Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-03-04

pI,n.a Tell her to call tomorrow at y
o'clock. sharp, at the mill 80,
...as 70 T didn't tell he that. saia
poiIu .itwenty times? But n wouio
b,doa-not her. "P'rapS to-mor-
r r sbe saws, .therell be no mil 70
coJI, Drunk or craZy-thats my
thought o. she uo,,vp
..Then she wants the doctor, roiiy,
said Rasil, with a pleasant smsie-he
oania smile splendidly, for all he was
80 grave ..Til see her. | know ali tne
Girls I'm Lockmead, you know. l u"ie
Sow she's a friend OF mine.
polly Iowered her chin II smiieu
hock ot Basil. Then she led the way
INTO the passage, where ne iounu a
Young woman standing Just Wiinin the
closed door. There, DIR. Hiilyaru'
said Polly, that's her.
science bowed to beauty. You wSh
,o see Mr.. Morwen?' asked he.
.~.Yes-yes-are you Mr.. MOrwenF
..Rut no. lam not Mr.. MOrwen. He
is-h'm-engaged; but dare say SINH
do as well" -
..Oh. sir you must DO as well; Tor IA.
| deed there Is not a me 10 U.s.
what is 1t? But you nave Deen
running pray sit down" -
MOL will stand. VIII you kihuig
ask the maid there to--goF
Polly" said Basil this young wo-
man wants to speak with me aione.
People often do, you know. TEL Nj:
Morwen that I'm acting for him, ana
sha'n't be long"
.,Oh, where I'm not wanted dont
want TO be-" said Polly, becoming all
chin and backbone. But the way 10
deafen my ears amt by stopping 'eHl.
and tine feathers make fine birds, anu
| the best Of mems the easiest fooled
And off she swept to tell her master
what she pleased.
Now, my girl" said Basil. you
may speak freely. You are not u
| Iockmead girl? I should know you
else, and you would know me"
'.Yes-no; never mind now. They
are coming TO burn Hillyard's mill!
THANK God you did not see Nor
wen!' he exclaimed. "Quick-dont
try to tell your ~story-answer my ques-
| tons in single words Who are COM
ing?"
Il don't know. They
II know. Lockmead mem
"Yes-all, perhaps, but one"
lust so. And he'll be Yorkshire.
How do you know thisy'
II was coming along Nottingham
, road. | heard them talking making
speeches
Poor, miserable, misguided fools
| they can't even act without words, like
| sensible men! How manyy'
l should think-pcrhaps more"
You're a clever girl-you haven't
once said. Il don't know ArmedE'
"Hatchets and guns; and their faces
in Grape
How long aGo?'
"As long as it would take a woman
TO 60 four miles at UTMOST speed.
Am i too late?"
Il trust in heaven, no. You are a
mill-but above all we must save these
mill-but above all we III save
miserable. misguided men, Arson-
machine breaking Morwen will hang
them all; and it's but just he should.
for better injustice than broken law
! but OH, my people, mystarving poor
Let me think; God will give me time"
The girl, whose voice, soft and clear.
still fingered in his ears, spoke not u
word while Basil Hillyard discarded
plan after plan.
Every able-bodied cropper ia the
/ place will be out tonight. Itere'll be-
none of those who are left we could
depend on-they'd funk or turn traitor
at the first rattle OF the gates. There's
none to defend mill and house but
Morwen and the foreman and me: the
farmers would come, but there's no
sixty or a hundred, against three men
L and "A fnxy maids NNa unxaA+ altat. Tho
! odds, that's clear; yes-for sixty TO
three, read sixty to one. It's Il despe-
rate chance, but murder for us-hang-
Ing for the men. If | do this and fail.
We shall be no worse: the same muir
dered, the same hung. But if | do
this, there's the ore chance; Ii | don't
there's no chance at all. Oh, Almigh-
! ty God, who hast put this thought into
my heart, give me also the words to
speak. that | may save the poor from
SIN Amen Can you keep a secret, my
| girl:" asked he.
Surely" she said.
Then say not one word more. Ioor
| I'm going to trust you; because 1
knew You have brains, and because L
believe you ~braye-and that. not ask
ing whence you came, or why you are
mere. 1 afn going ID meet these men,
n you must come too. LII tell Mr..
Morwen-I know him-he will bar
gates and bolt windows, me make a
brave fight OF it until he Is a dead
dead man; and they will have three
murders on their souls, and we. per
hatps twenty on ours; for l swear ii Ia
murder TO shoot down poor devils
whom We have starved into despair.
lou VIII come with me-; but YOU
need have no shadow of fear. | shall
place you out Of sight and danger. [
shall not need you, IL all goes well.
But IL you hear me cry Back will
cry 1t widespread your wings and
ny; force your way into the house; tell
Morwen or tell Polly what you have
tod me III he chooses to fight then.
bell be no worse off than now. You
VIII come, and you understandY"
Il VIII come; and | understand"
IL was as IL she had echoed Mia
thoughts as Well as his words, so firm
was her voice and SO solemn her tone
They a already left the house which
ad1oined and shared the peril OF the
threatened mill. and were presently in
| the darkness of tho Nott;prha- -