The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-08-15
THE ORDEAL.

81 really must be in a bad dream"
said Mr.. Delmaine, staring at his
pretty daughter Leslie as If she were
some startling freak of the ~entOmolog-
ical kingdom. "Base child, do | under
stand you Alright? Have you actually
promised to wed this penniless artist
you, the sole heiress of half a million?"
81 actually have" confessed Leslie,
with eyes adroop.
Then gow he said, striking an atti-
tude which would have disgraced Sal
vini himself. go, marble-hearted and
unfeeling daughter-go with the man
of your choice! What is it to you that
| have an organic affection which rem
ders excitement fatal; that may"
"Oh, papa!" cried Leslie, making q
rush in that direction.
But lOftily he waved her back.
Depart" he resumed. abide by
your choice. You are no longer a child
of mine. Away with the centless one
who has Won you from my arms. Do
not speak to me. Do not address me.
Leave me to perish alone with this
fatal organic"
Earl Palmer, the ~"centless one" re-
ferred to, seized Leslie's hand at this
juncture and drew her toward the
door.
"Oh, hasten. Oh, let us not linger.
Oh, f1y-let us fy-for we must" he
quoted in seeming terror.
Before the old gentleman could fin
ish his interrupted sentence they We're
both outside, and Leslie was clinging
to her lovers arms in tears, half in
laughing.
Come, darling, he has given his con-
sent, and we may as well be married
at once said Earl. His eccentrici-
ties will strike in and kill him some
day instead of that organic affection
on which he harps. Was he ever ill?'
Never" answered Leslie solemnly.
His health is perfect. l hoped he
would receive the e w of our engage
ment differently, Earl. He likes you,
but he likes to show his authority. He
does not dream l would ever take him
at his word. l have a notion to elope
with you since he has ordered me to
depart, just to teach him a lesson"
Needless to say the plan met with
Earls unqualified approval, and in
less than an hours time the elopement
was oil dCCOIlDllSLtu ldCls ~ DEI6l
note to Mr.. Delmaine, apprising him
of the affair, vas dropped into a post
DuA, ana then Mr.. and MIS-. Palmer
took possession of a wee coZy cottage
in the suburbs of Omaha far from the
madding crowd.
had a studio down town. AL
though he had as yet attained no
startling degree of success in his chO-
sen profession, he was an artist of
rare talent and had his patrons. 1t
was somewhat lonely for Leslie, left
to her W devices all day, but she
busted herself with household affairs
and was very happy. No word came
from her father in his great lonely
house up town. He had apparently
forgotten her very existence.
One evening. a month after their mar
riage, Earl came home to find his lit
tie wife in a state of high excitement.
oh, Earl" she said eagerly, such a
queer old organ grinder stopped in
front of the house to-day and played
that little Italian air you always liked
so well. l threw him a quarter. and
what do you think? He let it lie in
the road and asked me in the queerest
choked voice for a glass of water.
went to the kitchen to get it, and when
came back he was standing in the
parlor looking at papa's picture over
there. | tell you | was frightened"
What did you do|' asked her hus-
band, looking startled.
Il told HIM to go at once. and he
stepped outside and played Byron's
FAREWELL then waved his dirty hand
and went away. Why. Earl, what is
it, she broke off as the young man
picked up a scrap of green paper from
the floor and eyed it incredulously.
"A $50 bill" he gasped, holding it
up to view. "Your organ grinder is n
rascally counterfeiter, Leslie, dear.
II is trying to get lis into trouble.
I'll give this to an expert tomorrow"
He did so, and to L is aStOnishment
found the note genuine. On his re-
turn that night Leslie met him with
an account of . second visit from the
organ grinder and showed him a sec
ond note she had found on the door
step. held in place by a small stone.
1t was for 500 his time, and Earl
nearly tainted with surprise.
a old Italian throwing money
round after that fashion, he eiacu-
lated, sinking into Il chair and draw
ing Leslie down on his knee. "He
must be a prince in disguise. See how
true goodness is rewarded, daring.
We Obeyed the dictates of our hearts
and got married, and now that our
father has forsaken us, 10. an organ
grinder takes us up. But organ grind
ers who go round dropping 500 notes
are dangerous customers. | shall stay
at home with you tomorrow and in
tcrview the mysterious old fellow if
he IN again"
He was as good as his word. but the
day wore on without Il sign of the
musical itinerant. They had given up
seeing him at last, and stood together
at the parlOr window watching the
fires of sunset in the west. An odd,
-choked cough startled them and both
turned to find the identical organ
grinder, who had, unperceived, en-
tered the open door of the parlor and
stood grinning at them
out with you was all that Earl
could say in a voice OF fierce iDdigna-
ton.
The venerable offender answered by
dropping his organ, Selling the aston
ished Leslie in his arms and kissing
her in a most insane amer.