The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-03
irish pixies were sharp, his me would
not he worth one weeks purchase if

w AN "%SENe kSASAA860 ~
he wronsed this girl.
And Asgil suspected the other: and
he shook with rage at the thought that
Payton might offer the girl sornc rude
ness. When Payton rose to 60, he
rose also: and when, by chance. Payton
the Englishman understood; and
~thenceforth they sat with frowning
faces. each 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
rose to his feet to retire he wa heated
and flushed, but not drunk. Where's
that young cub?" he asked.
Asgrill shrugged his shoulders. "I
can't hope to fill his place." he said
with a smooth smile. But I will bs
doing the honors as well as I can"
You are very officious. 1t seems
more loudly, Tn going to bed" he
said.
I'm his absence" Asgill answered.
with mock politeness. II 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 TIA
BILE. he preceded the Englishman up the
stairs.
The gradual ascent of the lights
I n the mems footsteps should have
| given Flavia warning of their coming.
But either h disdained concealment
or h was thinking OF other things,
for they entered the passage be-
You'd h landing they espied the girl
standing outside the Colonel's door.
A pang hot through AsgilIs heart and
he drew, in his breath.
Cha v,Scal ho. 1n~S sAN~ep --lS
"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
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 %guardian!" he said with a
chuckle. I'd be a happy man then!"
Asgills face was dark with passion,
but Good night" Flavia repeated cold
~. And this time the displeasure in
her tone sitenced the Major. The two
men went on to their rooms though
Asgilrs hands itched to be at the 9TH
er's throat. A moment later two doors
closed sharply.
Flavia remained in the darkness. Of
the passage. but she no longer listened
she thought. Presently she went back
to her room.
There h concluded to stand and to
think. And the blush which the Majors
~insinuation had brought to her cheek
still burned there. 1t was natural that
Payton's words should direct her
thoughts 20 the man 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
despair she had 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
a-a-dreadfulness. looking sbackaand
having Payton's words and
fresh IN her mind. h had to own that,
In all his treatment Of her, Colonel Sui
Ivan, while opposing and thwarting
her. had still. and always, respected
her.
Strange to say, she could not now
understand that rage against him
which 9 before carried her TO such
lengths. How had he wronged her?
She could find no sufiicing answer. a
curtain had. fallen between the past
and the present. The rising? It stood
on q sudden very distant. very dim. q
thing OF the past. an enterprise roman-
tic, but hopeless. The contemptuous
rang again in her ears. but they no
longer kindled her resentment: they
convinced. AS n recovering from
sickness looks back on the d%elusions 81
fever. Flavia reviewed the hopes and
aspirations Of the past month. She saw
now 1t was not with q handful Of plot
tiers and peasants that ireland could be
0Qvod ns tho fr1YA Foi<L ~nc&o..S ETeTET-
She was still standing a pace within
her door when q foot stumbled heavily
on the stairs. She recognized IL for
James foOtstap-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, o~utrageously 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 up the
stairs, but he had not himself reached
the anding She had just noted this
out. He saw her, and still flushed with
claret. he misunderstood her presence
and her purpose. He stepped toward
her.
Thought So" he chuckled. "Still lis
tening. eh? Why not listen at my door?
AIleH ~ WOuAu Oe u pretty man and q
pretty maid. But I've caught YOU" He
shot out his arm and tried to draw her
toward him. There's no one to see.
and the least Q an do is to give me
q kiss for q Forfeit"
Continued Next Weekly
What to Say.
Wherefore jenkins. in Harper's Weekly.
When you meet two of your divorced