Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-04-07
. THE SECRET
|oF A LONELY HOUSE.


feet at the fire, until, suddenly, some-
n touched her on the shoulder, Il
said, in a harsh, deep voice:
You are ray ward, l believe? l am
Fergus Thunder, your guardian"
Pansy turned towards him in evident
alarm at his abrupt Standardization.
ION, l knew you" he said, gruffiy, in
answer to her question, ''by the Dor-
trait your governess sent to me; hut
you are too much like your father for
me 10 have made any mistake. You've
brought your luggage, l hope? Only
this bag? That's well, for you'll have
TO carry Ii yourself. Come along-we've
no time TO lose-.he express starts at
half-past five. l have already taken
your ticket"
He hurried out Of the waiting room
without giving her time TO ask any
questions. She followed him as quick
ly as she could, but the long, angular
figure of her guardian still kept the
lead, and, breathless and exhausted,
sine at length found herself in a third.
class carriage opposite her uncongenial
companion.
He scarcely troubled to exchange a
word with his young ward, and, be-
yond closely scrutinizing her from I'M
der his penthouse brows, he took but
little notice of her until the train had
already covered some fifteen miles of
the journey.
She, however, by dint of occasional
stealthy giances, had gathered n very
exhaustive impression of the nature
and appearance Of her new-found rela-
tive.
He was a tall, spare man of about
fifty-five, of an awkward, stumbling
figure, upon which his ill-made and ILL
fitting clothes hung loosely; his eyes,
~evil-looking and deeD-set, were of yell
low brown, over which the beetling
red brows scowled with a dull uni
formity OF habitual ill-humor.
How much worse" thought the girl,
than | eyer pictured him. If his daugh-
tiers are equally i~ll-favored. how intol-
cradle my life with them will be-"
AS he sat porting over the daily pa
per, she noticed that he had a V
affection OF the muscles of the face.
which rendered him additionally re-
pulsive. He had. moreover, a disquiet-
ing habit of looking stealthily about
him when he imagined himself upob-
served.
On one of these occasions he sur
prised Pansy in the act of contemplate
ing him with evident disfavcr.
well, young lady, you seem at a loss
for some occupation, to judge from the
interest you seem TO take in my per-
sOnal appearance. What conclusion
have you arrived at respecting 1t, ehT'
Pansy was taken aback at the sud
denness of this question.
IL don't know; / have not thought
about It," This was far from the
truth, since she had already decided
that he was irremidabiy Objectionable.
IF you please" she yentured, rather
relieved to break the long silence,
what do you wish me to call you?
You are my second cousin, I believe?
You see. at present, l know so little of
my WI family, having lived all my
life nearly with Miss Fenwick.n
"Well, you've seen the last Of that
good lady for a long time to come. A
precious expense, your education has
been there for the past ten years. A
hundred and twenty pounds a year!
Preposterous sum for the education of
a slip Of a girl like you; and I'll be
bound you're ds ignorant as a dray
horse nOwl What shall you call me,
eh?-COusin Fergus, to be sure. And,
look here. my girl, as 1t will be four
years before you come of age, and as l
shall have to keep you at my own ex-
pense during the whole of that time,
you will have to hustle round and
make yourself useful. l don't suppose
you'll be worth your salt for a long
time; but vow can be made useful,
soI chow"
Fergus Thunder omitted to mention
the fact that the trustees under Mr..
Vereker's will allowed him, as the
girls guardian, five hunded a year for
her maintenance, board and education,
and that, by removing her from Miss
Fenwick's care he had saved a hun
dred and fifty pounds a year.
Pansy looked up at him with sur
prise and evident Indignation.
II cannot believe that my father has
left me a large fortune on attaining my
majority, and yet made no provision
for me- previous to that. You must be
mistaken she said.
Don't argue with me-" he retorted,
sharply, somewhat taken abb ok at the
girls shrewdness. "You are an ig-
uorant child. One thing you cannot
learn too soon. and that Is hat l shall
allow you to have no will Of your own
as long as you are under my care. Alb
solute obedience, or l will know the
eason why"
Pansy was silenced, but not con-
vinced. 1t would be war TO the knife"
she saw that. and swallowed her indig-
nation as well as she could.
Il shall take the first opportunity Of
running away" she decided, as the
train flew on, mile after mile. and the
grim, unbending features of her guard
ian confronted her. II never can en-
dure that brute for four long years."