Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-06-22
disnllieted ynll2N -

| disquieted you?"
She was pale with anger at his inso
renee, at has stare of ardent admiration:
| and she t,embled with vague alarm be.
fore his strange look of triumph; but
sne STOOD quite still and regarded him
with look of calm inquiry.
:, You may not be aware of what has
happened at home," he pursued. still
With the honeyed voice and hateful
smile. N>'s~@ ~
NO" was her simple utterance.
My mission is not particularly pleas
ant one," he continued cautiously; sand
you make it harder for me Kate, YOU
seem so Indifferent; and l have only
come to serve you. Your father is very
Ill; he may not recover"
Yet She renamed silent, watching
hum with her scornful, questioning eyes.
And, beside" her visitor Went on,
Wlth semblance of the sympathetic,
he has been unfortunate in his bust
ness, and everything he possesses will
be sold at once, if there be no friendly
lnterposltlon. l alone have power to
aid him. and 1 will do so if you-oh, lis.
ten, for l love you, Kate! Ifyou will be
my wife, will stop this sale, and your
parents shall still have their home"
lie had arisen and approached her
with outstrecthed arms; but at that in
slant The door opened to admit one whom
hehld not anticipated meeting then and
and there.
"Ah, Mr.. MerIe," he articulated, with
extreme .politeness. "This is indeed
surprise"
IA mutual surprise" Robert amended,
dryly. "My wife and had hardly ex-
pected visit from you"
"Your wife," he stammered, in swift
confusion.
"With mammals approval, Mr.. Merle
and were married the day 1 left home,"
Kate explained, civilly
"Ah! then have only come to con-
gratulatee you," he succeeded in saying,
even as he recoileG discounted before
the contemptuous scrutiny of Kate's
handsome young husband.
But he had no desire to prolong so
unsatisfactory an interview, and he
departed.
"Be comforted, my dearest" Robert
enjoined her when the guest had gone
81 have foreseen this day Of trouble for
your father and proyidentially 1 have
been given means to help. Would you
care to be back in the old home, Kate?"
Would she care? Had she not longed
every hour for months to behold the
dear old place? and the beloved familiar
faces?
And while the train that bore her
homeward was rafting across the white,
winter world, her parents were making
ready to leave the house where they had
Every thing had been Sold The omin-
GUS red flag yet waved over theIentrance,
about which was melancholy, sugges-
tive litter.
Inside, in the only apartment safe
from intrusion, lay the unfortunate man,
sufficiently convalescent to realize that
all his gains had been taken from him,
and still weak enough to hold valueless
the life that had been regiven him.
"We are not so old. Peter-you and 1,
that we need fear beginning lite anew
his wife lovingly reminded him.
But what will give me back my
child?" he asked, fretfully. "What will
restore to me her affection, just as fond
and just as trusting as it was before /
drove her from her home by my sever
ity?"
Our Kate will never reproach you,
Peter. was the soft reply. "And all is
well with her l have hidden some
once would have angered you, but that
now may, comfort you instead.n
Just then carriage rumbled to the
door. The purchaser of the property,
that had been bought by proxy, had ar
rived, and directly was admitted to the
room.
But the sick man was greatly perplex-
ed when he beheld Robert Merle stand
ing before him.
ga little legacy, not altogether unex-
pected, came to me Just in time" eX-
planned the generous young gentleman,
and | bought the old place as gift for
my wife,"
And then, like bright spirit, Kate
glided in and dropped on her knees be-
side her fathers couch.
80, papa, forgive me-" she cried, with
her sweet face pressed upon the yearn-
ing hands that clasped her quickly.
"Forgive you, dear child?" circulated
the father, like one amazed. "It is /
should beg to be forgiven. But scarce
ly understand what it all means. Does
it mean that you and mamma and Rob-
ert were all leagued against me?"
Il am afraid so," was the rougish con-
fession. "But Robert had a little secret
of his own, though" she added. with
happy glance toward her manly hus-
band. ''He kept me quite in the dark
about his legacy and his purchase OF the
old place until he had brought me here
brought me back to the old home
IL - II