The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-09-05
CHAPTER. III-CContinued.)

he AUttcred. 'Ah! my poor Elisa, you
did very wrong in raising this girl so
much above her station in life for
which providence had intended her"
Godfrey knew nothing Of Rosa
mOnd's flight until he missed her at
the breakfast table neXt morning.
To his question, Mr.. Meldicott an
swered that she had gone away oil a
visit to some friends.
Gone without mentioning it TO me!'
cried the young man with a startled
look. Where has she gomez"
"She expressed n wish that l should
not tell you." answered his uncle,
chipping an egg.
Godfrey pushed away his plate and
fell back in his chair, staring at him
In n stupefied manner.
- MY dear Godfrey, / may as well
be frank with you" said Mr.. Medli-
colt, pausing in his meal to give more
weight TO his words. II have per-
ceived. and others have perceived,
that both yourself and RosamOnd
seem to have forgotten your-your-
mutual Observation-Disclosures II
another"
II confess that l am in love with the
young lady who is known to the world
as your adopted daughter, and that l
desire TO make her my wife," an
swered Godfrey, boldly.
You talk absurdly, and the sooner
you put such folly out OF your head
the better, young man. was the stern
reply. what would your father say
to this, were he livingT"
Il simply answer that the lady
whom you are not ashamed to own as
a daughter is good enough to be my
WIFE" answered Godfrey. stOutly.
while, as a minor. | am under your
guardianship, l shall not diSobey
you, sir; when / am my own master l
shall be responsible only TO myself"
Mr.. Medlicott was again taken by
surprise; he had expected resistance.
but not of this kind; he had looked for
bluster-with that he was prepared to
deal-but this quiet determination was
quite another thing. and not to be
combatted by any means at his COM
mand.
He knew not what 10 say. and could
only regard his disobedient nephew
with the Sternest look he could put
upon his face. which. however, did not
produce the least effect upon the de-
iinquent.
You know. sir" replied the latter,
that | have an invitation to spend a
few weeks with my college chum.
Frank Headly, and with your permits
sion, l will start for this place to-mor-
row evening"
you mean, Il suppose. that you will
go in search Of that girl cried his
uncle, confessing his defeat by falling
into a passion.
mo, sir; | shall not make an attempt
to see Miss Medlicott.'
" For the future. we shall have done
with that nonsense" interrupted the
lawyer, sharply, land we will speak
OF her as Rosamond."
II prefer that name" was the quiet
answer. Have / your permission to
leave tomorrow
Mr.. Medlicott was about to pro-
nounce a very decided negative. but
thought better of it. swallowed his
temper, and gave a grumbling assent.
So ended the scene between uncle
and nephew, and the mex morning the
latter went away oil his visit.
Mr.. Meldicott regarded himself as a
cruelty ill-used man; he was full of re-
sentiment against Godfrey. not so
much for having opposed his will, as
for the I'M of the opposition.
But toward poor Rosamond he had
conceived a positive dislike.
A pauper, who had fattened upon
his bounty, who might have been a
mental drudge all her life but for him.
who had been reared in idleness. edu-
Gated as a lady at his expense. that
she should dare to assume an air of
dignity when he addressed her. and
refuse the money he was so generous
as to offer her, it vas the most abom-
Unable ingratitude
And he poured forth the tale of his
injuries into the sympathetic ear of
Luke A~bershaw, in not quite such Of
fensive terms as we have set il down
here, but he was toe proud TO own.
especially TO n dependent, that the
young girl who was known as his
adopted daughter was taken out OF the
workhouSe.
Very few people knew that story,
and the general impression was that
Rosamond was a distant relative OF
the late Mrs. Medlicott's.
And by this condolement and sym
pathy the secretary advanced still
higher In his employers estimation,
until he became his confidant. his fac
totum, without consultation with
whom he could do nothing.
Deprived of the society of Rosa
mond and Godfrey, he spent nearly all
the time not occupied by his profess
ional duties In the library.
The i~nfatuation for his new protege
soon became the subject of general
comment, and nobody could discover
what there was so wonderful about
the young man to inspire II.
"Ah!' old Dawson would say, shak-
Ing his heaS, that fellows a snake in
the grass, I'm sure Of 1t, and If master
don't rue being so wrapped up In him,
my name amt what 1t is"