The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-10-16
MONA'S CHOICE.
BY Mrs. A

LOOK 10 lne lanuS atlu Tue Dt.StleS, anu you
would mind the hou;s and watch yonr
puir aud uncle's last days. Thcna' would
he yours-pd know you were beth settled
and comfortable, and that tho place would
be ia the hands o. my ain kin"
Yes; it would be u very pleasant ar
ruagement. / wish l could encourage you
to hope for its completion"
81 dinna ikcunrensonable contradiction,
an ! will not put up with it, said Uncle
Sandy, angrily. What for will you be so
foolish9"
DO you believe that human love is the
growth oc human will, unc!e;"
pm sure l Gamma tell" He paused and
thought for Il moment, q change passing
over his ftce. ''Ies: but | did, though"
he said. II tried hard &c keep frac loving
my old masters daughter, and | conld not.
Eth! l had a sair heart in those days. l
daured ma speak, fer she was urich hciress
and but u puir lad. Yet ! thinll-I al
ways thought she cast n kindly look upon
me. However. there came grand gen
tlemau from England, and they married
her to him. She did not live long after.
May be she'd have had a longer and a hap
pier life if she had been my wife, and lived
in her ain country"
LES, uiClc, Slc Slli sbiliN, IL flttSs
have been n trying time. That useless
struggle ought TO teach You how hard it is
ia govern 'unruly wills and aifoctions,' and
To leave Kenneth and me to follow our own
aevices.N
Answer me one question. Have you n
fancy for any other man, or are you pledged
to anv other?"
Neither, uncle; / can assure YOU unnes-
i~tatinsly."
"Aweel. then, III just possess my soul
with patience; but it's bad takin' You AVA
Just when you and the lad are good con-
pany to zach other; but must, lmust, and
| Gamma 60 without you.'
Here Nine. Debrisay made her appear
ance, aud sentiment was merged in finance.
Uncle Sandy was positively aghast nj the
torrent of information poured forth by the
capable FrancoIrishwomau.
Let me sec" pulling over tho map
"ContreXcvilie? can't make it out here,
bat I was at Domremy oncc-when my
poor husband was aiive-and it's not far
from Contrex. dare say the fare will be
close on forty francs-that's eighty for the
two of you-and the through fare By Calais
you must take the shortest route, Dieppe
or IIavre would BE- the death of you-is
consuming lAhc StN tI.b. -lNp. Say StNSits
that's n hundred and forty, and 4 night in
Paris sixty or seventy; and cabs. and fGcrcs,
and luggage, and doucc,trs, and refresh
ments on the way will run Into fifty or
iifty-five more; that's a hundred and forty,
and eighty; tive hundred and twenty, and
sixty; two hundred and eightg~-tnrce hun
dred and forty in round numbers
CORDS sake, woman!' cried Uncle San
Iv Sf1rt1al ,,,t pF all ,,rr,,pfnty .sjf va, % ira
counting by hundreds, FL better stay here
and dee. while I have siller left to carry
my puir bodic back 10 Strathairlie.''
"Oh. don't take fright, my dear sir; re-
member the hundreds do not represent
pounds. Ill tell you the total in English
money; we will Just make it three hundred
and fifty to save time aud trouble Chat is.
reckoning four pounds TO the hundred
franc, and YOU may get y trilc more ii the
exchnngTfs fdyorabiel, that is just four
ond on to ContreXeviile."
"Ahn' he returned, with n sigh; that Is
possible. though it is desperate costly; and
rs much more TO come back. Twenty-eight
pounds sterling-for how io~ngs--less than
n month";"
Perhaps, my dear Mr.. Craig, you might
iSSI Sihat " plolOhS SotT ItiilDic, uiu ~
on into Germany; Il little change of scene
and-nnd diet might hayca most beneficial
effect"
Perhaps; if she will come vi me- point
ing to Mona.
"Of course she will. She might as well
breaking III now she cannot expect to
get any more pupils this year."
'Oh, indeedI' returned Uncle Sandy, in
IL aggrieved tone.
"Mona, my love, there is a letter for you
downstairs. You had better go and see
il it nneG.s an answer.n Mona obeyed.
81 am sure you'll forgive me, my dear Mr..
Craig, it from my deep interest in all that
concerns Mona, | vcnturc to take n liberty.
But | consider ii my duty to one ! look
upon as Il child of my own, to inform you
that the very small sum 1 hold for her"
continued Mime. Debrisay, not needing an
interruption, would soon be exhausted
We're she to draw on ii for her personal ex-
penses; and l think you ought"
81 I'M much obliged to YOU. madame, for
telling me what fought to do, interrupted
Uncle Sandy, in high wrath. II never did
need any instruction as to my duty in this
life. shall do what | think right by my
niece, and you needn't interfere. If
lIDuSHG Slc iiil't amy iCuoI part III lHlS ~
tempt to cXtort money from me, 1'd-ld
disown licr."
"Extort mpney-indeed.' cried Nine.
Dcbrisay. "Thosc are words you lave no
right to address to me. Extort money! !
am more apt to give money away than to
cXtcrt it. When your niece was deserted
by everyone because she would not sell
herself i'll o mercenary marriage. did |
/ rL,...4 .lA.t = ..-.,l1 ---t 800 - l--. H..
if took Eer in? No, l was proud and hap.
Ply"
"Eh. n mercenary marriage!" broke in
Uncle Sandy, his indignation merged into
sharp curiosity. "Wha-whatd do you mean!
Did she refuse n man:'
Yes: a rich man, and areal gentleman
returned Nine. Debrisay, recovering her.
self, and perceiving she had made a false
move.
Then she's fa'cn in love WI another
ladY"
"4Ah!" cried Nine. Debrisay, as if a new
light had broken in upon her; that must
be it. My dear sir, you have the furthest
sight Of us ali. and"-laughing good-hum.
o~redly-"I an really ashamed of my own
folly, talking to a mar of your stamp about
what you ought or ought not to do; you
really must excuse lie. i nave nOU OltcH
met a man of your intelligence and pene
%tration, so You must forgive my stupidity,
and give me plenary absolution,"
~ bear no malice said Uncle Sandy,
with dignity, land l know it is hard for 6
woman to keep her tongue quiet. Least
said, soonest mcnded. Let say nae mail
ABBOTT it. 1t had best not come to Mona's
ears
'.Trust me, ] shall not breathe Z syllable
to her; and l will go and prepare you cocoa
Let me shake hands with you, mydear sir
Having done so, Nine. Debrisay left the
room, murmuring to herself as she de.
scended the stairs-"Stingy, cr~oss-grained,
cantankerous old miser! He thinks he car
set the Thames on fire.
While Uncle Sandy, reclining a con
queror in his casy-chair, musing on the al
tercation, "a hasty, stormy woman," wa
his mental verdict. "butnodevoid o sense
CHAPTER X1v.-CoNT1tEXEy1LLE.
Finally all things were arranged, or ar
ranged themselves; and one fine morning
in June, Uncle Sandy Ito when it was nj
difficulty to get up "in the middle of thu
night rs Nine. Dehrisay said) and Mona
were ready at IN early ~hour-packed and
braak octaI tn OF , ut b- thu ,,,rrninu frnir