The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-02-06
N\\NU.

With the morning anne a letter from
Mrs. Knox. full of yelled rcproaches at
the disappointment she had experienced.
and openly expressing discomfort with the
life she was leading now AT home alone.
Jenny determined To visit her home.
and told Mrs. Dene of her intention. Oar
ing the forenoon she started.
Come again. Jenny" Mrs. Denc said.
wistfully. rs she pressed her lips 10 the
girls fresh face nj parting.
Indeed. indeed. | will" was the cagrr
reply. and waiting 10 say no NOR" than
II "good-by." lest she should bctray how
lOath she VAS to leave. Jane went quickly
from Der presence and the house.
She met no one on her homcward way;
and even when she entered their own
d~rawing-room she found ii empty. but
just as she had concluded that every one
was out Mrs. KnoX's voice in an adjoln-
ing room undcccivcd her.
Fortunately Mrs. Knox was too much
taken up with her grievances 10 notice
her daughters appearance when they
met. Jenny was leaning back in the
chair she had taken Il moment or two
before, and was gazing with diStend"d
eyes on Il boot that her mother had
thrown angrily TO the floor. The sole WAS
uppcrmost. and she had ample leisure 10
see thar il had just such Il triangular
mark as she alone had noticed on tho
Footprint near Jacob Lynn when he lay
dead that day in the deserted compound.
II might be only Il coincidence. ii is true;
but the mere suspicion was enough In
make her blood run cold and her heart
almost stop It's beating.
The magnitude of her discovery 81
overwhelmed Jane thaj for Il momcnt al
capabiliIy of thought deserted her. Then
slowly. rs one recovering from an illness.
dicpstS first the simplest food. 4 REJECT
stole acroaa her still half para!yzch mind.
that she should have dou" Stephen Prin-
sep such Il cruel injustice. She even felt
Il faint thrill! Of pleasure ut the Thought
of his innoccn"e: but almost Immediately
the remembrance of who it was that she
now knew 10 be guilty rendered all othcr
feelings weak and vague. Brain and be-
ing alike seemed saturated with thc
knowledge that her fathcr-hcr father
Who had held her 50 often in his arms.
>ooihcd her childish SORROWS. and shared
her joys. and whom she had houorcd rs
the best man she had ever known. ar be-
li"ycl could hr he. her father. wa, ::
murderer.
She could have Shrickel aloud to have
relieved heYsel. from 'hp burden Of hrr
restrained onotion, yet 50 silent. and 50
often ungU"Ssco nj. are the tragedies in
real life. that she sat Stiil. making no
sign To hetray the horror that had come
upon her. and HEY mother. all unknoWing
Of What through her agency had been re-
vealod. went On Seeding in the same
ligh-pitchtl key. How soon. thought
Jane. would all these triiling worries
that now hcsct her vanish in thin air
were she To know the truth, Bur she
never must-sho never must. The secret
should be between herself and heaven.
SO strangely. often unwittingly. are all
our ideas Hinged with thoughts OF self
that, after the first shock had subsidized.
she remembered To he glad that she had
refused Major Larron.
Now. Jenny. | am ready said Mrs.
Knox, leading the way from the room.
while silently Jane rose and followed.
We'll, and 50 You refused Ma ior @I.arrou.
] can, tell you how disappointed | MAS
when | got tn" letter. and your father
looked quite as if some one had strlck
him, so dwmfonnied. He had been more
like what he used to be. since | told him
that | thought, was almost sure. in facl,
YOU would marry Major Larr"n. And
this morning he was unbcarahlc. First
one thing and then another was Wrtn-.
until | lost my tomprr too. and answered
back. Then hr grcE furious. and said |
had been 10 blame for alias though |
bad not been as eager a. he could b" To
see You happily scttled-and that your
life would be ruined. with "A lpt more
which seemed 10 hav no sense. ! sup.
pose it is these letters in the papers,
though n%oIody takes amy notice oi thcnlr
| ana sure. Every one knows. and We can
prove, that We were in the house al day,
even If ii were possible or probable lhat
Il little thing like Won could kill Il Strolg
man like .iuroh Lynn"
Il wish we had never known him. lie
has been the cGlts" OF all our trouble"
cried Jane. with an anger she felt uE-
reasonable, yet coui! not Restrain.
i'HN Ia, continued