Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1896-08-27
May inclined her head and stood
still. waiting for him to explain his

May inclined her head and stood
still, waiting for him to explain his
! meaning.
Excuse me, you were walking in
this direction-do not let me hinder
you l will walk .by your side"
May offered no opposition, and to-
gether they paced the long lane
You cannot have failed to preceive,"
continued John Gridley. 1.-The great al
teration made in the past few weeks in
| your fathers health and spirits?"
oh. tell mev' cried May. eagerly.
"tell me the cause! Is it anxiety for
his business?'
ut isanNiety, ana business has some
connection with it: but the chief and
And here he he paused s+|
wv hat is it? inlplorc you, tell me-"
Your father has one great wish."
said the maltSters clerk. "a wish in
which am deeply interested. Need T
tell you what it is? Surely not, for
you know the one great object he had
in view in a union between us--it is the
hope OF my life as it is of his. Tell me
you Will not reject me-tliat may one
day claim YOU for my wife,"
No; it can never be-"
"Will YOU tel! me the reason? Have
| offended you?"
Never
None.
yet still you say it can never be?,
II repeat it,
Then it must be that you are no
longer flee-that l have been
forestalled. Is it not so?"
May blushed, and then answered in
dignantly. II know not by what right
you question me in this way | have
answered YOU. and that must suffice"
May. listen to me-" said John Grid
ley seizing her hand, and at the same
time changing his voice and manner
from it's usual civil courtly tone to
one almost fierce and threatening:
when you We're little more than a
J child l loved you. l love you now
''r,iy, passionately: and | will allow no
.ie to step between me and my happi-
ass"
i Leave go my hand. sir! You shall
not talk to me in this way"
Nay. hear me out. You, from fan
cied love of Il handsome face, would
put me aside. You would destroy your
own future, and you would kill your
father!marl me. | say-iill your
father. He has set his heart roon our
marriage; and in his present state OF
health, the disappointment would be
more than he could bear. | tell you,
yor dare not reject me-
he speech was ill-allvised, for it
rouscd Mays anger. SO much did she
love her father that she might possi-
bly, have been persuaded into sacri-
ticing herself for him; but the attempt
to treaten her into a marriage that vas
l!atefUl was more than she could bear;
and angrily she turned upon tie man
who walked by her side, and in tiercer
words than had ever before passed her
| pretty lips. told him how she scorned
him and his offer.
| He turned pale as she spoke, but
waited till she had concluded, and then
spoke coldly and bitterly.
You have made yonr selection" said
he; land before many months have
passed You will regret it. When you
see ruin brought upon your father, re-
member it is your doing; when you see
| the lines of sorrow deepening on his
brow, remember it is your doing; when
you see him cola and dead, remember
still it is your doing: that you are an.
swerable for the sorrow and misery,
| which may enter your house. Remem-'
bel. too, tliat if | and Ernest Hartrey
meet--yes, you start but you see L
/ knew your secret-it will be the worse
| for him; and remember, too above ALL
that | still love you; aud that when
you are in trouble, one word from your
| lips may change sorrow into happiness,
grief into joy
Without giving May the opportunity
of replying to his speech, he pushed
| through the hedge which bounded the
/ side OF the lane on which he was walk
I
Terrified at the vehement words of
John Gridley who had always hitherto
| appeared so cold and impassive, May
turned, and rapidly retracing her steps,
regained her fathers cottage. Then,
Fastening to the privacy of her own
room, she threw herself upon the bed,
and sobbed aloud in an agony of spirit.
What shall do-what shall | do?'
| she cried. "Oh, heaven help aud direct
me, for am in a great strait"
Tell, me, father, 1 beg of YOU" she
said the next day, when Matthew Riv-
ers pressed her for her answer, what
are the difficulties that trouble you?'
"The want of money, child. Some
speculatlons have been going wrong;
and unless | can raise q thousand
pounds in Il week from this time, am
ruined-irretrievably ruinedH'
-hLtt ioN Shu lIy ilIdllIuSS Will
John Gridley help you?"
'.IIe makes your hand the condition
on which he will advance the money!"
answered the maltster in Il low tone.
And that is the man you trust and
| honor with your confidencev' ex-
claimed May, Indignantly; "a man
| who will see his benefactor
ruined unless he consent. to be
a party to cruelty and injustice-a
man who would buy his wife like mer-
cliandisc! Oh father, father! is not
such n proposition sufficient to show
/ you his real character?"
| The old maltsters voice trembled as
he spoke in reply:
What am | to do? Ruin and beg
gary stare me in the face; and, as a
drowning man catches at straws, so do
at the faintest shadow which promis-
es me relief from my difficulties"
Listen to me, father; l have a plan
in my head. | will postpone my deci-
sion respecting John Gridley for an
other week; and if, at the end of that
time. | cannot procure the thousand
no dc r,,i, vii