Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-10-21

~ a. ltihE ~ iiot. 'ht a ~
solved to die the instant Rumford
crossed the threshold. should he in
deed ventur. to intrude upon her pri-
vacy. But danger seldom approaches
us from the guarded point. 1t comes,
when it comes at all, from some UNI
suspected quarter.
Thus. while our heroine sat still with
the dagger grasped i'm her hand and
her eyes fixed upon the door. she felt
a heavy hand fall upon her shoulder,
and "A rough voice exclaim:
what. Fora. actually sitting mp
and waiting for me, IN ylove? That is
very kind!'
II was the hand and the voice or
Rumford, who had entered by the door
leading into the passage, and stolen
upon her from behind.
With a ringing shrek Astrea sprang
to her feet, in her haste ~overturning
Der chair, that fell, with a loud crash,
10 the floor.
The shrek Of Astrea and the fall OF
the chair reused up Venus, who rolled
herself about until she got her head
under the valance OF the foot of the
bedstead. from which, had anyone
stopped low enough to observe, they
might have seer her black ace and
shining eyes. looking out like u wild
| beast from its lair.
Astrea had sprang several several
yards from Rumford, where h stood
| like a lioness mt bay-her form drawn
UP 10 it's haughtiest height. her eyes
| blazing defiance, her hand grasping the
dagger.
Rumford stood gazing upon her. His
face was bloated, his eyes bloodshot,
| his frame tremulous. He was in that
particular state of intoXication where
a man is still conscious of his acts,
though careless of their consequences
in a word, when he is both rational
and reckless. He stood staring with
stupid admiration upon the beautiful
form of Astrea. This new. fierce as
pect OF her beauty seemed TO add fuel
to the fire of his passion.
.SplendiI creature! you are worth Il
filiion of money! and I'll marry you
| tomorrow. In spite of all the laws in
the land. il that Is the price OF Your
| precious lover he exclaimed, and,
opening his arts, he advanced toward
her.
STOP cried Astrea. in a high ard
ringing tone OF command, that arrest
ed him where he stood.
Come no nearer, on our life aid
SOUL But look at me and listen from
where you stand! You see this dagger.
whore / have placed its point against
my throat, just over the cartcrid art
| cry: my hand Is nerved to drive it to
it's l,ilt! Come, then. but n step nta
er. and / drop dead, slain by my w
hct.'
Rumford stared at her. appalled,, and
| yet a~dmiringly. He felt well assured
that he uttered no vain threat. He
saw in that proudly-erect form, on that
imperious brow, firm lips and flashing
eyes. n resolution impossible to defy.
His first impulse was to throw him
self upon her, disarm her, and have
her at his mercy. But he saw that she
still watched him too closely: that Lis
first step toward such an act must he
instantly fatal to her. He could, there
fore, only seek to disarm her vigilance.
SO. instead of advancing toward her,
he retreated, and began To walk slowly
up and down the room, as he an
swered:
Nonsense, Fora! what is the use of
| your flying out in that ferocious man.
ner? Have / done you any wrong?
Have / offered you any violenceT"
AhnFC Nio ~ StAitthy VI
my private apartment. sir. and l order
you to leave 1t at once commanded
Astrea.
stuff. girl. that is not the way in
which you should speak to your mas
ter. and I I'm your master. though
quite willing to become your slave. l
entered your room because / had n
right to do so; and for the kindly pur-
pose of having some friendly CONVEX
sation with you"
AT 3 o'clock in the morning, SIR
exclaimed Astrea. with angry scorp.
why not? i was up and dressed.
and so were you. / saw that through
the keyhole of that communicating
door. Deuce take it, how you watched
that door. Fora! Ono would have
thought you expected me-
And you looked In upon my priva-
CIV through a keyhole? Oh, base,
though not baser than all your other
conduct. And so that was the reason
You entered by the passage door anG
| stole upon me from behind
"Exactly. my girl, and to give you a
little pleasant SURPRISE
"Then leave my room this instant.
sir. Every moment that you remain
here is an additional insult. Why DO
you not obey me-"
Because II Is not the masters place
TO obey the slave. my girl
II am no slave. l have told you who
and what ! am, and / need not repeat
the story here. You disbelieve. or you
affect to disbelievc. my statement.
But that shall not make me forget or
abandon my position for one moment.
Once more | command you to leave
mel"
"Bosh. Fora! Your story, as YOU call
II. Is all moonstruck madness, AS to
leaving you. l shall do it when /
please. shall not harm you by walk
ing about here while | talk to you II
few moments. although o have put
yourself into such a belligerent atti-
tude toward me. And why, indeed,
should you have done so? Hang it,
girl, DO you think l am Il beast, or n
devil-or a mixture Of the two-to offer
any rudeness to a woman, even though
she were my own? No. Fora, do not
be afraid of me, girl. / came in mere
tonight to tell you that your words
this morning made some impression
upon my mind. They were brave, true,
good words. l feel that I am an old
man, drawing near the end Of my car