Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-03-18

little village nesting on the broad
rivers bank and belonging to his do
main. Surely he had been liberal in
all matters pertaining to the peoples
comfort.
Then he noticed that the wagon had
stopped before one of the cottages, and
the men were lifting out a coffin and
carrying it into the yard. AS he passed
the gate he noticed bit of Grape fiut-
tering from the doorknob, and the sight
gave him an odd shudder. He had
never forgotten the morning he reached
New York after his mothers death,
and had seen the same hideous symbol
as he ran up the steps, beaten in his
race by the one great power who is
no respecter Of persons.
'Somebody dead. Now, I wonder
who lives there? must ask Hawkins.
I can't remember" he thought, as he
came to the great gate of the park.
About half way up the long avenue
shaded by noble trees now stripped OF
their autumn foliage, he met the agent
walking out to meet him.
'Glad to see you looking so well, sir"
said the man, after first greetings had
been exchanged. Its been long time
since you were here, sir. Yes, every
thing has gone on smoothly; and I'm
sure you'll find things all right about
the place, sir. We try to keep it so
you could come any time without our
knowing, and it would be ready for
you. When do the rest of them come,
sir?''
"To-morrow," answered the young
master, feeling his heart beat more
quickly as the stately mansion came
into view far down the avenue.
''By the way, Hawkins, I saw coffin
going into one of the houses as came
through the settlement. Who's dead?
couldn't remember who lived in that
house."
"Oh, sir, it's Miss Dean," began the
man, with a shade of embarrassment
in his manner "You know I wrote
YOU that John Dean died over a year
ego-last March, year, sir-when you
was in Europe? Well, of course you
don't know, sir, but most everything
he'd saved-it wasn't much, but it
meant a good deal to them-went up
in the bank failure two years ago. l
think that was the beginning of the
end, sir. Dean never seemed to have
any courage after that; and, being con-
sumptive when he let go, he went all
to pieces. After he died hadn't the
heart to say anything to them-about
leaving the place, sir, mean; for of
course when his pay stopped they
hadn't much-hadn't anything at all,
you may say, sir. And I thought if
you wasn't suited, I'd make it, right
myself. I haven't anyone but myself
to look out for, you know. I don't
know if you know it, sir, but Mrs. Dean
is a cripple. She got hurt in railroad
accident, and has to go in wheeled
chair. So they had pretty hard time
at first, until Mabel"
''Who's Mabel?" the young man
asked.
The daughter, SIR" answered the
agent, looking away through the trees
a. the blue, sparkling water in the dis
lance. ''You used to play with her
sometimes when you were little chap,
sir; but of course you haven't seen her
for a good many years-not to know
her, at least. Smart as a steel trap;
and John Dean sent her away to school,
and to college too, she was so fond OF
her books. She was quite beauty.
with her heavy golden hair and black
~ oy-fi cfs
who spend summers over at Riving:on,
a Mr.. Kehew, painted picture of her
last year that made quite good deal
of talk; and gave her $50 for the sit
tings. She was called 'Springtime.' She
had a bunch of white lilacs in her
hand"
1--WE seen the picture. Go on" in
terrupted the younger man.
well, sir, she never was very strong,
as you may say; and last winter, of
course, she had to go on with her
teaching. She taught school in New
York. And in the summer she kept
boarders. She worked awfully hard,
sir. It wasn't more than fortnight
before she: was taken sick that she
made me the last payment on the back
rent
"You didn't take it, did you?" asked
bis master, sharply. II always said if
anyone was sick, or in trouble,
Il had to, sir. But I gave it all bac:
to them, and more too, in ways they
didn't know. I don't suppose you can
realize, strand I can't either, living
alone so-how much it costs to keep
I: house going; or 10 live anyway, for
that matter. And Mrs. Dean, she all
sort of gave out when her h JUS band died,
and used to say she couldn't leave the
place until she went to the cemetery
herself. Mabel used TO come up every
and stay over Sunday, just
to be with her, and sort of see to things:
and she had to get up and take the train
every Monday at a quarter of five in the
morning, sir, because the next one made
her late for school. 1t was pretty hard
work; and that, and everything to-
gether, sort of broke her down winter
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