The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-05-06

her 5a6n. she hNd resolved To avoid
anything sombre where Allan was
concerncd-and the green gown WAS
very becoming, Then. armed with
her list and a pencil. she crossed bold
ly to the couch where her CRUSADER
lay in the old attitude. r~noveiess and
with half closed eyes.
Allan" she ASKED. standing above
HIM, do you think you could stand
being talked to for a little while"
"Why-yes." said Allan, opening his
eyes a little more. Wallis, get-Mrs.
Harrinston--a chair"
He aid the name hal,ingly. and
Phyllis wondered il he disiiked her
having it. She dropped down beside
him. like a smiling touch OF spring
in tho dark room.
ID you m.nd their calling me
that? she asked. III there's any
thing else they could USE"
Mother made, YOU IA present OF the
name" he said, smiling family. No
reason why | should mind"
".AlI right" said Phyllis cheerfully.
After all. there was nothing else to
cal! sief. speaking OF her. The SER
wants, she knew, generally said "the
young madam" as if her motherin-
law were stin alive.
L want to talk to you about
things she began; and had to sion
to deal with the wolfhound, who was
trying to put 10Th paws ON her
shoulders. oh, Ivan. get down.
honey! wish somebody would take
a day off some time to explain to YOU
that you're not Il lap-dog! Do you
like woifhounds specially better than
any other kind OF dog. AIan?'
Not particularly" said Allan, pat
ting the dog %languidly as he put his
head in Il convenient place for the
purpose. Mother bought him, she
said, because he would look so pic
tureSque in my sick-room. She want
ed him to lie at my feet or something.
But he never saw ii that way-neith-
er did 1. Hates sick-room. Don't
blanc him.
his waA the longest speech Allan
had made yet, and Phyllis learned
several things from it that she had
only guessed before. One was thar
the atmosphere of embodied grief and
regret in the house had been Mrs.
Harrington's, not Allan's-that he
was more young and natural than she
had thought, better material for
cheering; that his mothers devotion
had been something of a pressure on
him at times; and hi he himself
his illness correctly.
What he really had said when the
dog was introduced, she learned later
from the attached Wallis, was that
he might be q cripple, but he wasn't
going to be part of any COMPOUNDED
tableau. Whereupon his mother had
cried for an lNur, kissing and pity
ing him in between. and his night
had been worse than usual. But the
hound had stayed outside.
Phyllis made an instant addition to
her list. One b%ull-pup, convenient
size, for Allan" The plain cat could
wait. She had heard of publicity
campaigns: she had made up her
mind, and a rather firm young mind
it was, that she was going to con-
duct a cheerfulness campaign in be-
half of this list!ess. beautiful dark
ness locked Allan Of hers. Unknow-
ingly, she was beginning to regard
him as much her property as the
check book, n rather more SO than
the wolf hound. She moved back a
little. and reconciled herself to the
dog, Who had draped as much OF his
body as would go. over her. and was
batting his tail against her joyfully.
Poor old puppy" she said. ~
want to talk over some plans with
you. Allan" she began again deter
minedly. She was astonished to see
Allan vince.
DON'T" he said. for heavens
sake! You'll drive me crazy!"
Phyllis drew ack a little indig-
nantly, but behind the couch she saw
Wallis making some sort Of face that
was evidently intended for a warn
ing. Then he slipped out Of the
room, as il he wished her to follow
soon n be expected to. "Plans"
must be a forbidden sub1ea.. anyhow,
! rrossness wasa better symptom than
apathy!
Very well. she said brightly.
smiling her old, useful, cheering-a-
bad-child library smile at him. 1T
was mostly about thing 1 wanted to
buy for myself. any way-satin slip
pers and such. I don't suppose they
would interest a mar much"
"Oh. that sort Of thing said Allan
~relievedly. Il thought you meant
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