Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-01-24

Does the rug come in anywhere
The major was curious. 1t sometime:
seemed to him that Ryanne did not al
ways lay his cards face up upon the
table.
1T will play it's part. Besides,
am rather inclined to the idea of tax
ing it back. 1t may be the old wish
, ing-carpet. In that case. 1t will come
in handy. Who knows?"
How much is it worth"
"Ah, major, Percival himself coult
not say exactly. He gave me a thous
and pounds for it,"
"A thousand pounds!" murmuret
Wallace.
together. Whether in applause OF
! wonder he alone knew.
And it vas worth every shilling oil
1t, too. I'll tell you the story some
day. There are a dozen ways of sup.
pressing Percival, but must have
something appealing to my artistic
side"
You have never told us your real
name, Horace" Mrs. Chedsoye bent
toward him.
He laughed. 81 must have some.
dear Gioconda."
We'll. the meeting adjourns, sine
die"
What are YOU going to do with
F%ortune?" demanded Ryanne.
Send her back to Mentone."
What the deuce did you bring her
here for. knowing what was in the
wind?"
"She expressed a desire to see
Cairo again." answered Mrs. Ched-
soye.
1--WE never deny her anything" The
major ros and yawned suggestively.
In the corridor. Ryanne whispered
softly: why not, Gioconda
She shall w marry a man of
your stamp" coldly.
Charming mother! How tenderly
you have cherished her!"
Horace" calmly enough, lis it wise
to anger me?"
1T may not be wise, but / have
never seen you in a rage. You would
be magnificent"
Cease this foolery," patiently. II
am in no mood for 1t tonight. AS an
associate in this equivocal business.
you do very we'll; you are necessary.
But do not presume too much upon
that. For all that l may not have been
what a mother should be, l still have
some ~self-respect. So long as l have
any power over her. Fortune shall
never marry a man so far down in
the social scale as yourself"
Social scale? Gioconda, how you
hurt mel" mockingly. II should real
ly like to know what your idea of
that invincible barrier is. Is it be-
cause my face is in the rogues' gal
lery? Surely, you would not be
cruel!"
"She is far above us all, my friend"
continuing unruffled. Sometimes I
stand in absolute awe of her"
"A marvel! II my recollection is
not at fault, many a man has entered
the Villa Fanny, with a view to court
ship, men beside whom am as
Roland to the lowest Saracen. You
never objected to them"
They had money and position"
Magic talisman! And If had
money and position?"
my objections would be no less
strong"
your code puzzles me. You would
welcome as a son-in.law a man who
stole openly the widows mite. while l,
who harass none, but the predatory
rich, must dwell in the outland? Rank
injustice!"
You couldn't take care of her"
Yes, l could. With but little effort
l could make these two hands as nom
est as the day is long"
Il have my doubts" smiling a little.
Suppose, for the sake of al argu-
ment, suppose Fortune accepted me?"
Mrs. Chedsoye's good humor re-
turned. She knew her daughter toler-
men. Poor Horace! Do you build
upon that?'
Less. perhaps, than upon my own
bright invention. My suit, then to be
brief, Ia rejected?"
"Emphatically. / have spoken"
''Oh, well; the feminine prerogative
shall be mine, the last word. Good
night; dormi bene!" He bowed
grandly and turned toward his own
room.
He possessed that kind of mockery
which was the despair of those at
it was directed. They never
knew whether his mood was one of
harmless fun or of deadly intent. And
rather than mistake the one quality
for the other. they generally pretend
ed to ignore. Mrs. Chedsoye. who
had a similar talent, was one of the
few who felt along the wall as one
does in the dark, instinctively. To-
night she recognized that there was
no harmless fun but a real desperate
ness behind the mask; and she had
held in her temper with a firm hand.
This was not the hour for a clash.
She shivered a little; and for the first
time in the six or sever years she had
known him, she faced a fear Of him.
His great strength, his reckless cour-
age, his subtle way Of mastering men
by appearing to be mastered by them,
held her In the th0all Of a peculiar
fascination which, In quiet periods,
she looked upon As something deeper.
Marriage was not to her an ideal state.
nor wa there any man, living or dead,
who had appealed to the physical side
Of her. But he was In the one sex
what shs vas = IL ether: and While