Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-12-07
CHAPTER I.

a kind, smiling, goodlooking fellow, a
year or two over thirty, and he was
taken off by a fever after n short ILL
ness, leaving a young widow or three
and-twenty and an infant child. lie
was a surgeon, and was getting 10 De
quite a formidable rival to old Or.
Dummy, when death removed him out
of the way of that old-fashioned prac-
%titioner.
Jack thought he was going TO live Tor
the next forty years, at least, and SO
did most people who knew him. SO,
instead of saving out of his professional
earnings, he lived up to his income
as the phrase goes. In fact, he died "a
trife in debt; and his debts had To be
paid by his father, Mr.. John Lilly, coal
merchant and barge wner and twice
mayor of his native city. The son was
always called Jack" Lilly, partly to
distinguish him from his father, and
partly because he was n Of those g1en
whom all the world would be sure to
address by u familiar abbreyiation Of
his NAME, whatever it might be.
So it came to pass that his wife was
known as Mrs. Jack by all the friends
aud acquaintance of the family: and
when her husband died there was a
good deal of sympathy expressed for
Mrs. Jack and her fatherless little girl.
Not that she was as popular as her hus-
band had been. By no manner of
means She was not a native Cooling
tonian. She was young. She vas pref
ty. She was-at least they said so in
Codlington-fighty. I do not mean to
say that youth and good looks were an
phSnlufn ho rpinr nu1in-t Sxronnthv ON
the part of the inhabitants Of the little
town: but the "tiightiness' was I'M
doubtedly considered the more objec-
tionable in Mrs. Jack because of its
combination with sparkling prettineSs
and twenty-three years.
And then, with her late husbands
parents, Mrs. Jack did not get on well
at all. 1t was a preat pity, people
said, that she could not conform her
self a little to persons so much older
and wiser than herself. and who stood
in the place of parents to her-a great
pity! But, there, she was just ii OF
those Eighty creatures who couldn't be
guided. Poor young woman! The
dared to say there was no harm in
her-not n bit of harm. But she had
such a wild, giddy way with her. And
WIN SuIu IL LIOuCl beLOEc Uer us MES.
Lilly, senior!! 1t did seem strange.
Poor jack Lilly lad been dead a year
and a half when his widow walked ND
the shady side of the High street n
fine summer day to the residence of her
father-inlaw. Although the day was
hot, and she was loaded with ha.lyy
black stuffs, and half-stiffed under a
great Grape veil, she was walking fast.
Mrs. Jack had a way of walking fast,
with a light, eager, impatient step,
which seemed very girlish and impuls-
i've in contrast with her widows weeds.
How she do scud along. Mrs. Jack
L,lly!' was the comment of the gro
ors foreman, as he looked admiringiy
after her tall, graceful figure.
"Scud, indeedr' said Mrs. Hogg, the
grocer's wife, with a shake of the head.
"Ah, there's more than enough of scud-
ding, l think. = Up and down. UP and
down the High street, every day. and
all day. Wen, Mrs. Lilly has a handful.
of her, that's certain"
Mrs. Jacls went on her way uncon-
scious of the comments of her n~eichbors.
She was not given to- consider much
what people were thinking about her,
nor whether they were thinking about
her at allan indifference to public
opinion which injuricusly affected her
popularity in Codlington.
Percival House was the name Of Mr..
Lilly's residence. 1t was a large. solid.
red brick building, some hundred and
fifty years old. 1t had once stood
alone, surrounded by large pleasure
grounds. But the city had crept up and
hemmed it round, and il was now only
numbered o3 High street. But Mr.. Lii
ly chose to retain the old name, and had
1t engraved over the front door on Il
stone panel. The lower part of the
house was occupied by the offices OF
John Lilly s. Son. coal merchants, as
set forth in i%ourishing letters on the
ground glass windows OF the front par.
lors. The living rooms Nere upstairs.
Mrs. Jack turned the polished brass
handle of the front door, and vent in
without knocking or ringing. She
passed through 4 Icing tagged passage.
secured and sanded. and with a mar.
row path Of green dIugget running
along the middle of 1t. E!alf way across
the passage. which divided the base.
ment story into two equal parts, was
a double door OF green baize. and on
this was a brass plate, bearing the
name Of Mr.. Lilly. Behind the baize
door you came ulon a fine oak stair.
case, blackened with age and polished
with friction. And up this staircase
Mrs. Jack ran as lightly and as swiftly
as a child.
'Come in" said = woman's voice In
answer to her tap Mt a door on the first
floor; and she walked into a room full
Of the smell of dinner, and where five
persons were at table finishing thel,
meal.
OH, I'm sorry to disturb you" said
Mrs. Jack, pausing in the doorway. Il
thought dinner would have been Over
by this time"
And as she said IL she raised he,
Grape veil, and showed a very pretty
blooming face, lighted by n pair o
dark, bright yes and framed in tw,
braids OF wavy auburn hair, whose nat
ural tendency TO curl was not to bt
overcome by the most persevering at
temptS to make 1t smooth and sober.
Come in, Bell, come in!' said Mr.
lilly, graciously. You don't disturb
us at ALL"
Mr.. Lilly was 4 tall, gray-haired man
with a long horse face and a mouth full
of enormous whitp teeth also NJ N,