ROSALIND JIT RED GATE 3ByC MEREDITH NICHOLSON IHustrattom by RAY WALTERS t topridhl, INT, kj BotolMrrUI Cwnptkf ism Bargain?" are not to Tex Miss Pat unnecessarily In tbls affair. To rouse. her in the night would only add to her alarm. She has had enough to worry her al ready. And I rather imagine," I added, bitterly, "that you don't propose kill ing her with your own hands." 'No; do give me credit for that!" she mocked. "But I shall not disturb your guards, and I shall not distress Aunt Pat by making a row in the gar den trying to run your pickets. I want you to stay here five minutes count them honestly until I have had time to get back in my own fashion. Is it a bargain?" She put out her hand as she turned away her left hand. As my fingers closed upon it an instant the emerald ring touched my palm. "I Bhould think you would not wear that ring," I said, detaining her hand, "it is too like hers; It is as though you were plighted to her by it." "Yes; it is like her own; sho gave it" She choked and caught her breath sharply and her hand flew to her face. "She gave-it to my mother, long ago," ishe said, and ran away down tho path toward the school. A bit of gravel loosened by her step slipped after her to a new resting place; then silence and the night closed upon her. I threw myself upon the bench and waited, marveling at her. If I had not touched her hand; if I had not heard her voice; if, more than all, I had not talked with her of her father, of Miss Pat, of intimate things which no one else could have known, I should not have believed that I hnd 6een Helen Holbrook face to face. CHAPTER IX. The Lights on St. Agatha's Pier. On my way home through St. Aga- tha'B I stopped to question the two guards. They had heard nothing, had seen nothing. How that girl had passed them I did not know. I scanned the main building, where she and Miss Pat had two rooms, with an lnterven ing sitting room, but all was dark. Miss Helen Holbrook was undeniably a resourceful young woman of charm and wit, and I went on to Glenarm House with a new respect for her cleverness. I was abroad early the next morn ing, retracing my steps through St. Agatha's to the t-iono bench on tho Muff with a vague notion of confirming my memory of tho night by actual con tact with visible, tangible things. The lake twinkled In the sunlight, the sky overhead was a (lawless sweep of blue, and tho foliage shone from the deluge of the early night. Hut In tho soft mold of the path the prints of a woman's thoo were unmistakable.' I bent down and examined them; I measured them ungraciously, Indefensibly, guiltily with my bund, and rose convinced that the ne at outlines spoke of a modish bootmaker, and were not apt to be ex plained away as marking tho lightly llmred step of a fairy or tho gold- sandaled flight of Diana. Then I de scended to St. Agatha's and found Miss Pat and Helen loitering tranquil ly In the garden. They gave mo good morning Miss Pat calm and gracious, and Helen In the spirit of the morning Itself, smll Ing. cool, and arguing for peace. De "ptlon, as a social accomplishment, fhe had undoubtedly carried far: and , I st hard put to hold up my end of , uie game. I have practiced lying with ; I astniasters In tho art the bazar Vipers of Cairo, horse dealers In -. ..Iosco w and rug brokers In Teheran: I, ut I dipped my cobra to this amnxtng "I'm afraid that we are tunklntt our HTfa a nul.mnrr t v. in mM Pat- "I liivird thn wnlcl'incn r.i . 3-e walks Inst nlulit V .. . . ". 'I wrs quite feiM il! W- c uroi,o in. " f..lt Hint we were luck at hast ns fur ns i;lt. eleventh cm tury. The rpliixti if water which you MU It a "No." I observed, dryly. "Ijinia wears blue serge and carries a gun that would shoot clear through a cru sader. The gardener Is a Scotchman, and his dialect would kill a horse." MUs Pat paused behind us to de liberate upon a new species of holly hock whose minarets rose level with her kind, gentle eyes. Something had been in my mind, and I took this op portunity to speak to Helen. "Why don't you avert danger and avoid an ugly casastrophe by confess ing to Miss Pat that your duty and sympathy lie with your father? It would save a lot of trouble In the end." The flame leaped into Helen's face as she turned to me. "I don't know what you mean! I have never been spoken to by any one so outrageously!" She glanced hur riedly over her shoulder. "My position is hard enough; it is difficult enough. without this. I thought you wished to help us." I stared at her; she was dlftlng out of my reckoning, and leading me into uncharted seas. "Do you mean to tell me that you have not talked with your father that you have not seen him here?" I be sought Yes; I have seen him once, and It was by accident. It was quite by ac cldent." "Yes; I know of that" "Then you have been spying upon me, Mr. Donovan!" "Why did you tell me that outrage ously foolish tale about your chess game, when I knew exactly where you were at the very hour you would have had me think you were dutifully en gaged with your aunt? It seems