Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-12-24
Der you seemed to think him rather

saylhere was an Item about him?" --
Yes, OF course" replied the old
gentleman IN a somewhat guilty tone,
as he searched the columns OF his open
page diligently. II am afraid | am q
mt lie absent-minded, Argyle-that is
about tritles. Yes, my dear, you are
right, OF course, his name must have
been mentioned"
Argyle waited with i~ll-concealed inn
patience while her father slowly and
deliberately read aloud the heading OF
each separate paragraph, Letter
from AlbermarlecOunty Account OF
Grand Military Review in Richmond"
"DlscOvery'-no that's not it. Muir
der, or Suicide OF a Stranger"
ooh, papa, that is too horrible"
exclaimed the young girl, the tears
rising to her eyes and her cheeks grow
ing suddenly pale. He was so gay
and full OF spirits-I cannot bear to
think OF such a sad fate"-and her
tears began to fall quickly.
why, my love, what'sth natter"
calculated her father, looking up in
establishment. COR were YOU only
testing about his sad fate?" There
IS nothing here about Dupont except
a description OF his wedding, and, by
the way, it seems to have been a very
brilliant and fashionable affair"
"His wedding" repeated Argyle, in
a tone OF inexpressabIe surprise, ana
then as the truth slowly dawned on
her in all its INSTRUMENTATION having
failed TO receive one ofCapt. Dupont's
ardent and gloomy epiStles for the
last three weeks, she had been haunted
by fears for his safety-she broke into
a slIvery peal OF laughter.
Dear papa, how you did alarm mel!
you read the Suicide OF a stranger so
lmpressively-as ii that were the very
item you were looking for. And so
Capt Dupont is really married." hugh
ing again with such an abandon OF
mIrth and amusement, that her father,
bewildered by her rapid transition
from tears to galety, remarked rather
GROSSLY
"My love, you seem to find the
young mans marriage very COmiral;
now, ] cannot assert that | was very
intimately acquainted with him-he
always appeared to berather difhdent
about conversing with me-but from
even my slight acquaintance | should
judge he vas just the kind OF young
man to take a foolish interest in such
things"
ooh, papa, papa" exclaimed Argyle,
leaning back in her chair, and laughing
again, you may be very learned and
wise about English politics and Ger
man hterature-but you don't know
the least bit about what is going on
under your very eyes, Yes, papa, |
think he was rather foolish about
such things, and his marriage wouldn't
have surprised me 1t all-except that
| was expecting to hear some thing
else-quite dItTercnt.'
at is precisely what | would have
expected, - remarked herfather severe
ly, for he did not enjoy being laughed
at; and Argyle, catching a glimpse of
the cooks resigned air, as she waited
at the half-open door for orders about
dinner, caught up her tiny key basket
with a not unmusiCal little Jingle ofits
keys, and left the table, dropping a
light kiss on her fathers forehead as
she passed by him.
But though Argyle's mind was re.
lieved in regard to Capt. Dupont,
another much more serious trouble
arose in its place. Her father owed a
great deal of money ,andhad m~ortgaged
the homestead heavily. The interest
on this mortgage had not been paid
for several years, and Mr.. Meriweather
sank into a deep depression whenever
a letter from his creditor-now be-
ginning to threaten foreclosure OF the
trettul for several days, and gave a
bitter flavor to his remarks about
some OF his more prosperous relatives,
but it did not occur to him that he
could do anything TO prevent their be-
ing left homeless and rcnniless. Nor
did it occur to Argyle either, though
she thought ofmany p.dnsforherSelf-
OF taking in sewing, of trying to get Il
lew scholars among her neighhors'
children-only feeling that it would be
quite impossible to do or undertake
anything which would necessitate her
going away from her father, and leav-
ing him without any one to attend to
the little things on which his daily
comfort so largely depended. Summer
with it's long Joyous days seemed to
have been left a great distance behind,
rs the weeks went on bringing short
dark days of colder weather, and she
tried to eConOnlize in their fuel and
food and clothing, and TO devise some
thing she could sell instead OF having
the row OF purchases grow longer and
longer every week.
OF course, she made little headway.
Her experience was very small, and
Aunt Dilsey, the cook, like most ne
economy, and could not understand
there was any real need for it with
"her ole masters folks" 'Jes' one
dat chile's whims!' she grumbled to
herself-for though she was perfectly
devoted to Argyle, she could never
realize that she had grown beyond
childhood.
So Argyle's efforts were generally
batled by, Now, honey, yo' know
dere amt nebber been any antl-moist-
ure 'twixt yo' folks an dere neighbors,
an we'se got to receive dem all with
coming hostility. Needn't talk to
ne, ellie, DouI IiulBldnl ClTCuIlSIdnC-
es! Io' is young, an yo' mustn't
'sturb yo'self. LEI it all to Dilsey-
she'll vide yo' wild a dinner dat old
marster kin eat-yo' see now!"
But Aunt Dilsey, willing as her heart
was, and broad as were her shoulders,
made a very Intellectual dyke against
the threatening flood.
Its all over" said Mr.. Meriweath-
er feebly, as he camein from the post
office the last evening OF December,
and drawing his chair close to the
small fire, tried TO warm his cold
hands. Argyle, my poor child, we
will have to leave our home next
month"
Papa" cried Argyle-she had ex-
pected the blow a long time, yet it
seemed to her when it actually came,
as if it had been a surprise. After
what seemed to her an endless inter
val, she asked doubtfully, Papa,
where are we going them"
II don't know" he replied with a
mixture of resentment and fretfu! per-
plexity in his tone, which at nee
brought Argyle to his side to caress,
and comfort him with vague words of