Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-10-12

not tel WnelneT he was renewed VI
sorry to tell her he could not come. 1t
began to look to him a good deal as if
he would ask Julia Bentley to marry
him some day, when she got tired of
playing all the others off against him,
and he could make up his mind to sur
render his freedom to any woman.
He bought a paper and settled him
self comfortably in the parlor car. but
his interest was not in the paper, His
strange commission engaged all his
thoughts. He took out the envelope
containing Instructions and went over
the matter. looking curiously at the ci-
pher message and its translation,
which. however, told him nothing. 1t
was the old chiefs way to keep the
business himself until such time as he
chose to explain. Doubtless it was
safer for both message II messenger
that be did not know the fun import
of what he was undertaking.
Gordon carefully noted down every
thing that his chief had told him,
comparing it with the written instruc-
ton in the envelope; arranged in his
mind just how he would proceed when
he reached New York; tried to think
out a good plan for recovering the sto-
len message, but could not; and so de-
cided to trust the inspiration of the
moment. Then it occurred to him to
clear his o~vercoat pockets of any let
tiers or other ~telltale articles and stow
them in his suit case. He might have
to leave his overcoat behind him. so
It would be we'll to have no clues for
anyone to follow.
prepared a few letters with notes for
his stenographer, to be mailed back to
her from Philadelphia, he reread Julia
| Bentley'S note. When every angular
line Of her tail script was imprinted on
his memory he tore the perfumed note
,~tN t,,1-- ~sDaNr ,,HI A,Ar {l~@1 f-r,r
the car window.
The question was. did he or did he
not want to ask Julia Bentley to be-
come his wife? He had no doubt as
to what her answer would be. Julia
n made it pretty plain to him that
she would rather nave him than any
of her other admirers; though she did
like to keep them all attendant upon
her. Well, that was her right so long
as she was unmarried. He had no
fault to find with her. She was a fine
girl. and everybody liked her. Also,
she was Of a good family. and with a
modest fortune in her own right. EV
erybody was taking it for granted that
they liked each other. 1t was time he
was married and had a real home, he
supposed. whatever that waS-that
seemed to have so great a charm for
all his friends. TO his eyes, it had as
vet taken on no alluring mirage effect.
nv ON ivy a wv II 81 lNcil llotllV, Ill'I U
than his quiet bachelor apartments
We're to him now, where his man or
dered everything as he was told, INC the
meals were sent up when wanted. He
had money enough from his inheritance
to make things more than comfortable
and he was deeply Interested in the
profession he had chosen.
Still, if he was ever going to marry,
it was high time, Of course But did
he want Julia? He could not quite
make it seem pleasant to think of her
in his rooms when he came home at
night tired: she won always be
wanting to so to her endless theater
parties n receptions and dances; al
ways be demanding his attention. She
was bright and handsome and well
dressed, but he had never made love to
her. He could not quite imagine him
self doing so. How did men make love
anyway? Could one call 1t love when
it was made love? These questions
followed M another idly through
his brain as the landscape Whirled past
him. If he had stayed at home he would
have spent the evening with Julia, as
she requested in her note, n there
would probably have been a quiet half
hour after other callers had gone when
he would have stayed as he had been
doing of late, n tried to find out
whether he really cared for her or not
Suppose. for instance, they were mar
ried, and she sat beside him now Would
any glad thrill fill his heart az he
looked at her beautiful face and realized
that she was his? He tried to look over
toward the next chair and imagine thai
the tired, fat old lady with the double
chin and the youthful purple hat was
Julia. but that would not work. He
whirled his chair about and tried it or
al empty chair. That went better: but
still no thrill of JOY lifted him out of his
| CnrIiI Golf Ha rn,t1| not Lnl- {li-1rs-
about little trying details. The way
Julia looked when she was vexed. Die
one mind that in the woman one loved
The way h ordered her coachmar
about. Would she ever speak so to hel
husband? She had a charming smile
but her froHn observation-disclosures
to say the least.
He tried to keep up the fallacy Of he
presence. He bought a magazine that HI
knew she liked, and read a story to he
dn imagination). He could easily tel
how her black eyes would snap at Ger.
tain phrases she disliked. He knew jus
what her would be upon tn,
heroine's conduct. 1t was an old disput.
ed point between them. He knew how
she would criticize the hero, n some.
how he felt himself IN the hero's plac.
every time she did 1t. The story had no
been a success. and he felt a wearines.
as ne laid the magazine aside at tn.
ISdlI loIH liIlS JIOII tie 'ClIllnR car.
Before he had finished his luncheon
he had begun to feel that though Julis
might think now that she would like t.
marry him, the truth about It was tina
she would not enjoy the actual life to-
gether any better han he would. wer,
all marriages like that? Did people los,
the glamour and just settle down to en-
dure each others faults and make thu
most OF each others pleasant side, anc
not have anything more? Or was he get
ting cynical? Had he lived alone to-
/, long, as his friends sometimes told him
and so was losing the ability really t,
) love anybody but himself? He knit hi
brows. and got up whistling to go GU
and see why h train had stopped $,
long in this little country settlement.
!, 1t was just beyond Princeton, ant
they were not far now from New York
, 1t would be most annoying to be de
> layed SO near to his destination. Fl,
was anxious to get things in train To-
= his evening of hard work. It was nee
i essary to find out how the land lay a
soon as possible.
1t appeared that there was a wrecke,
freight ahead of them, and there woul,