The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-04-29

what troubled his siste5 Mary. ANA why
her eyes were full OF dread.
They passed by old Jabez on their
way up He was leaning owe the gate,
blandly surveying Them through the
smoke of his pipe.
Where's Mr.. Adam. Uncle Jabe?'
sang out Eric from across the road.
He went to New York ON the 4
o'clock train" replied the ancient.
Quite sudden, too. But he's nllus
dom things he didn't intend to do 10
minutes afore he does EN-. Dangdest
boy / ever see"
The boy and girl dreaded the ordeal
OF dinner with the family. They would
have to face Aunt Rena and Chetwyild.
and 1t was going to be hard for Eric to-
be polite and agreeable. But they We're
to be spared the presence Of Chetwynlv
1t afterward developed.
Just before the dinner gong sounded,
Eric met his aunt In the upper hall. He
sWaliowed hard and then put as much
heartiness In his voice as he could
muster.
Where's Chetwynd, Aunt Rena?"
II has gone to New York. Why?"
New York? In the middle Of the
Certainly. He has beer half sick
Tor a week. A few days rest from the
tedious work In the bank will do him
a world Of good. He's to see DR..
~Throgmartin tomorrow about thoss
uIedulul ~neauaCQeS.
The judges were to award the prize
this afternoon observed Eric. "Didn'e
he care to wait and see how the con-
test came out?"
She smiled complacenhy, comfort
ably. ION, he wasn't worried. He iss
SO sure to win. And why shouldn't he3
He has made such a study of it"
Il guess that's why he has the head
aches aid Eric %innocently. She
looked at him again, very sharply.
Where is Mary?" she demanded.
I'm her room. 1 think You needn't
question her, Aunt Rena. She told me
what Chetwynd did to her, and what
you said to her. I want you to know
that 1 know 1t. It"
Eric" she said. Il must ask you not
to be so insolent. You must not stand"
He held his ground, confronting her
with set face and unwavering eyes.
Il do not mean to be insolent, Aunt
Rena- But we've Just got to under
stand each other. 1t needn't go any
farther, IL you ike:- mean Uncle
say this: Mary was not to blame. L
know 1t. and down in your heart you
know 1t. C~hetwynd acted like a, dirty
brute, and you took his part. 1 'lon'r
want him to apologize to Mary. Icon't
want a word more said about it. I'm
not afraid to sa~ this to you, because.
l know and you know nat if Mary
went to Uncle Horace with that story.
he'd believe her and he'd kick his own,
son out of the house. That's just what
Uncle Horace would do, and you know
1t. He Knows Mary isn't that kind Of
a girl, just as well as you know it.
That's all I have to say. The incident
is closed. unless you choose to reopen
it."
She stood there staring after him.
with a linn" lower lip, n the glaze Of
stupefaction over her eyes. He coolly
descended the stairs and entered the
library. Then she went into her he'd
room d wept softly until dinner
time.
Mary found ERIC on the porch soon
after the meeting in the hail.
Eric she whispered, in awed tones.
Aunt Rena is crying in her room. I
heard her as plain as anything"
IT always does a woman good to
cry remarked the young philosopher.
with a hardening of the muscles in his
jaw.
Mary was looking down the tree lined
walk.
See who's coming to dinner With,
Uncle Horace"
Eric turned up his eyes and roaned,
with sepulchral devoutness.
Horace was entering the gate with
the estimable Presbreys, both of whom
were rfgeed up fit to eat-and that is
really what they had got themselves up
for.
AS they came UP the steps, Mr.. Blag-
den blandly addressed the boy and girl
standing at the rail above.
Il suppose you're waiting to hear
who Won the prize?"
Eric began to trembIe with a. sudden.
o~verpowering excitement. He was to.
hear himself proclaimed the winner!
Did Eric win it?" cried Mary, her
dark eyes glowing.
Mild surprise revealed itself in Mr..
Blagden's eyes-surprise tinged with
pity. You would have though that the
bare suggestion that Eric might have.
won over his SON was a distinct shock
to his nerves.
Mr.. Presbrey smiled cheerfully for
frlc's benefit, as much as to say it
wasn't worth worrying over. or beina-
disappointed about.
"Chetwynd won 1T, OF course" an
nounced Horace with some austerity.
III was the unanimous opinion of tho
Judge that his designs were the hest
On course" he went on magnanimous-
ly, laying his hand on Eric's shoulder
ana turning to the Presbreys. I'VE villa
nave to admit that Chetwynd had
declded advantage over the other con-
testants, among them Eric. His wor4x
at college and his private instructionn
gave him-er. ahem!-a rather unfair
start, you might say I spoke to tho
committee about 1t, but they called my
OBJECTIONS absurd-er, ahem-or some
thlng OF that sort I have never felt
mat Chetwynd should"