to me, my dear Miss Holbrook, that that is not so easy of explanation, even to my poor wits." "That waa without purpose; really It was! I was restless and weary from so much confinement; you can't know how dreary these late years have been for us for me and I wished Just once to be free. I went for a long walk Into the country. And if you saw me, If you watched me " I gazed at her blankly. The thing could not have been better done on the stage; but Miss Pat was walking toward us, and I put an end to the talk. "I came upon him by accident 1 had no idea he was here," she per sisted. "You are not growing tired of us, began Miss Pat, with her brave, beau tlful smile; "you are not anxious to be rid of us?" "I certainly am not," I replied. "1 can't tell you how glad I am that you have decided to remain here. I am quite sure that with a little patience we Bhall wear out the besiegers. Our position here has, you may say, th strength of its weakness. I think the policy of the enemy is to harass you by guerrilla methods to annoy you and frighten you Into submission." Yes; I believe you are right, she said slowly. Helen had walked on and I loitered beside Miss Pat. "I hope you have had no misgivings, Miss Pat, since our talk yesterday." "None whatever" she replied, quick ly. "I am quite persuaded In my own mind that I should have been better off If I had made a stand long ago. I don't believe cowardice ever pays, do you?" ' She smiled up at me In her quick, bright way, and I was more than ever her slave. "Miss Holbrook, you are tho bravest woman in the world! I believe you are right. I think I should be equal to ten housand men with your spirit to put heart into me." "Don't be foolish," she said, laugh ing "nut to show you that 1 am not really afraid, suppose you offer to take us for a drive this evening. I think It would be well for me to appear to-day, Just to show the enemy that we are not driven to cover by our Httlo ad venture In the launch yesterday." "Certainly! Shnll we carry out riders and a rear guard?" "Not a bit of It. I think we may be able to thame my brother out of his evil Intentions by our defenselesaness." We waited for Helen to rejoin us and the drive was planned for five. Promptly on the hour, nfter a day of activity on my part In cruising tho lako, looking for kI;us of tho enemy we set forth In an open trap, nnd plunged Into country roads that trav ersed territory now to nil of us. 1 car ried Ijinia along, nnd when, nfter n few miles. Helen n .iked to ink" the reins, I changed seat3 with her, nnd pave myself up to talk with Miss Pat. The girl's mood was grave, and she wished to drive, I fancied, as an ex cuse for silence. The land rolled grad ually ojvuy Into tho south and west, nnd wo halted, In an hour or so, far front the lake, on a wooded eminence that coninipncled a long sweep In every direction, and drew Into tho roadside Ijinia opened a gate that admitted us to a superb maple grove, and In a few minutes we were having tea from the hamper In tho cheeriest mood In the world. The sun wan contriving new marvels In the west, and the wood that dipped lnkeward beneath us gavo an Illusion of thick tapestry to the eye. "We could almost walk to the lake over the trees." said Miss Pat. "It's a charming picture." Then, as we all turned to the lake, seeing It afar across the tree-top through tho migrant twilight, I saw the Stiletto standing out boldly upon the waters of Annandale, with a lun ruld Impudence that I began to as gorlate with Its slim outlines and siowy csnvas. Other craft were abi-vid, and Miss Pat, I Judged, spoke orlv of the nn ttlness of the general landscape, and there was. to lie sure mi lrnmin why the sails of the stiletto ht'oul.l have bad any particular slgnlll nwico for her. Helen was Rtlll looking down i:on the lake when .MU Put suggested that we should go home; and even after her aunt called to her, the girl still stood, one hand resting upon the trunk of a great beech, her gaze bent wistfully, mournfully to ward the lake. But on the homeward drive aha had asked for the reins again her mood changed abruptly, and she talked cheerily, often turning her head a acarlet-banded sailor hat was, I thought, remarkably becoming to chaff about her skill with the reins. I haven't a care or trouble In the world," declared Miss Tat when I left them at St. Agatha's. "I am sure that we have known the worst that can happen to us in Annandale. I refuse to be a bit frightened after that drive." 'It was charming," said Helen. 