Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-02-03

%pretentious big house that night.
II don't know replied Molly, much
concerned. Did you send some?"
mo, but l thought some were to be
sent to YOU" laughed Bert. It's too
good to keep, Fern. By the way, that
Fern just slipped, and you'll have to
pardon me for it. It's Molly's fault.
She never called you anything else"
"Who is it?' demanded Molly, more
eager to hear the news than he liked to
see. 'The information is highly i'm
portant, if true, and I must not be
kept in suspense"
"Hold on to something, them" he
warned her. zone, two, three-Sledger!'
"Sledge!' she repeated. What?
That great big She paused for lack
OF words, and her face famed suddenly
scarlet with indignation.
"Sledge," he joyously insisted, and
then, to the puzzled Fern, You re-
member the big fellow whose car stop
ped just abreast us last night"
Mr.. Glider, who as a boy had been
an expert in pulling the wings from
flies, went straight on with the slaugh-
ter, Selling Immediately the glorious
opportunity which presented itself
when Mr.. Marley, brave in smoking
jacket and pumps, sauntered into the
parlor.
"Great news, Marley" hailed Bert,
beaming with delight upon the joyous
laughter of Fern. molly has captured
a new honor for the family. Whose
do you suppose is the latest scalp at
her bclt?'
1T might be almost anybody re-
turned Marley. who felt that his moth
erless daughters popularity reflected
somehow on himself. ''Nho is the
particular victim you have in mind?'
and he laughed in advance.
"Sledge" exploded Bert. by the
way, Marley, he gave you a hint of it
too. Didn't he ask you today while |
was there for an invitation to Molly's
party tomorrow night or something
like that?"
well, not exactly, but he did throw
out some pretty strong hints,' ac-
knoWledged Marley with a grin, en-
terlng into the joyous spirit of the oc-
casion. "He asked permission to call
on Molly. 1 told him that was up to
her"
"How unusually considerate." OBJ
served Molly, biting her lips to sup
press the rising fury which had driven
the bushes from her cheeks and left
them almost waxen.
The Marley butler, Il thin faced and
iii legged young man with a pain
fully intellectual ~countenance, stalked
past the hallway portieres in answer
to a below stairs ring and returned
from the front door with:
MI Sledge, sir, to see Mr.. Marley"
SHOW him into the library" hastily
directed Marley, suddenly contrite and
feeling a sinking horror. as did all the
others in the room, Of having this man
face to face with Molly, especially
after the crimes against her, of which
they had themselves been guilty.
Tbe instructions were too late. how
ever.
"Good evening"" rumbled the deep
voice of Sledge, who just then appear
ed directly in the center Of the opening
in the portieres. He wore an Inverness
topcoat, the open front of which dis
closed a marvellous expanse Of white
shirt front, spaced with diamond
studs, h glitter Of which paled, how
ever, by contrast with the enormous
solitaire which Illuminated the solid
gold watch fob presented to him by
the Young Mems Marching club of
Ward G. His hair was pressed as
smoothly to his skull as an earnest
italian barber could plaster it, and
various angry specks on his cheeks told
how microscopically he had been shay
ed. The browning triumphs of his tot
let, however, he carried. In his right
hand he bore, held by a wide velvet
ribbon, in the same huge fingers which
clutched the gold headed cane pre-
sented by the Capital City Sledge club.
a thirty dollar box Of candy. two feet
across, wrapped with six b%eribboned
layers Of fancy paper and provided
with an absolute maze of drawers and
partitions. In his left hand he carried
Il speckless silk hat Of the latest
French shape. and that arm encircled
a conical parcel. so big that it would
have staggered a small man, while
from the upper end of the cone pro
truded a square yard of screaming red
roses.
"Good evening. Miss Molly" he add
ed, becoming more specific. II brought
these for you myself" and he beamed
his cordial good will upon the entire
assemblage.
It was in this breathless crisis that
Molly Marley, aggravated beyond en-
durance. tool her merciless revenge.
S"How perfectly delightful" she cried,
and she swept toward him with more
eager c%ordiality- than she had ever be-