Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-01-29

and I'll be down at the door"
hurried downstairs, but before
could open the front door heard Bar
bara's voice crying, "Wait, wait p
Rodney jumped from his couch and
Joined me. He as well as | 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
walt. I'll open the little side window
first"
1 slid the window-bolt and looked out.
Two men, the disagreeable chap Of our
first meeting and another surly-faced indi-
vidual stood some twenty feet back of
Barbara. | 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.
"1'hen 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 a 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 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 armf They didn't
shoot you, did they?' She had caught
sight of Rodney's arm in sling
Its nothing Barbara" he said, beam
ing: "only scratch. | might have been
ported 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-"
would have drifted out of the room II
could but l was caught between them
and the door.
Rodney smiled I could imagine how
pleased he must be feeling.
'We've had several scraps on the
Ship" he explained "and when our food
gave out we came up here"
"You poor dears = she exclaimed, and
this time / 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 a morning ride. and now
I'm going to stay here with you"
"Stay here with usw 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. l 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 l sat on the
dresser tand watched while Barbara roll
ed up her sleeves, pinnep a napkin over
her dress as an apron, and proceeded to
direct Charles as to the cooking things.
Either one of us would have been SUI
premely happy II 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 envsl-
oped In that peculiar air of mystery
which instinctively set him apart from all
ordinary bel gs. Barbara curtsied to
him, and he raised her hand to his lips
and kissed It with the grace Of the old
time school.
I'VE are not quite forgotten by the out,
aide world" he said. with almost a tings
of royalty In his voice. very far indeed
from forgotten, when so charming an em,y
sary Joins us"
Barbara looked pleased; 1 could see
that Duponceau was still her paragon OF
romance.
"Wlll You take the head OF the table
monsieur7' she asked. He carefully seat
cd her behind the coffee-urn, took his owr
place, and Rodney and sat at the sides
|, II was the FIRST state breakfast my cot
tage had ever known.
Barbara contrived that we should al
forget that we were cooped up In a log
house. She smiled at Rodney and at mi
! impartially, and listened attentively {,
everything Duponceau said. Even Charlie
? felt her influence l could see him hinge
: In the doorway on the alert to serve her
L breakfast came to an end, and Barba r,
Z insisted on bandaging Rodney's arm
think he was sorry that she should know
|
, dcmurred, though with look OF grea
9 satisfaction; but he finally consented q
9 roll up his sleeve. / drew Duponcea'
!, away to my den, and the two were lef
q alone for long half-hour. Monsieu
! Pierre and discussed matters Of defense
Z When we returned to the livingroor
= Barbara's face was flushed. and Rodney
, cheeks were red. His arm was woun
! with new bandags and a little gold pi
~ fastened H.
"Will you take me over to the house
l asked Barbara, jumping up; and now
It was my turn to gloat, for she insisted o
n roking into every nook and Granny, o
u learning how two man left TO their ow
Re devices lived, and on Improving what sh
found. i, who had oncs been averse
D. feminine influence ABBOTT house, surrei
Of dered- She Etraightsnsd the pictures, +