Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-01-09
Matte" SAT- he.

Matte" sa:d lie.
"Weil, Will2.
81 see use for the rest of that nice
! BIG roaSC of beef | s.uell in the oven
let's have all these fellers stay to
dinner and give 'em one good feed
What do you, sayg'
why, I'd Ike to. win. but don't
wherein set them"
"Couple of boards outside for IN
ble-let them sit on boxes or something
Got plates and things enoughg'
"My, yes! Plenty of such things
Will"
''Then if it amt too much trouble for
you wei. let it GO
mo trouble at all. Wilt will be a
regular picnic"
"Boys. you'll eat with me this day
said Red
They spread the board table beneath
an old apple tree and cleaned up for
the repast In the kitchen storm shed
| with an apologize Sorry to trouble
you. Miss Saunders" or such mat.
| ter as each went in.
| Just as Miss Matte was withdraw
ing the meat from the oven there came
| a knock at the door.
Goodness. graciousr' she exclaimed
"Who can that be now? VIII, will
you see who that Is? I can't CO."
/ Sure said Red and went TO the
door. There stood two women OF that
indefinite period between forty and
sixty, very decentiy dressed and with
some agitation visible in the way they
fussily adjusted various parts of their
attire.
! They started at the sudden spectacle
of the huge man who said pleasantly
"How der do, ladies?'
"Why, how do you do?' replied the
taller instantly and in a voice she had
never heard before. II hope you're
well, sir" remark which filed her
with surprise.
Thanks, I'm able to assume the per
pendicular. as you can see,' responded
Red, with "A handsome smile of wei
come. "EIow do you find yourselfT
"I'm pretty WE'LL" said the clustered
lady. How do you do?"
"Durned If we Amt right back where
we started fyom," mourned Red to
himself. IF it's one of the customs of
this country saying how der do an
hour at a stretch, pass it up" Aloud
he said: Coming along tine How's
your fatherF' "Cuss me If | don't
shift the cut a little anyhow" he add
ed mentally.
"Why, he's very well indeed" ex-
claimed the lady, with fervor How
She got no further on the query for
the other woman interrupted in a tone
Of scandal. MARY Ann Demilt, how
can you talk like that? Your fathers
been dead this five year last Augustw
| The horror of the moment was bro
ken by the appearance of Miss Matte,
crying Hospitality on seeing the visit
ors, why, Mary and Pauline. how do
you do?"
The shorter one, Pauline, looked up
/ and said sharply, We're well enough,
Matte" She was weary of the form.
"Come right in" said Miss Matte.
you're just in time for dinner"
There was a great protest at this.
They hadn't moment to spare
they were lust going down to the
corner and had stopped to say" etc.
you've got to help me-" said Miss
Matte "Will here has invited the
| boys who are working for him to stay
to dinner. and it won't be any more
than Christian for you to help me
out"
Ladies said Red, "if you don't
want to starve man who's deserving
of q better fate take off your fixings
and come out TO dinner. No." he con
tinued to their protests, which he OBJ
served were growing weaker, its no
trouble at all. There's plenty for ev-
erybody. Come one, come all. this
house shall fly clean off its base as
soon as L! Now, for heavens sake.
ladies, it's all settled-come onr'
Whereat they laughed nervously and
took off their hats.
1t was jolly dinner party. The
young fellows Red had picked up in
the blacksmith's shop were not the Or
| binary quality of loungers. They were
boys of good country parentage, with
common school education. who UNI
fortunately could find nothing to do
but the occasional odd job. OF course
1t would not take long TO transform
them into common ne'er do wells, but
now they were merely thoughtless
boys.
The whole affair had an al fresco
flavor which stoppered convention.
The two women visitors pitched in and
had as good time as anybody.
In the middle of the festivities a
young man walked past the front
fence-a stranger evidently. for his
clothes wore the cut of n city, and
cosmopolitan, up to date city at that
He stopped and looked at the house,
hesitated moment and then walked
In, back to where the folk were eating.
Excuse me-" said he as they looked
up at him. but isn't this Mr.. Demilt's
house?'
fro BE CONTINUED