Mexico Missouri message., 1913-11-27
CHAPTER VI.-contlnued.

CHAPTER Vl.-continued.
I'm so glad you're still here, Min
nie!" she exclaimed, breathing fast.
You haven't taken the dinner out to
she shelter.house yet, have your"
Not yet" | replied. "Tillie hasn't
brought the basket"
But | guess her sister aud Mr.. Dick
could have starved to death just then
without her noticing. She was all ex-
element, for all she's mostly so cool.
Il have a note here from my sis
ter" she said. getting it out of her
pocket Il know we all impose on
you, Minnie, but-will you take 1t for
me7 I'd go, but I'm in slippers, and,
anyhow, I'd need lantern, and that
would be reckless, wouldn't it,
I'm slippers!" Mr. Pierce interrupt
ed. TITS only five degrees above zero!
or all the foolhardy-!"
Miss Patty did not seem to hear
him. She gave the letter to me and
followed me out on the step.
You're a saint. Minnie" she said
leaning over and squeezing my arm,
"and because you're going back and
forth In the cold so much, want you
TO have thls-to keep"
She stopped and picked up from the
snow beside the steps something soft
and furry and threw it around my
neck. and the next instant knew she
was giving me her chinchilla set, muff
and all. was so pleased cried. and
all the way over to the shelter-house
! sniveled and danced with Joy at the
same time. There's nothing like chin.
chilla to tone down red hair.
Well, / took the note out to the
shelter-house, and raped. Mr. Dick
let me In, and It struck me he wasn't
as cheerful as usual. He reached out
and took the mun
oh" he said, II thought that was
the supper"
IT'S coming" said, looking past
him for Mrs. Dicky.
She had seen the note and sat up
and held out her hand for it. "Dickl"
she said suddenly, what do you
think? Oskar is here! Pats In the
widest excitement He's in town, and
Aunt Honoria has telephoned to know
what to do! Listen; he Is incog, Of
course. and registered as Oskar Won
invalid. He did an awfully clever
thing-came in through Canada while
the papers thought he was In St. Mo.
ritz"
For heavens sake" replied Mr..
Dick, tell her not TO ask him here.
shouldn't know how TO talk TO him. oh,
I've known a lord or two, but that's
different. You call them anything you
like and lend them money"
Il dare say you can with Oskar,
too" Mrs. Dicky put the note down
and sighed. Well, he's coming. Pat
Gays dad won't go back to town until
he's had q baths, and he's only had
eleven and she's got to stay with him
And you needn't worry about what to
call Oskar. He's not 10 know we're
here"
| was worried on my way back 10
the springhouse-not that the prince
would make much difference. as far as
could see things being about as bad as
they could be. But some OF the people
were talking of leaving, and since we
had TO have a prince It seemed @ pity
he wasn't coming with all his retinue
and titles. II would have been a good
ten thousand dollars worth OF adyer-
tising for the place, and goodness
knows We needed it.
When l got back to the springhouse
Miss Patty and Mr. Pierce were still
there. "Of course 1t isn't my affair
he was saying. "You are perfectly
Then opened the door and he stopped
went on into the pantry to take of
my oyershoes, and as closed the dool
lie continued 81 didn't mean to say
what ! have. meant 10 explain
about the other night had a righi
20 do that But you forced the issue
Il was compelled to tell you he wal
coming" she said angrily. Il felt
should"
What would you have had me do?'
she asked.
Take those two children to you
father. What IL there was a row
Why should there be such a lot mad'
of 1t, anyhow? They're young, bu
they'll get older. II isn't a crime To-
two people to-er-love each other, Il
It? And II you think a scandal or twt
in your family-granting your fathe
would make scandals going TO pu
another patch on the ragged reputa
tion OF the royal family Of"
How dare you'll" she cried furious
ly. How dare you'll"