The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1924-02-29

tUllp Ol It's hlHu tldt pen hau S'NA
written. Webster had received one or
two heated eptstles from the sex In
his time-your man Of gallantry can
hardly hope to escape these unpleas-
antnesses-but none bad got of the
mark quite so swiftly, and with quite
so much frigid violence as this.
Thanks" said Sam, mechanically.
Not at all, sir. You are very well
come.
Sam resumed his reading. A cold
perspiration broke out on his fore
head. His toes curled, and something
seemed to be crawling down the small
Of his back. His heart had moved
from its proper place and was now
beating in his throat. He swallowed
| once or twice TO remove the ObStruc-
ton, but without success. A kind OF
pail had descended on the landscape,
b~lotting out the sun.
OF all the rotten sensations in this
world, the worst is the realization
that q thOusand-to-one chance has
come off, and caused our wrOng-dOing
10 be detected. There had seemed no
possibility Of that little ruSe Of his be
ing discovered, and yet here was Billie
in full possession of the facts. 1t al
most made the thing worse that she
did not say how she had come into
possession Of them. This gave Sam
that feeling of self-pity, that sense Of
having been ill-used by fate, which
makes the bringing home Of crime sc
particularly poignant.
Fine day." he muttered. He had
a sort of subCOnsciouS feeling that it
was imperative to keep engaging Web
ster in light conversation.
Yes, sir. Weather still keeps up"
agreed the valet ~suayely.
Sam frowned over the note. He felt
injured. Sending a fellow notes didn't
give him q chance. If she had come
in person and denounced him it would
moi have been an agreeable experience,
but at least it would have been pos
sible then to have pleaded and cajoled
and-and all that sort of thing. But
iiN N'hlN ht Wv uON II SCtII.tu "
him that his only possible curse was
to write a note in reply, begging her
TO see him. He explored his pockets
and found a pencil and a scrap of pa
per. For some moments he scrubbed
desperately. Then he folded the note.
"NNill you take this to Miss Bennett"
he said, holding it out.
Webster took the mlssive. because
he wanted TO read it later at his
leisure; but he shook his head.
Useless, fear, SIR" he said gravely.
What do you mean?"
IL am afraid it would effect little
or nothing, sir, sending our Miss b.
notes. She is not in the proper frame
Of mind 10 appreciate them. saw
her face when she handed me the let
ter you have just read, and | assure
you, sir, she is not in a malleablp
mood"
You seem to know q lot about it !"
II have studied the sex, sir" said
Webster modeStly.
Il mean, about my business, con
found it! You seem to know all about
/ t."
"Why, yes sir, l think I may say that
/ have grasped the position Of affairs.
And, if you will permit me to say so,
sir, you have my respectful sympathy"
Dignity is a sensitive plant which
flOurishes only under the fairest condi-
T tons. SANS had persisted in the bleak
east wind of Billie's note. In other
circumstances he might have resented
this intrusion of a stranger into his
most intimate concerns. His only
| tinct gratitude. The four winds Of
heaven blew chilly upon his raw and
unprotected soul, and he wanted to
wrap it up in a mantle of sympathy,
| careless Of the source from which he
borrowed that mantle. If Webster, the
valet, felt disposed, as he seemed to
indicate, to comfort him, let the thing
go on. AT that moment Sam would
have accepted condolences from a
coal HEAVIER.
4 was iSuuiiS a SlOIy-Olc VI luc
| Nosegay Novelties; l do not know If
you are familiar with the series, sir?-
in which much the same situation DC
| Cured. 1t was entitled Cupid or Man,
mon" The heroine, Lady Blanche Ire
fusis. forced by her parents to wed a
wealthy sutton, dispatches a note to
her humble lover, informing him it
cannot be. believe it often happens
like that. sir"
You're all wrong" said Sam. Its
not that at ALL"
Indeed. sir? l supposed it was"
Nothing like 1t! IL"
Sans dignity. on Its death-bed. made
a last effort to assert itself.
IL don't know what it's got to do
with your"
Precisely. sir ~. said Webster. with
dignity. Just as you say! Good az
ternoOn, sir!"
tTo BE CoNTINUED.)
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