A Prairie Courtship

which rose a tangle of withered grass tussocks stretched across the foreground. Thorne told her that this was the breaking, land won from the prairie too late for sowing in the

value on the prairie it was generally burned off to clear the ground for the following crop. He added

with a wide veranda. It was apparently built of wood, but its severity of outline was relieved by gaily picked-out scroll-work and lattice shutters; and in front of the entrance somebody had attempted to make a garden. T

e too suggestive of self-confidence, and a look of calculating tenacity in her eyes. Alison had continued to treat her as a friend after she had incurred the hostility of Mrs

nlight that streamed in upon her called up fiery gleams in her red hair and shimmered on her long dress of soft, filmy green. Alison promptly decided that the latter had come from New York or Montreal. There w

that's wonderf

at pleasure, and it was with a certain sense of constraint that she permitted Thorne to help her down.

Alison, pointing to another cha

to earn my living, and nobo

nce l

ry extraordinary must have happened; but we'll talk

zed, merely a questi

us," she replied. "There is, of cours

oked at her with

saying things of that kind? I

bered that her mother could

ything to convince m

as never very effusive, as you ought to know. Of c

stature, and there was nothing striking in his appearance. He had a quiet brown face and very brown hands, and he had evidently been workin

Leigh, Elcot; I used to know her

in the least astonished, nor did he glance at his wife. This indicated that he was in the

comfortable," he said with a smile which softened the

to haul in another load o

I don't know what they're doing

she was half annoyed with Thorne when she noticed his badly dissemb

wered. "You see, I

ul!" Floren

nd smiled

it until after the steamboat train. I used to travel t

ost economically minded men living. He grudge

d much as Hunter was took their places about the uncovered lower half of it. There was a cloth on the upper portion, with a gap of several feet between its margin and the nearest of the teamsters' seats. It occurred to Alison, who had been told that the hired man generally ate with his employer on the pr

he pleasure of seein

I came to bring Miss

ation in relation to a guest of the house, and Alison felt a little uncomfortable. For one thing

for disposal a few tablets of very excellent English soap, a case of

toward the man had rendered the thrust admissible, and she saw a faint

ll buy a few things and give them to the

f new gramoph

Alison fancied that she had noticed

buy them

ested. "Besides, the instrument seemed to have

rk," replied Florence. Then she turned to Alison. "O

the kind of lever yo

ut Florence answe

nd you have a fulcrum. We'll admit that the type can be generous, but it's only when i

mp with us to-night?

ome business at the Bluff, and I wan

ses to Alison, went out with them. Florence looked after them, an

on't think they even look at their food-it just goes down. I have once or twice suggested to Elcot that he i

ng, and after a w

on the veranda whil

reached the veranda, and then s

l about it,

ther's death and an account of the difficulties that had followed, but she

done without the extra twelve pounds your mother's guild paid me for playing the piano twice a week at the working girls' club I don't like to think. That is why I made no complaint when they added to my duties the teaching of a class on another evening and the collec

n correctly informed; but she had no thought of mentioning

for you. I suppose you had-difficulties-with some of your emp

little gestu

case, it led to shorter hours, higher wages, an occasional Saturday afternoon trip to the country. I got what I could, and in due time it was generally easy to turn round upon and get rid of the provider. Still, it was just a little

nt things during the past few years, but they had wrought but little change in her

me across Thorne?

r, and she loo

osed you had come stra

nhesitatingly, though she would ha

een driving round the coun

row hot, but her answe

rlier, only a horse went lame. In any case, after what you

raised

-but things are rather different now. It doesn't exactly please me that a guest of mine s

he steps unobserved, stop

voidable. I've had a talk with Leslie;

waved h

dn't resist the temptation of sticking a pin

t didn't seem worth while t

t them, and Alison tu

n Mr. Thorn

cour

his name

call hi

ppose I must have done so. Som

e looke

ven't an idea wha

one at all, and her compan

ld and smashes things, and generally does what's least desirable. As you have spent so

t her with a spa

l, there are good people in the world-but I haven't yet come across one

s-indeed, to be sardonically amused

u to talk to him. As it happens, Elcot looks rather grumpy, and the mail-carrier

ustle of elaborate drape

bluff in half an ho

ertain hesitation, but ther

o I owe you

a do

n flu

u say four or

have to borrow the money from Mrs. Hunter, which I don't think you would like to do. For another, if you were a Can

d be a favor

of the obligation by g

laid the silver coin in his hand, but

I suppose you are going

sively. "I believe I am; bu

You wouldn't find thin

hy

me to mention it,

ned herself sudd

at justify you in saying what you have?

actly what

in the face of the girl, and r

ause for jealousy. You're not the kind to give her one, and Elcot Hunter is one of

rouble you?" Ali

ant with his presumption as she was, th

ribed, he'd try to make things pleasant for you, and there's no doubt that his wife would resent it. Whether she's fond of him at all, or not, I nat

n he stopped, looking at him with perplex

n England, where she had to practise the strictest self-denial. One would have thought it woul

e effect. Those who lead it have so much to put up with that if once they escape it make

impulsively, "I should

u have had as much to face as you say that she has, though one or t

he

e bluff to-night, I'll

plexing sense of regret. She had met the man only four d

before she went to Mrs. Farquhar. She admitted that Florence had given her no particular cause