Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-08-27
CHAPTER v.


A few days after the events de-
scribed in the preceding chapter May
left David D%eacon's house to return to
Annadale. How different everything
was to her now, as, seated by her
unclo'S side, she drove over the same
road which, only a few weeks before,
she had passed along with him.
Life now to her seemed to possess a
brighter and more glorious charm.
She longed to tell him of her engage
ment to Ernest Hartrey-of her love,
of her admiration for him; but her
promise kept her silent.
Matthew Rivers met them at Alver-
ton, and May greeted her father
warmly and ~affectionately; but no
sooner had she had time and D
tunity to look into his well-loved face,
than she saw that, during her absence,
it had grown thinner and paler-that
the lines We're more deeply marked.
and that a look of anxiety was ever on
his countenance.
What could have caused the change?
She knew nothing Of the many weary
night he had spent since her absence.
bending ove his great clasped account
boo She knew nothing of those long
columns of figures which John Gridley
and her father had pored over hour
after hour. She only saw the effect,
and knew nothing of the cause.
Her welcome home was q merry one.
Mrs. Rivers was glad to see her dear
ly-loyed daughter again. Matthew
Rivers strove to cast his cares to the
winds, and make his daugter happy:
but John Grldlcy lowered about the
room like a black shadow, smiling with
a feigned smile, and talking with an
unnatural cheerfulness.
1t was strange that May should turn
with an instructive dislike from her
fathers confidential clerk. He had
given her any reason to mistrust
him; he had ever uttered an offensive
word to her, but yet she shrank from
him almost as if he had been q noxious
reptile.
May soon fell into her old WAYS
again. AT first she had much to tell of
her yisit-Of all she had seen and all
she had done. Again and again il was
upon the tip of her tongue to tell her
mother of the great happiness which
had fallen TO her lot; but she had prom.
ised to keep it secret, and she kept her
promise.
1t was one evening, about a week
after she had returned from Ports.
mouth, that she and her father were
alone in h little parlor Of the Anna
dale Cottage.
She was sitting idle; but Matthew
Rivers was buried in his thick account
book.
MAY" ne said. after they had sat
Tor a While in silence-'May, l want to
speak to you.'
What is it?' she asked-for there
was that in her fathers manner which
ted her 1T was no ordinary matter on
which he would converse.
May, dear, have you ever thought
of marriage?"
What could she say? With Tho
thought of Ernest Hartrey and his
promises ever foremost in her mind
how could she answer the question in
the negative? But Matthew Divers
dld not wait for a reply.
There is someone Nav. who baa
begged me to speak to you for him
someone who loves you very dearly
ana would make you his Wife,
Her heart bounded within bar for
she knew or no n but Ernest Hart
rey who had such a wish.
IF you could learn to love him ,
continued Matthew Riyers-sto love
MIN enough to marry him-he would
make you a good husband. 7 naad
hardly say that l approve of him. for