'This is better than the English lake country, because it isn't so smoothed out." "I will grant you all of that," I said. I will go further and admit what is much for me that it is almost equal to KUlarney." There seemed to be sincerity in their good spirits, and I was myself refreshed and relieved as I drove into Glenarm; but I arranged for the same guard as on the night before. Helen Holbrook's double-dealing created a condition of affairs that demanded cautious handling, and I had no lnten tlon of being caught napping. From tho window of my room I saw the Japanese boy patrolling the walks of St. Agatha's. K buckboard of young sters from Port Annandale passed in the road, leaving a trail of song be hind them. Then the frog choruses from the little brook that lay hidden in the Glenarm wood Bounded in my ears with maddening iteration, and I sought the open. The prevlons night I had met Helen Holbrook by the stone sest on the ridge, and I iannot deny that it was with the hope of seeing her again that I set forth. She was beautiful with a rare loveliness at all times, yet I found myself wondering whether, on the strange frontiers of love, it was her daring duplicity that appealed to me 1 set myself stubbornly into a pillory reared of my own shame at the thought, and went out and climbed upon the Glenarm wall and stared at the dark bulk of St. Agatha's as 1 pun ished myself for having entertained any other thought of Helen Holbrook than of a weak, vain, ungrateful girl capable of making sad mischief for her benefactor.. IJIma passed and repassed in the paved walk that curved among the school buildings; I heard his step, and marked his pauses as he met the gar dener at the front door by an arrange ment that I had suggested. As I con sidered the matter I concluded that Helen Holbrook could readily slip out at the back of the house, when the guards thus met, and that she had thus found egress on the night before. At this moment the two gunrds met precisely at tbe front door, and to my surprise Sister Margaret, In the brown garb of her sisterhood, stepped out, nodded to the watchmen in the light of the overhanging lump, and walked slowly round the buildings nnd toward the lake. The men promptly resumed their patrol. The sister slipped away like a shadow through the garden; and I dropped down from the wall in ride the school park and stole after her. The guards were guilty of no Impropriety In passing her; there was. to ho Biire, no reason why Sister Mar garet should not do precisely as she liked at St. Agatha's. However, my curiosity waa piqued, and I crept quiet ly along through tho young maples that fringed the wall. She followed a path that led down to the pier, and I hung back to watch, sUll believing that Sister Margaret had gone forth merely to enjoy the peace and beauty of the night. I paused In a little thick et, and heard her light step on the pier flooring; and I drew as near as I dared, in the shadow of the boathouse She stood beside the upright staff from which the pier lights swung tho whlto lantern between the two red ones looking out across the lake. The llght3 outlined her tall flgiiro distinct ly. Sho peered about anxiously sev eral times, nnd I heard tho Impatient tap of her foot on the planks. In the lako sounded the faint gurgle of water round a pnddle, and In a moment a canoe glided to the pier nnd n man stepped out. He bent down to seize the painter, and I half turned away nshr.nied of the sheer curiosity that had drawn me after the sister. Nuns who chafe at their prison bars nre not new, either to romance or history and this surely was no affair of mine Then the man stewl up, and I saw that It wni Gillespie. He wns battens, and I his nrnu were bared. He began to speak, but she quieted blm with word; and as with a gesture she (lung back her brown hood, 1 saw that It was llekti Holbrook. "I had given you up," nho Bald He took both her hands and held them, bending toward her eagerly. She seemed taller than he In tho lantern light. I Bhould havo co:no across the world," he said. "You must believe that I should not have asked this of you If I had not be lleved you could do It without Injury to yourself that It would Impose no great burden on you, and that you would not think too 111 of in "I love you; I am here because 1 love you! he said; and I thought bet ter of him than I bad. He was a fool and weak; but ho was, I believed, an honest fool, and my heart grew hot ttn Jealous rage as I bow them there together. "If there Is more I can do! "No; and I should not aic you if there were. I have Mne loo far. M It Is," she slshed. ion must take no risks; you inurt take enre Hint Miss put knows noth Ing "No; I must see father. He must go away. I believe he has lost hit senses from brooding on his troubles." "But how did he ever get here? There is something very strange about If Oh, I knew he would follow us! But I did not tell him I was coming here--I hope you did not believe that of me. I did not tell him anr more than I told you." He laughed softly. "You did not need to te'.l me; I could have found you anywhere in the world. Helen. That man Donovan is watching you like a hawk; but he's a pretty good fellow, with a Milesian Joy in a row. He's going to protect Miss Pat and you if he dies at the busi ness. She shrugged her shoulders, and I saw her disdain of me in her face. A pretty conspiracy this was. and I seemed to be only the crumpled wrap ping of a pack of cards, with no part in the game. Gillespie drew an envelope from his pocket, held It to the white lantern for an instant, then gave it to her. "I telegraphed to Chicago for a draft. He will have to leave here to get It the bank at Annandale carries no such sum and It will be a means of getting rid of him." "Oh, I only hope he will leave he must he must!" she cried. iou must go back," he said. "These matters will all come right In the end, Helen," he added, kindly. "There is one thing I do not understand. "The thing that troubles me is that your father was here before you." 