Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-01-30

slippered as he was, ran back mutterini
to his den, leaving The object of his mys
terioU generosity fixed like q statue o
, amaxenaent in the center of the pave
J ment.
About three months had elapsed, whel
Bernard West once more knocked at tn
door of the money-lender.
!. ais MI. Brace at homer" he inquired
cheerfully.
sob! If you please, sir, they buriee
him yesterday" replied the servant
with a look of curiously affected 80
lemnity. 49,.
buried him!" cried the visitor, with
sincere disappointment and grief in hi
tone.
ayes, sir; perhaps you would like tt
see Miss Brace, if it is anything very
PARTICULAR"
al should. indeed" said West; " and
when she is aware of the cause of my
visit believe she will excuse the intru
sion."
The servant gave an o~ddgiance, whose
significance West was unable to divine
as she led the way to her young mis-
tress' drawing room.
West entered timidly, for he doubted
the delicacy of such a proceeding, though
his heart was almost bursting with desire
of expansion under the shock just re.
ceived. A beautiful and proud appear.
ing girl of nineteen or twenty years rose
to meet him. Her large blue eyes,
which bore traces of many and recent
tears, worked strangely upon his feelings,
already sufficiently excited.
81 came" he said, in his deep, musical
voice, "to repay a noble service. Will
you permit me to share a grief for the
loss Of one to whom / owe my life--yes,
more than my life?" West paused, and
strove. vainly to master the emotion
which checked his utterance.
"My father rendered you a service"
said the young lady, eagerly, regarding
with involuntary interest the noble coun-
tenance OF Bernard, which, though it
still bore traces of great suffering, was
no longer wild and haggard as at his in
terview with the money-lender.
ga most unexpected and generous
service" replied West, who, softening
down the first portion of the scene We
have described, proceeded to recount to
the fair orphan the narrative of the great
crisis in his destiny.
"Iknew it was So" cried the young
lady, almost Historically affected; 81
knew he was not 50 grasping, so hard
hearted as they said-as he himself pre-
tended. l knew he had a generous heart
beneath all lis seeming avaIice! Oh,
you are not the only one, doubtless,
whom he has thus served"
West did not discourage the illusion.
Nay, the enthusiasm of the charming
woman before him was contagious.
Thanks to your fathers disinterested
liberaiity," he resumed, 81 am now in
comparatively prosperous circumstances,
| came not merely to discharge a debt
believe me, it is no common gratitude
feel! Doubtless you inherit all your
fathers wealth-doubtless it is but little
service ! can ever hope to render you.
Yet will venture to entreat you never
to forget that you possess one friend of
absolute devotion, ready at all times to
sacrifice himself in every way to your
wishes and to your happiness"
West paused abruptly for the singular
expression of the young lady's features
filled him with establishment.
"You do not know, then"-she began.
"know WHAT"
"That-I-am "a natural child"
she completed, with a crimson blush,
turning away her head as she spoke, and
covering her face with her hands; that
| am without fortune or relations; that
my father died intestate; that the heir
at-law, who lives abroad, and without
whose permission nothing can be done
moreover, who is said to be a heartless
spenGthrift-will take all my father
leaves; that / have but one more week
given mi to yacate the house by the
landlord; in short, that / must work if
| would not ~starve; that in a word, l am
a beggar" And the poor girl sobbed
convulsively, while Bernard West, on
whom this speech acted as some terrible
hurricane upon the trees of a tropical
forest, tearing up, as it were, by the
roots all the terrible stoicism of his na-
ture, and rousing hopes and dreams
which had long been banished to the
deepest and most hopeless abysses of his
soul-while Bernard, we repeat, ven
tured to take her hand in his own and
calm her painful agitation by such sug-
g~estions as Immediately occurred to his
mind.
ain the first place." he said, "my
dear Miss Brace, l come to repay to you
your fathers generous gift"
ct belongs 10 his legal heirs; / can
not receive it with HONOR" said the
money lenders daughter.
"Not SO" replied West, gravely; cit
was a free gift to me. l repay it by a
natural, not a legal Obligation and he
laid the two twenty-pound notes upon
the table. Next" he resumed, al
have to pay a debt of gratitude. l owe
my life to your father. Thus in a man
ner have become his adopted son.
Thus" he continued, impetuously, 81
have a right to say to you, regard me as
a brother; share the produce Of my labor;
render me happy in the thought that /
am serving the child of my benefactor.
To disdain my gratitude would be a cruel
insult"
81 cannot disdain it," exclaimed the
daughter Of the usurer with a sudden i'm.
pulse of that sublime confidence which q
noble and generous soul can alone in.
spire. eyes, I accept your assistance"
The face of Bernard frightened up as
if by an electric agent. But how were
the two children of sorrow COMPOUNDED by
the discovery that they were no longer
alone, and that their conversation had
been overheard by an utter stranger, who,
leaning against the wall at the further
end of the room neal the door, appeared
to survey them with an utter indiffer
ence tc the propriety of such behavior
He was q man Of between forty ant
fifty years; a great beard and moustach.
concealed the lower part of a swarthy
but handsome countenance of rare dig
nifty and severity of outline. His dres
was utterly un-E English. A vast mantl,
with a hood fell nearly to the ground, a
he wore huge courier boots, which wer,
still splashed, as if from a journey. Hi
great dark eyes rested with an expires
sion of royal %benevolence upon the tw'
young people, towards whom he had ad
vanced with a courteous inclination that