The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1909-05-13

think you'd better let me go home
with them? l always did like 10 ride
on a bee saddle"
"But YOU never tried it with n game
leg-at least l reckon not" Lisabetf
retorted. Anyway, you can't go tc
Ma Higley's, l found you in the road
and finding is keeping
Clearly there's no more to be said, .
Maclise answered, shutting his teeth
on a groan.
He had only simple fracture, the
doctor said, but somehow he made a
very slow recovery. The colonel had
sworn over him for exactly half an
hour-silently, of course. Humanity
and hospitality both forbade anything
else. Then he had fallen victim to the
charm Of personality singularly
frank and winning. As for nanny,
she had succumbed instantly
Lisabeth was not permitted to do
more than say "Good morning
through the door so long as Maclise
kept his room, but when he came down
to sit on the piazza or hobble up and
down the garden she followed him like
a fascinated child
He had such tales 70 tell her. Evil
IDENTIFY he had been all over the world.
He was thirty, not handsome, but well
made and supremacy well bred in spite
of his vocation. The Mertons each
and several deplored the vocation
tacitly.
He had not fretted in the least over
his accident. Instead, after sending
off couple of brief letters, he had
said; 'Now everything is fixed. have
only to enjoy myself getting we'll"
All his solicitude had been for the
brass bound trunk He had beside it
a suit case cramful Of proper Clothes
Moreover, his wallet was so fat, his
fees and tips so generous, it was clear
he had no anxiety about money.
In his first fortnight at Willow
Wand all the family had confded to
him their plans and grievances. Set
speech was hardly necessary. He had
sensed so much before it came. After
seeing the Kinross thing and the long
descended Hump billiard his judgment
veered shamelessly to Lisabeth's side.
"But you need a man of your own
to fight for" he explained to her jul
dicially, omebody-anybody almost
to oppose to these two. You insist
that YOU can do better than take eli
Their. You've got to show nanny and
the colonel, even if they don't come
from Missouri Don't you know any
body you could idealize into a heroY'
Elisabeth shook her head murmur
ing: 81 don't know him, but 1 know Of
him It's so aggravating he won't
come home. l wonder if you ever met
He's been globe
trotting ever since he left college. 1
made up my mind to marry him-no-
body else-two years ago, when went
all over his house, not because it's so
fine. but for the name-GOOCa cart. |
love that. And I'm sure I'd love him
too. But how can l when he keeps
away all the timer
at might be harder still if you saw
him. No, I've never met him, but
I've heard a lot about him-not much
to his good" Maclise said, scowling
oddly. IF he's the only rival you can
scare up l see nothing for it but to
propose myself. You found me, you
know. and said finding was keeping"
"And l meant it-right then" Lisa
beth said joyously. Even if you are
a drummer l believe it will be great /
fun to go along with you. l might |
even drum for things myself"
"Thats a bargain" Maclise said,
holding her tight, but not kissing her.
"Pm afraid, though, you won't stick
to it when you know I'm rank, rank
fmpostor-not a bit of a drummer.
You don't even know my right name"
81 don't care-I know you" Lisabeth
cried, clinging closer. Then he kissed
her twice, saying, with the least
shake in his voice: ''Thank God!
Sweetheart, l never before was SO
proud of myself But the name is a
pretty decent one. I'm asking you
formally to be Mrs. Marmaduke Ma
elise Murray l was going home with
my family papers in that trunk when
1t famed me and gave me something
very much more precious. Now, what
10 you think nanny and the colonel
will say?"
"It doesn't matter. say Yes" Lis
abeth whispered "Still, believe they
won't make much fuss about it."