Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-06-03

one of U.S." remarked Mrs. Forrest to
her brother. She carries herself as
Margaret did in her girlhood, and she
dark. as we all are
81 hope she's escaped the Cameron
traits: they're u~nattractive,' said ttou-
ney Merriam.
Mrs. Forrest and Zelda Cameron, her
piece, who We're just home from a hHe
years absence abroad, had, so to speak,
stepped directly from the train INTO
Mrs. Carr's dra wing-room. The place
was full of women. old and young,
ard their animated talk blended.
Mrs. Carr was forcing the season 4
triile-rit was near the end. of Septem-
ber-but the dean of a famous college
for women had come to town uneX-
pectedly, and it was not Mrs. cars
way to let heat or cold interfere with
her social inclinations. Mrs. Forrest
and her brother had ceased talking to
watch their niece. The girls profile
was turned to them. and the old gen.
tleman noted the good points of her
face and figure. She was talking 10
several other girls, and 1t seemed 10
him that they showed her a Difference.
Zolda turned from her companions
suddenly. She crossed swiftly to her
nrcle with q happy exclamation:
This is indeed an occasion! Be-
hold my long-lost uncleI" She seized
his hands eagerly. ,,
"And YOU are Zelda-our little Zee!'
quite that! We must be acqualnt-
ed! Perhaps we. shall be friends, who
knows? Aunt Julia promised to ar
range it-and I'm not used to being
disappointed"
Zelda was a name tha had been
- 49, y, o, ~ ilS, long
ago. A great many people had never
known that old Roger Merriam's
wife's name was Zelda, so generally
was Zee applied to her even in her
old age. Margaret Dameron's child
had beer called Little Zee while her
grandmother lived, and until her aunt
had taken her away; and now, on her
re~appearance in Mariona, she was quite
naturally spoken of at Zee Damron.
There was a usefulness in the girls
eyes thai touched Rodney Merriam by
the suggestion of her dead mother, the
sister that had been the pride or the
Merriams. Mrs. Forrest watched her
brother curiously. She had speculat-
ed much about his meeting. Rodney
Merriam was away from home a great
deal. He had reached Mariona at noon
from a trip into Canada, and had gone
to Mrs. Cars in pursuit OF his sister.
Mrs. Forrest understood perfectly that
her brother had come to Mrs. Cars
tea chiefly that he might. casually, n
without apparent interest. inspect his
niece, Rodney Merriam was wary Of
entanglements with his relatives. He
and Mrs. Forrest were, it was said In
Mariona, the only Merriams who could
safely be asked to the same table, or
who we're not likely to cause embar-
rassment if they met anywhere. He
had not spoken to Ezra Cameron, Eel
da's father, for ten years. and the name
Cameron was an offense in his nos
trils; but the girl was clearly a Mer-
RAM; she was the child of his favor
lite sister. and he hoped 1t would be
possible to like her.
Eyes, we shall be friends-much
more than friends he said, kindly.
you must come and see me: Aunt
Julia has graduated me, nj I'm bac
in my native heath to stay"
Come and tell me what you have
learned in distant lands-and I'll tell
you what to forget! Here's Morris
Leighton: I want you to know him,
Zee said Rodney Merriam.
Merriam moved away through the
crowd, followed by his sister.
you know Uncle Rodney very well.
don't your" said Zelda to Leighton.
HE was always my hero. : When I was
a little girl I used to sit on a trunk
In his garnet and watch him fence with
a German fencing master. 1t was
great fun
II sometimes fence with Mr.. Mer-
Ram myself. I assure you that his
hand and eye have not lost their cum
ming
Morris Leighton's social adventures
had not lacked variety. He knew a
good deal about girls. Inc while a
young man Is still under 80 the delu-
sion serves all the purposes of actual
knowledge. Rodney Merriam had often
spoken to Leighton of Zelda Damer-
on's homecoming.
Zelda Dameron's return to Mariona
was more of AN event than she herself
understood. The Merr.ams were an
interesting family; they were, indeed,
one OF the first families. There were
Aerriams about whom people laughed
(cynically; but Mrs. Forrest did not be-
long to his faction. nor did Rodney
Merriam, OF whom most people stood
Tin awe. There had been much specu-
~ttation. in advance Of sZeida,s coming.
fAsastOs her probable. course when she
tstouldssreturn Ito Nariona With her
19NhG Many had predIceed that che