warm day."
Dreadful" said Alma. listlessly.
Il didn't see We before?"
No. I've just come"
Yell not stay here; the old lady
can't kape no gyurl more than a week: /
It's hole of place."
Alma looked gravely at him, and he
wondered until she said;
I'm Mrs. Browns daughter from
Halifax"
Brannigan went away at that, sud
denly speeches.
lie saw her nearly every day after, I
but did not seem to make much head
way. packet of chewing gum, which .
had appeared TO him graceful atten- /
uon suitable from any gentleman TO \
any lady was received with disap.
pointing GOODNESS.
It's very kind of you she said. I
but never use it. Mrs Daily, where .
! lived in Halifax. thought it was com
mon
But Brannigan was hard to snub.
Like Antaeus, he rose the lustier for
has falls.
One day. about a month after her ar
rival. he found Alma alone in the
mothers large and SLOW
ly person was usually well in evil
dence-and marked with concern that
her eyes We're red with crying. Now.
Brannigan had a mans philosophy re-
garding tears.
Aren't ye well at all?" he asked,
coming up beside her.
I'm all right" said Alma, holding
her head down and plunging her thin
little arms into a tub of soapsuds.
The next moment she was startled
and scandalized by the clasp OF an
arm about her waist and the touch of
a brown mustache on her cheek.
"Ah, cheer up" whispered Branni-
gan tendery. 1T don't sthorm livery
day"
Alma freed herself with quickness
that threw him on the defensive. In
his experience, where there was no re-
Spouse in kind. there were active re-
prisals. He stepped back to avoid the
expected slap, but the girl made no
sort of demonstration. She simply
stood there with a white face and
looked unutterable reproach.
Tactics OF so novel kind were dis
Brannigan's bronzed cheek
famed and the laugh died out of his
eyes.
Say, I'm right sorry" he muir
Il niver thought but ye'd like
IT, The gyurls mostly does, an it's
no harm at all.
I'm not that kind" said Alma,
sternly.
Brannigan was already convinced OF
this. He regarded her sheepishly and
ran his hand through his jungle OF
sunny curls
I'm mighty sorry" he repeated,
and. as Alma showed no signs of re.
lenting, went dejectedly to the door.
Twas sweet, what | got of it," he
mused. AN it's bad luck I'll get no
more. She's not that kind, it's true
for her"
The next few times that he carried
ice to the house he did not see Alma.
and when he did, on the fourth day.
her manner was excessively dignifed I
But, as has been said before. Brann-
gan was hard TO snub And now he
was more so than ever. for the spirit
and selfrespect OF Alma had wrought
in his impulsive heart the mystery OF
love. Instinctively he. reconstructed
his too-iorid vocabulary and altered