Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-01-28

things happen in siege"
Many delightful things. One minute
and I'll be down at the door"
l hurried downstairs but before
could open the front door I heard Bar
bara's voice crying, wait, wait ~
Rodney jumped from his couch and
Joined me. He as we'll as I had slept in
his clothes. What is it, Felix" he
asked.
Miss Graham is outside and wants to
come in, but she's just called to me to
wait. I'll open the little side window
| first"
| I slid the window-bolt and looked out.
Two men, the disagreeable chap of our
first meeting aid another surly-faced indi-
vidual, stood some twenty feet back of
Barbara. l placed my revolver on the
window ledge.
Now, then, what do you men want"
I demanded.
1--WE don't want the lady to go In" the
disagreeable-looking one replied.
Does the lady want tor" l asked.
"She does" said Barbara, In a most de-
termined tone of voice.
"1'hen she shall Slide back the bolts,
Rodney" I whispered. Now If any one
chooses to interfere with her entering my
house, he can reflect that he's looking In
to a straight steel barrel"
The door opened, and Barbara, her
head high, walked In. 1 shut the small
window and put the revolver in my pock-
ct. ''There's a pretty mad-looking pair
out there" I said. Welcome to the log
house |"
But Barbara was not regarding me.
"Why, Rodney" she exclaimed, what
has happened to your arm? They didn't
shoot you, did they?" She had caught
sight of Rodneys arm in a sling.
Its nothing, Barbara" he said, beam
ing; 'only scratch. 1 might have been
ported by that badly shooting snipe."
She looked at him, her face all admi'
ration. TITS like you to speak lightly
but you've been in danger, and partly or
my account, for you'd never have laiC
eyes on Monsieur Duponceau If 1t hadn't
been for me-"
l would have drifted out Of the room Il
l could, but was caught between then
and the door.
Rodney smiled; could imagine how
pleased he must be feeling.
We've had several scraps on tn
Ship" he explained, land when our fooj
gave out we came up here"
"You poor dears ! she exclaimed, ant
this time l was included in her words
i've been thinking of you every minut
Of the last two days, and wanting t
I come over to join you. Well, I've stolel
, away at last, for a morning ride, and nov
, Pm going to stay here with you"
a "Stay here with us !" we both exclaim
ed in amazement.
Until after breakfast. I'm going t
, set your table, and pour your coffee, an,
: fix your rooms, and, show you In genera
what a woman can do in a house."
! We both had had visions of that al
J ready, l fancy. l caught Rodney's eye
he smiled, and the color rose to his face
where's CharlesT Barbara demanded
l led her into the kitchen, where Charlie
was busied and Rodney and 1 sat on tn
dresser tand watched while Barbara roll
ed up her sleeves, pinnep a napkin owe
: her dress as an apron, and proceeded +
direct Charles as to the cooking things
Either one of us would have been su
e premely happy II the other had not bee
there.
= When the table was set, and the break
fast on its way from the kitchen to tn
dining-room, Duponceau appeared 70
: the first time free of the cloak he ha
: worn on the Ship, but still all in blacl
!, save for his gold chains, and still enve
: oped in that peculiar air of myster
: which instinctively set him apart from a
= ordinary bel gs. Barbara curtsied t
him. and he raised her hand to his lit
= and kissed 1t with the grace Of the ole
tiPs school,
1--WE are not quite forgotten by the ou
: side world" he said, with almost ting
= of royalty In his voice, very far indee
= from forgotten, when so charming an em,'
= sary joins u.s."
: Barbara looked pleased; could 90
!. that Duponceau was still her paragon
: romance.
"will You take the head Of the tabl
monsieur" she asked. He carefully sea
ed her behind the coffee-urn, took his ow
. place, and Rodney and I sat at the side
y It was the first state breakfast my CO
tage had ever known.
u Barbara contrived that we should q
p forget that we were cooped up In a 10
u house. She smiled at Rodney and at n
Il impartially, and listened attentively
everything Duponceau said. Even Charl
lett uSE lnuueuC0s L COulu see ulI ing
Z in the doorway on the alert to serve he
breakfast came to an end, and Barba
q insisted on bandaging Rodney's arm
le think he was sorry that she should kno
81 how slight the wound really was, for
~ domurred, though with look of gre
ls satisfaction; but he finally consented
ne roll up his sleeve. l drew Duponce,
n, away to my den, and the two were IL
gu alone for a long half-hour. Monsie
n Pierre and discussed matters of defeni
y When we returned to the living-roo
us Barbara's face was flushed, and Rodne!
Is cheeks were red. His arm was wou
iu with a new bandags and a little gold ?
'0 fastened It
"Win you take me over to the house
asked Barbara, jumping up; and now
lat was my turn to gloat, for she insisted
IN poking into every nook and Granny,
'ou learning how two men left to their o.
the devices lived, and on improving what 4
found. l, who had once been averse
nd feminine influence about a house, SURF,
Oh dered She TtraightenSd the pictures,