The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-07-07

doll; and oh. Liz"-with estate enjoy
ment-"the clothes comes off and on!"
Lizzie laughed.
"And who is she, Polly9 It sounds like a
fairy story. believe that you are a little
Cinderella living here by the fire, and hav-
ing some ugly old godmother to visit you
while am away"
"Old and ugly!" cried Polly. II wish
that you could have seen her.-Great brown
eyes and yellow hair, yellower as mine,
and the beautifullest bonnet! Why, she is
come all the way from Germany, Liz! She
is Mr.. Arthurs wife,"
lizzie turned deathly pale, and sat down
as if stunned.
A shutting, unsteady step sounded out
side: the door opened and a old man en-.
tered, accompanied by Luke Hutton.
Both men took their seats near the fire,
and Lizzie detected at once the smell of
liquor.
With sickening sense of shame she
turned from her father to Polly
Come, darling, will carry you to bed;
you eau take all your pretty toys with you,
and you must be up bright and early, for
Tomorrow is fair-day. you know, and if you
are at the window you can see the folks 60
ing by"
She tried to smile bravely, as the little
cripple clasped both hands round her
neck.
Luke arose and clumsily opened the
door for her.
AS Lizzie came back for Polly's toys, he
whispered:
Don't think to make fool of me, with
ried man to see her home, and kiss her, amt
too good even for Luke Hutton"
How long Luke Hutton and her father
sat there she never knew. She fell asleep
waiting and listening for them to part.
Morning dawns for her at last; dawns,
but brings no brightness to her darkened
life. What is it that makes her life so
heavy that she can scarcely bear to wake
and face the morning light?-It is not her
father nor Polly; these are old griefs made
enduraple through long habit. This pain
is bitter, poignant, piercingher heart cruel
~ as she wakes into consciousness. All,
she remembers, now? It is Arthur Roll
leston's wife!
She repeats the words over and over,
with the remembrance of that kiss still up
on her lips, and then, God forgive her
longs. with a longing unutterable. for an
other word another caress from him ere he
leaves her forever!
She bushes, and the next moment hates
herself for her folly, rises hastily, dresses
Polly, and goes into the next room to find
her father gone.
A heavy day for her. She wonders with
binding tears, if all holi lays are as wretch
ed, The merry voices and loud laughter
in the streets come to her as a mockery, and
her voice chokes as she tries to join Polly
In hymn.
The door opens, and Arthu, Rolleston
enters.
At the sound of his voice Lizzie rises
hastily.
Unmindful of Polly, he walks straight up
to her, looks deep into her dark eyes, and,
bending, is about to press another kiss up
on her lips, when, like haunted thing,
she pushes past him and escapes. He
smiles amusedly, sits down by Polly. and
transports the child to the seventh heaven
with his fairy stories and his account of
the fine shows in the fair.
He waits in vain for Lizzie, and at length
kisses Polly and goes.
Polly is in bed at last. The day is near
~ ovor, The fiddlers have ceased their
playing III the old trvern near by, and they
stand at the open window, looking out at
the moon lighted, deserted street.
Soon she sees Luke Hutton and her
father approaching the house.
The latter's step was unsteady, and Liz
zie, with bitter shame in her heart, enters
the next room and locks the door,
A few moments later she heard mutter-
ed oath and the words:
II am glad the lass is in bed. She is al
ways moithering me with her pious airs"
Hush! She'll hear thee," whispered the
more cautious Luke.
We'll, wot if she does? Amt agoin' to
make rich lady of her? Will she blame
me? Not when show her these"
He held out some bank notes, and jingled
a bag of silver, triumphantly.
Lizzie had her eye at the key-hole and
shivered as she caught of the none y in her
fathers hands.
"Hould the jaw" warned Luke, land
not a word or we are Jagged. Mind, not
one word, Or
He finished his sentence with blood
curdling oath, slammed the door and ran
out.
Lizzie came out before her father like an
avenging angel and placed hand on the
money.
''What are you doing with this, father?'
tits no harm. lass. Luke says as il
wasn't. would ma haze took it but in an
hour or two it would a. been worth naught,
They would a. been as poor as if I had ma
took it.
"Where did you get it father?"
From Mr.. Rolleston's office, Liz
don't be telling on me, girl" he whis-
pered. Don't be a-ruining your ownfa-
ther."
With resolute, set face, LIZZIE tied on he1
hat, threw her shawl about her, and with
| the precious bundle hurried silent and
breathless through the dark streets.
1t only took few moments to reach the
factory, run up these steps and try the
door.
| It did not surprise her to find it open
| She knew who had been here before her.
How dark itlooked inside, but she flew
up the long stairs, entered the Office door
kne1t down in the moonlight before the
large SAFE, ~.
The front had been burst open, and there
lay books and papers in confusion on the
floor. with trembling fingers she replaced
the money, put back books and papers and
tried to close the. battered front.
| faint cry in the streets below caused
her to pause. She had been so intent up.
on her work she had never noted, but now
perfect Babel of voices reached her dead
ened ears, and wild cry, "Fire!" rung on,
on the still night air.
Her first thought was the books Strange.
ly enough she thought, in that moment
more of Arthur Rolleston's fortune thar
she did Of her own awful peril.
With her arms full O: the contents Of the
safe, she ran to the window. and dropped
them TO the crowd below.
Then she turned to save herself, but toe
late. She felt faint and eiddy as she walk.
ed, and cropping blindly for help, fell sense.
lehs upon the Office floor
"Merciful powers!" groaned man in the
crowd, have pity upon her. It was q wo-
man in the Office, and alone! AS sure as ]
live, lads, it was Lizzie Leigh! seen he1
face"
A slight young man came swiftly through
the crowd at his words. ~-~.-c
As he reached the burning building
strong men tried to hold him back, but
with mighty effort. he burst from them
and leaped up the flaming staircase.
How long he was gone: How long II
seemed to those anxious watchers beneath.
and yet 1t was scarcely q minute ere be
stood In window en the second aQoy,