'No that Isn't possible; I can't be lleve It." "He had engaged the Stiletto before you came to Annandale; and while I was tracing you across the country he was already here somewhere. He amuses himself with the yacht" xes, l Know; ne is more of a men ace that way alwaya in our sight- always where I muBt see him!" Her face, clearly lighted by the lan terns, was touched with anxiety and sorrow, and I saw her, with that pret tiest gesture of woman's thousand graces the nimble touch that makes sure no errant bit of hair has gone wandering lift her hand to her head for a moment. The emerald ring flashed in the lantern light I recall a thought that occurred to me there that the widow's peak, so sharply marked in her forehead, was like the finger-prints of some playful god. She turned to go, but he caught her hands "Helenl'; he criedj.. softly. "No! Please don't!" She threw the nun's hood over her head and walked rapidly up the pier nd stole away through the garden to ward St. Agatha's. Gillespie listened for her step to die away, then he sighed heavily and bent down to draw p his ennoe. When I touched him on the shoulder he rose and lifted the paddle menacingly. "Ah, so it's our young and gifted Irish frlpnd!" he said. Grinning. "No more sprinting stunts for me! I de cline to run. The thought of aspara gus and powdered glass saddens me. Look at ' these hands those little He Stepped Close to Me Threateningly, hands still wrapped In mystical white rags. I have bled at every pore to give you entertnlnment, and now U'b i;ot to bo 20 paces with bird guns." "What mischief ore you la now ?" I demanded, angrily. "I thought I warned you, Gillespie; I thought I even appealed to your chivalry." "My dear fellow, everything baa changed. If a nun In distress ap peals to mo for help, I am Johnny-ou-the (spot for Mother Church." "That was not the sister, It was Miss Holbrook. I saw her distinctly; I heard" "Hy Jove, this Is gallant of you, Donovan! You are u marvelous fel low!" "1 havo a right to ask I demand to know what it was you gave tho girl." "Matinee tickets the American girl without matinee tickets Is a lonely plelad bumping through the void." "You aro a contemptlblo ass. Your conduct Is scoundrelly. If you want to seo Miss Holbrook, why don't you go to tho house and call on her like a gentleman? And at for her" "Yes; and as for her?" Ho stepped close to me, threaten ingly. "As for her, she may go too far!" "She Is not amwerable to you. Sho's the finest girl In the world, ani If you Intimate" T Intimate nothing. Hut what 1 saw ind heard interested me a good deal, Gillespie." "What you heard by stealth, creep lug shout here at nUht, prjlng Into ruber peopled affairs!" "I l.nvo pVdned myself to caro for Mh-.s Put." IULKS (JOYKRMXG FILING. Jude Wit ten Sends Out the Regula tions on the Tripp Filing Which Begins April 1st at the Gregory Land Office. A room apart from the land of fice, to be known as the map room, will bo maintained, in which pros pective entrymen may select the lands they desire to enter and have their homestead applications prepared free of charge by expert clerks assigued to that duty. A large map of Tripp county 51x90 Inches will be exposed on the wall of this room for use by applicants in making their selec tions. This map will Uuw all tracts which are subject to entry at the time any applicant appears to make his selection. The lands will be selected and en tered under the following rules which will be strictly enforced: Rule 1. The names of all persons to whom numbers are assigned at the drawing will bo called in the or der of their numbers assigned them, at the time named in tho notice heretofore mailed. A list of the numbers, giving the time of entry; will be posted on the outside of the land office and also on the outside of tho map room. As soon as a person's name Is called, he will be admitted to the map room, and he must make his selection with in the time assigned him. If he falls to make his selection at that time, he w ill bo permitted to make a selection after 4:30 o'clock on the same day, but not after that. Rule 2. No ono except the of ficers In charge, persons holding numbers, andth elr locating agents who have compiled with these rules, will be permitted to enter the map room between 9 o clock a. m. and 4:30 o'clock p. m.' and applicants and their attorneys cannot enter the map room until the applicant's num hers are called for the purpose of enabling them to make their selec tions, nor' can they remain in the room after their selections have been made. Rule 3. All locating agents who comply