Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-09-30

| things happen in SIEGE
MANY delightful things. One minute
and I'll be down at the door,"
/ hurried downstairs, but before l
could open the front door heard Bar
bara's voice crying, "Wait. waltz
Rodney jumped from his couch and
Joined me. He as we'll as l had slept In
his clothes. What Is 1t, Felixf' he
asked.
Miss Graham Is outside and wants to
come In. but she's just called to me to
walt. I'll open the little side window
first"
slid the window-bolt and looked out.
Two men, the disagreeable chap Of our
first meeting and another surly-faced indl-
vidual, stood some twenty feet back Of
Barbara. l placed my revolver on the
window ledge.
Now, then, what do you men want?"
demanded.
1--WE don't want the lady to go in," the
disagreeable-looking one replied.
Does the lady want TOT" asked.
"She does," said Barbara, in a most de-
termined tone of voice.
Then she shall. Slide back the bolts,
Rodney" l whispered. Now II any one
chooses to interfere with her entering my
house, he can reflect that he's looking in
to straight steel barrel"
The door opened and Barbara, her
head high, walked In. l shut the small
window and put the revolver in my pock-
ct. There's a pretty madlooking pair
out there" said. Welcome to the log
house !"
But Barbara was not regarding me.
"Why, Rodney she exclaimed. what
has happened to your armf They didn't
shoot you, did they?' She had caught
sight of Rodney's arm in a sling.
ITS nothing Barbara" he said, beam
ing; "only a scratch l might have been
potted by that badly shooting snipe."
She looked at him, her face all admi-
ration. ITS like you to speak lightly,
but you've been In danger, and partly on
my account for you'd never have laid
eyes on Monsieur Duponceau II 1t hadn't
been for me-"
l would have drifted out Of the room II
l could, but l was caught between them
and the door.
Rodney smiled; l could imagine how
pleased he must be feeling
We've had several scraps on the
Ship" he explained, land when our food
gave out we came up here"
"You poor dears = she exclaimed, and
this time l was included In her words.
I've been thinking Of you every minute
Of the last two days. and wanting to
come over to join you. Well, I've stolen
away at last, for morning ride, and now
I'm going to stay here with you"
Stay here with US !" we both exclaim-
ed In amazement.
Until after breakfast I'm going to
set your table, and pour your coffee, and
fix your rooms, and show you In general
what a woman can do In house."
We both had had visions OF that al
ready, | fancy. caught Rodney's eye
he smiled, and the color rose to his face.
Where's Charlesf" Barbara demanded.
| led her into the kitchen, where Charles
was busted, and Rodney and sat on the
dresser tand watched while Barbara roll
ed up her sleeves, pnnep napkin over
her dress as an apron, and proceeded to
direct Charles as to the cooking things.
Either one Of us would have been su-
premely happy If the other had not been
there.
When the table was set, and the break
fast on its way from the kitchen to the
dining-room, Duponceau appeared. for
the first time free of the cloak he had
worn on the Ship, but still all in black
save for his gold chains, and still enyel-
oped in that peculiar air of mystery
which instinctively set him apart from ali
ordinary beings. Barbara curtsied 70
him, and he raised her hand to his Inns
and kissed 1t with the grace of the old.
time school,
we are not quite forgotten by the out.
side world" he said, with almost a tinos
OF royalty In his voice, "very far indaed
from forgotten, when so charming an em;a.
sary joins u.s."
barbara looked pleased; l could Gee
that Duponceau was still her paragon ~
romance VI
"Wili you take the head of tho tah,.
MONSIEUR she asked. He carefully seat.
ed her behind the coffee-urn, took his own
place, and Rodney and sat at the sIdas
IL was the first state breakfast nv cot.
tage had ever known.
Barbara contrived that we sbopId .u
forget that we were cooped up In n loo.
nouse' She smiled at Rodney and at me
lmpartially, and listened attentively to
everything Duponceau said. Even Charles
,eit her influence. could see him lnger
III Tue doorway on the alert to serve her
breakfast came to an end and Barba ra
INSISTED insisted on bandaging Rodney's arm. I
,hinK ne was sorry that she should know
now slight the wound really was. for be
ucmurred, though with a look Of great
sa,'Slaction a but he finally consented 10
.ol up his sleeve. drew Duponcesn
away to MY den, and the two were Isft
a.one Tor long half-hour. Mon.;eur
! 'erre and discussed matters Of dafsnsa
when we returned to the livino-roon,
naroatas face was flushed and Rodney.
cn"eks were red. His arm was wound
with new bandage and little go,d I niu
fastened Il. 'e soiu PIN
VIII you take me over to the hons. .,
asked ',sa harbara, jumping up; and now n
was my turn to gloat, for she Insi.tsd ~
poking into every nook and crannu u on
learning how two men laf. a. VA