Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-08-30

linen am your elder, and am higher
In the church,
1t will be for the maiden to decide"
reJoined young Drebber. Sinking at
MS own reflection in the glass. I'VE
will leave it all to her decision
During this dialogue, John Terrier
had stood tuning in the doorway, hard
ly able to keep his riding whip from
the backs of his two visitors.
Look here" he said, at last, striding
up to them, when my daughter sum-
mons you, you can come; but until then.
L don't want to see your faces again"
The two young MormOns stared at
him in amazelnent. In their eyes, this
competition between them for the maid
ems hand was the highest of honors,
both to her and her father.
There are two ways out Of the
roOm," cried Terrier. There is the
door, and there is the window. Which
do you care to user
His brown face looked so savage,
and his gaunt hands so threatening,
that his visitors sprang to their feet
and beat a hurried retreat. The old
farmer followed them to the door.
Let me know when o nave set
tied which it is to be-" he said, saIdon-
ically.
You shall smart for thisr' Stanger-
son cried, white with rage. You have
defied the prophet and the council Of
four. You shall rue ii to the end of
your days"
THE hand of the Lord shall be heavy
upon you!" cried young Drebber. He
will arise and smite your
.YChn, III ctaYf Tho cunff;nntr nv
claimed FerTier, furioIsly, and would
have rushed up stairs for his gun, had
not Lucy seized him by the arm and
restrained him. Before he could escape
from her, the clatter of horses hoofS
told him that they were beyond his
reach.
The young canting rascals!' he ex-
claimed, wiping the p~erspiration from
his forehead. Il would sooner see you
in your grave, my girl, than the wife
of either of them"
And so should l, father" she an
swered, with spirit. But Jefferson will
soon be here
Yes, it will not be long before he
comes; the sooner the better, for we
do not know what their next move
may be-"
1t was, indeed, high time that some
one capable Of giving advice and help
should come to the aid Of the sturdy
old farmer and his adopted daughter.
In the whole history of the settlement
there had never been sue a case OF
rank disobediencn to the authority of
the elders. If minor errors were pun
ished so sternly, what would be the
fate of this arch rebel? Ferrier knew
that his wealth and position would be
Of no avail to him. others as well
known and as rich as himself had been
spirited away before now, and their
goods given over to the church. He
was a brave man, but he trembled at
the vague, shadowy terrors which hung
over him. Any known danger he could
face: with a firm lip, but this suspense
was unnerying. He concealed his fears
from his daughter, however. and at
fected to make light Of the whole mat
ter, though she, with the keen eye of
love, saw plainly that he was i'll at
ease.
He expected that he would receive
some message or remonstrance from
Young as to his conduct, and he was
not mistaken, though 1t came In an
unlooked-for manne Upon rising next
morning he found, to his surprise, a
small square Of paper pinned on to
the coverlet of his bed, just over his
chest. On it was printed, in bold,
struggling letters:
Twenty nine days are given you for
amendment. and then
The dash was far more fear-inspiring
than any threat could have been. How
this warming came into his room puz-
zled John Ferrier sorely, for his serv-
ants slept in an clubhouse, and the
doors and windows had al been Ser
cured. He crumplcd the paper up, and
said nothing TO his daughter, but the
incident struck a chill 10 his heart. The
twenty-nine DAYS were evidently the
balance OF the month which Young had
promised. What strength or courage
could avail against an enemy armed
with such mysterious powers! The
hand which fastened that pin might
have struck him to the heart, and he
could never have known who had slain
him.
Still more shaken was he next morn
ing. They had sat down to their break
fast. when Lucy, with a cry OF sur
prise. pointed upward. In the center
Of the ceiling was scrawled, with a
burned stick, apparently, the number
%. To his daughter it was unintelligi-
BILE. and he did not enlighten her. That
night he sat up with his gun and kept
watch and ward. He saw and heard
nothing, and yet in the morning a
great 81 had been painted upon the out
side of the door.
Thus day followed day, and so sure
as n oIning came he found that his I'M
seen enemies had kept their register,
and had marked up in some conspicu-
Gus position how many days were still
left to him out of the month Of grace.
Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared
upon the walls, sometimes upon the
floors. occasionally they were ugon
sr,all placards stuck upon the garden
gate OF the ratings. With all his Wig
lance John Ferrier could not discover
whence these daily warnings proceed
ed. A horror, which was almost super
stitious. came upon him at the sight of
them. He became haggard and restless
and his eyes had the troubled look OF
some haunted creature. He had but
one hope in life now, and that was for
the arrival Of the young hunter from
Nevada.
Twenty had changed to fifteen and
fifteen to ten, but there was no news
nF tho absnntep One by one the num-