Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-02-04

49,
not be worth one weeks purchase II
he wronged this girl.
And Asgill suspected the other; and
he shock with rage at the thought that
Payton might offer the girl some rude
ness. When Payton rose to go, he
rose also; and when. by. chance. Payton
sat down, ne sat DOWN also. Al once
h Englishman understood: n
thenceforth they sat with frowning
faces, Zach more certain, with every
moment, that. the other removed, his
path to the goal was clear and open.
There was claret on the table. and
the Major did not spare 1t. When he
rose 10 his feet to retire he was heated
and flushed. but not drunk. Where's
that young cub?" he asked.
Asgrill shrugged his shoulders. Il
can't hope TO fill his place." he said
with a smooth smile. But ! will be
doing the honors as well as j can
You are very officious. 1t seems
to me-" Payton growled. And then.
more loudly, I'm going to bed" he
said.
"In his absence" Asgill answered,
with mock politeness, Il will have the
honor of lighting YOU"
You needn't trouble"
Faith, and it's no trouble at ALL
Asgill replied in the same tone. And,
taking two of the candles from the ta-
BILE, he preceded the Englishman up the
stairs.
The gradual ascent Of the lights
and the mems footsteps o have
given Flavia warning of their coming.
But either she disdained concealment
or she was thinking of other things,
for when they entered the passage be-
yond the landing they espied the girl
standing outside the ColonepS door,.
A pang shot through Asgills heart and
he drew in his breath.
She raised her hand '.Ah,' she said,
he has been crying out! But I think
it was in his sleep. Will you be making
as little noise as you cam"
ASgill did not answer, but Payton
did. Happy mani" he said. And, be-
ing in his cups, he said it in such a
tone and with such a look that a deep
blush crimsoned the girls face.
Her eyes snapped. Good night" she
said, coldly.
Asgill continued to keep silence, but
Payton did not take the hint. Wish
I'd such a gu~ardian!" he said with a
chuckle. I'D be a happy man them"
Asgills face was dark with passion,
but Good night" Flavia repeated cold
ly. And this time the displeasure in
her o n silenced the Major. The two
men went on to their rooms, though
Asgilrs hands itched to be at the 9TH
Vi - ~ IA otlAC AoNNl w "
closed sharply.
Flavia remained in the darkness Of
the passage, but she nc longer listened
she thought. Presently she went back
to her room.
There she concluded to stand and to
think. And the blush which the Majors
in~sinuation had brought to her cheek
still burned there. 1t was natural that
Payton's words should direct her
thoughts to the nan outside whose door
he had found her; nor less natural that
she should institute a comparison be-
tween the two. should consider how the
one had treated her, when he had held
her struggling in his arms, when in her
despair she mad beaten his face with
her hands, and how the other had treat
ed her in the few hours he had known
her! Thus comparing he could not but
find in the one a nobility, In the other
IA dreadfulness. Looking back and
having Payton's words and name
fresh in her mind, she had to own that,
in all his treatment of her, Colonel Sui
livan, while opposing and thwarting
her, had still, and always, respected
her.
Strange to say, she could not now
understand that rage against him
which had before carried her to such
lengths. How had he wronged her?
She could find no sufficing answer. A
/ CuTIdIs Hdu IdllSn w the DdSL
and the present. The rising? 1t stood
on a sudden very distant, very dim, a
thing of the past, IN enterprise roman
tic, but hopeless. The contemptuous
words In which he mad denounced it
rang again In her ears, but they no
longer kindled her resentment; they
convinced. AS one recovering from
sickness looks back on the decisions of
fever, Flavia reviewed the hopes and
aspirations of the past month. She saw
now it was not with a handful of plot
ters and peasants that Ireland could be
saved or the true faith restored.
She was still standing a pace within
her door when a foot stumbled heavily
ON the stairs. She recognized il for
James ~footstep-she had heard him
stumble on those stairs Beforehand she
laid her hand on the latch. She had
never had a real quarrel with him until
now and, ou~trageously as he had
treated her, she could not bear to sleep
without making an attempt to heal the
breach. She opened the door and
stepped out.
James light was travelling rTp the
stairs, but he had not himself reached
the landing. Ii had Just noted this
when a door opened and Payton looked
out. He saw her, and still flushed with
claret, he misunderstood her presence
and her purpose. He stepped toward
her.
Thought So" he chuckied. "Stili lis
tening, eh2 Why not listen at my door?
Then ii would be a pretty man and a
pretty maid. But I've caught YOU He
snoi oui his arm anu tried 10 draw iIer
toward him. There's no one to see.
and the least you can do is to give me
a kiss for a Forfeit"
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