Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-06-11

ne came IN one night bringing with
MN 70 dinner a young man. The LAT.
Ter made himself rather agreeable to
Mia and seemed bent upon prodncino
favorable impression. He retnrno9
after that many times. He called IN
the evening while the doctor was max.
ing his rounds, and when the doctor
found him there he discreetly disap.
Peared after few pleasant words and
ieit ms ward to entertain her visitor I'M
moiested. Nita neither expressed
pleasure nor the reverse at this new
state OF things, and thus few months
passed.
Quite abruptly one day the doctor
you" 's'' '''
Yes, I know" said Nlta, and said
no more.
We'll, continued DR.. Irving with
one OF the rare, peculiar smiles his ladv
| patients found so fascinating, what
answer are You going to give the poor
Instead of replying Nita looked
steadily at her guardian a moment -
q, DO you want me to accept him p
she asked,
IF you think You might be happy
with hint might be a good thing"
said DIR. Irving in a quiet matter. of
fact way.
The girl turned brusquely away.
Or. Irving took up his newspaper and
feigned not to see chat she was fighting
against one of the passions of sobs and
tears that had become almost habituaI
with her of late.
'Payton," he went on in the same
tone, lis very fine fellow; he is ex.
tremelY fond of you; he is we'll enough
OH TO give you most desirable home
|, my dear child, shall in all prob.
ability. not live forever. In ten years
time, when you will be still, as things
60 now, counted as ayoung lady, shall
be-well, probably, a stoutish, ford,
prosaic old fellow with look of more
or less comfortable middle age stamped
all over me and plenty of gray hairs in
my head. If anything happened to me
you would be- quite alone in the world.
Moreover, might marry myself some
day, and then | could not give you the
same care | have hitherto always been
too happy to bestow Oh you"
DIR. Irving was a very clever man; he
had had a set purpose in his mind as he
talked, but he had for once made mis-
take; he had overdone his part; he had
gone too far, With cry like that of a
wounded animal the girl sprang to him
and grasped his arm.
Don't say that"-the words came
thick and indistinct between short
gasps-"you shall not marry Mono
onel Do you hear? You shall not!"
The fierce italian blood blazed in her
great burning eyes and her
thin small fingers closed over
his arm like vice. you
shall not hurt me sol You have nc
heart, no pity, no mercy-oh| her
hands relaxed their hold suddenly
and she threw them over her face
What have you made me say, she
moaned; ooh, forget it, forget it Foi
the merciful heavens sake-I am not
| well-I don't know what | said"
Or. Irving had stood motionless al
Through the scene. He looked down al
the covering figure of the girl one mo-
ment and came to a decision.
Firmly, almost sternly, he took her
by the arm, and leading her to chair,
made her sit down. He waited one ln-
slant, standing erect in front of her,
then he said:
"Once-years ago-I loved woman,
4, hn NJ
spoken of her for twelve years. would
not now but that want you to under.
stand. She,.was the wife Of another man,
and she had child She was beau
tiful. / loved her the first time my eyes
rested on her. / loved her till she died
only one short year after--as | new.
er loved before, never have loved since
and never shall love as long as there is
breath in my mortal body. | told you
she was married. Well, she loved me,
She left her husband. She fled in the
dead of night. She expiated her sin.
In few weeks, or months. she began
to sicken. Remorse killed her at the
last. 1t was all wrong. have expiat
ed. too. My life has beon lonely, ever
will be. The skeleton in my closet
peers at me day after day, night after
night / thrust it back, but it is there
He stopped; his face was very pale.
well, shortly after her death her hus.
band died, too-died of a broken heart.
The child was left alone in the world.
/ took it. / swore to myself that l
would be father and mother to il. The
woman was your mother, Nita.
There was dead silence in the room
for the space of several seconds. Then
DR.. Irving moved, and took up his
hat
"Now YOU understand" he SAID, You
understand why you can never he any
thing to me but daughter, Mia, al
though as daughter dearly loved.
He hesitated moment, and came ovel
to her. The girl stood up and put hel
hand in his.
Eyes, / understand" she said, in
voice that sounded unlike her own. She
bent over his hand and kissed it softly
Her lips we're cold.
DIR. Irving went ont Nita watched
at the window, hidden behind the cur
tain till the carriage door closed upon
him and the sound of wheels had dice
away. Then she crept up slowly, as
one who walks in his sleep, TO her owr
room. and closed and licked the door
The next morning Mia was not at hei
accustomed place at the breakfast table
After waiting few moments the doctor
sent to her room to know if she were
rot we'll. The servant came down with
white, scared face. The door was fast
locked, she said. And there had been
no answer, and no sound, when she
knocked.
DIR. Irving stood at the bedroom door
che next moment. With a mighty
strain of his powerful shoulders ne
burst the door open. There lay the
GIRL on her bed, stark and rigid, with
her tangled, black hair falling over
The small, weird face. On the table
beside the bed was bottle, labeled
cbloroform. II was empty. !,
And this closed the last chapter OF
DR.. Irving's story. .......
The Novelty Touring mills at IndiAnola, Iowa
belons!ng 10 Bryson, Armstrong 20