with these regulations will, at 6:30 o'clock p. m., on each day be furnished with a schedule of the lands enterec. before that time dur ing that day. Rule 4. No person will bo per mitted to enter the map room ns a locating agent, or be furnished with a schedule of tho lands entered, un til he has signed an agreement that he will furnish each homesteader ap plicant assisted by him in making a selection with his statement nnd guaranty as to the approximate kind, quality and topography of the tract selected by him for such applicant This statement must bo accompanied by an affidavit of the locating agent, or by that or some person nsso- elated with or employed by him, and mnul nmitaln flin utntoniont flint the affiant has personally examined the I lnml Koloelixl nrwl knnu-n frnm Riieh I examination that the statements of the locating agent as to tho kind, quality and topography of the lands are substantially correct. Blank statements and affidavits for use by locating agents will be furnished free of charge to locating agents or persons filing tho required affidavit. Any locating agent who falls or refuses to furnish this affidavit or who furnishes a false affidavit will thereafter be refused admittance to tho mnp room for any purpose nnd will not recclxe schedules of the en tered lands. Rule 6. As soon ns an applicant has selected his land, nnd received his homestead application, he must present the application to the regis ter and receiver nt the land office and make the required payments. Rule 7. Persons who intend to make second or additional entries, minors who mako entries as head of families, married women who make ontrl's r.s deserted wives or bends of families, soldiers, soldiers' agents, foreign born persons or other appli cants who are required to file affi davits or other papers In support of their homestead applications must have such affidavits and papers pre pared before lliey enter the map room, as no papers oilier that the regular homestead application will be prepared, either In that room or the land office. Affidavits of per sons other than the applicant, made In support of the application, may be sworn to before an officer having n seat located ot any place within the United States, but In all cases where the applicant Is required to swear to the paper It must be sworn to before tho register or receiver. These rules are prescribed for the purpose of Insuring accurato and or derly selection of the lands nnd mak ing entries, and to Insure, ns far as possible, tho faithful and efficient service of qualified locating agents. Approved Jas. W. Wit ten. Superintendent of Opening. Jas. R. Garfield. Commissioner General Land Office. This statement should be delivered to and kept by the applicant for his protection. Lnei.tlnir agent's representations: In cotiHlderotlen of n fee of $. . . . I 1 1 CoOTTllht 1909 TkellouK of Kuppenhdmet Chkga INDIVIDUAL SUITS! The last objection to ready clothes is removed by our INDIVIDUAL SUIT IDEA, We bought for Spring more than half a hundred single suits of the nobbiest and most exclusivepatterns NO TWO ALIKE, which affords you a handsome selection and the satisfaction of knowing you have the only suit like it in town. We just received this week from the Society Brand some of these single suit?, which have more EX CLUSIVE POINTS about them than any other line. Extra broadshoulder effect, patent pockets, permanent pant crease and many other new ideas. Come in and let us show them to ou. C. E. WESCOTT'S SONS. "Where Quality Counts." J receipt of which is hereby acknowl edged, and for the purposo of fur nishing Information which will en able of to Bilcct land suitable and desirable for fnrmlng purposes, the undersigned hereby represents and guarantees that tho land described below Is of approxi mately the kind, quality and topo graphy herein stated, as follows: Sec T N. R 5 P. M Signed nt Gregory, South Dakota, thla Locating Agent. Rtato of South Dakota, County of Gregory, us. I, the undersigned, do hereby sol emnly swear that I have personally examined the above described land nre substantially true and correct. I hereby certify that the foregoing was signed and swum to before mo by the affiant, therein named In town of Gregory, f-'outh Dakota, this Notary Public. A St. IV.tiick's Social The following program will bo r ii'lered nt a St. Patrick's social given by the young ladles' (lass of the Clu lnthi n bible 'school nt tho residence of .Mr. K. M. Godwin, South Seventh and Gold streets, March 17. The proceeds will be used for tho benefit of the young men's class who arc planning to build a room In con nection with the church. PROGRAM. Plnno Solo 12. II. Wescott. Vocal Solo Miss Howard. Rending Miss Josephine Hall. Vocal Solo Mrs. 10. 11. Wescott. Reading Mrs. William Ilalrd. Vocal Solo W. (1. llrooks. Reading Miss Mildred Cummins. Vocal Solo Mrs. Mae S Morgan Piano Solo Miss Virgin MrDanlel. Irish JokeB Luther Moore. I'n nil For Rent. K. K. Goodwin. Mynard. Nebr. l-'or Sale. 1OO0 good hedge fence posts. John llobsrhledt.