Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-12-19
CHAPTER II.

II am afraid / have been a long
time" he said apoioget.caliy, as he
closed the door of the carriage, after
giving Mrs. Parker Bowman's ad-
dress to the driver. In the uncertain
light of the distant arc-lamp, the girl
looked small and appealing. He felt
n strong desire to lift her burdens
and carry them on his own broad
shoulders.
I've brought some things that |
thought might help" he said. Would
you like to put on this coat? 1t may
not be just what you would have Sc
lected. but it was the best | could
find that would not be recognized.
The air IL growing chilly"
He shook out the coat and threw 1t
around her.
oh, thank you," she murmured
gratefully. slipping her arms into the
sleeves.
And this box has some kind of a
hat, ! hope" he went On. Il ought
To have looked, but there really
wasn't time He unknotted the
strings ami produced a large picture
hat with long black plumes. lie was
relieved to find it black. While he
united the strings, there had been "a
growing u~ueasiness lest the hat be
n OF those wild, queer combinations
OF color that Cornelia frequently pur-
chased and called "arti6tic."
The girl received the hat with a
grateful relief that was entirely sat
isfactory to the young man.
HE s hnl ,,,ryp. ,o;l a., -, ~ ,..IInl
out he gloves and laid them ~gravely
in her lap. we're invited out to din
ner."
Invited out to dinner!" gasped the
girl.
Yes. It's rather a providential
thing to. have happened. / think. The
telephone was ringing as | opened the
door, and Mrs. Parker Bowman, to
whose house ] was invited. was ask
ing for my sister to fill the place of
IAN absent guest. My sister is away,
and | tried to beg off. I told her |
had accidentally met hope you will
pardon mel called o a friend"
.Oh!' she said. That was kind
of you
II taid o we're a stranger in
town. and IS l was your only ac-
quaintnnce, / felt that l should show
you the courtesy of taking you to a
hotel. and assisting to get you off on
the night train; and | asked her to
excuse me, as that would give her an
even number. But it seems she had
invited some one especially to meet
me, and was greatly distressed not
to have her full quota of guests, so
she sent you a most cordial invitation
to come to her at once, promising to
take dinner with you some time IL
you would help her out now. Some
how. she gathered from my talk that
Q were travelling, had just returned
from abroad, n were temporarily
separated from your friends. She is
also sure that you are musical, and
means to ask you to help her out in
that way this evening. l told her l
was not sure whether you could be
persuaded or not, and she mercifully
refrained from asking whether you
sang or nlaved. ] tell YOU all this SO
that you will be prepared for any.
thing. OF course | didn't tell her all
these things. ! merely kept still
when she inferred them. Your name,
by the way, is Miss TemingtoIt-Hary
Remington. She was greatly elated
for a moment when she thought you
might be Carolyn Remington-who-
ever she may be. p she will
speak of it. The name was the first
n that my y lit upon in the tele-
~phone-book. II you object to bearing
1t for the evening. it is easy to see
how u name could be misunderstood
owe the phone. But perhaps you
would better give me a few pointers.
for I've never tried acting a part, and
can't be sure how well l shall do it."
The girl had been silent from as
constituent While the mar talked.
i .ISIt I cannot possibly go there to
dinner she gasped, her hand going
to her throat again. rs il To pluck
away the delicate lace about it and
give more room for breathing. q
must get away somewhere at once.
i cannot trouble you in this way. l
have already imposed upon 0 u kind
ness. With this hat and coat and
gloves. / shall be able to manage
quite well, and l thank you so much!
COLORS NOT BORNE IN WAR