Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-04-05
v.
Father and Daughter.

tADidlg, Nlh MS pISAty uduSi''i ~ ~
knee. \ walnut table stood beside his
Dn which, with the magic deftness that
characterized all the household ar
Engagements at Give Towers, an ele-
CANT collation. had appeared, immedi'
Itely upon the masters arrival.
But neither the fragrant Mocha,
steaming in the silver urn, o the deli
cate slices CT ham and chicken, had
tempted the travellers appetite. And
even thOughtlesS Fannie noticed the
shadow on her fathers brow, the grave
preCccupation of his manner, that all
her childish prattle and loving caresses
could not remove.
For, reserved and dignified, almost TO
ternness. with all the rest of tn world,
Robert Give always unbent to his idol
lied daughter, whose bright beauty
and bewitching grace recalled 10 him
so forcibly the only love Of his life-the
wife whom he had worshiped with the
strong, silent, passionate devotion than
only such natures know.
For ten years Robert Give had been
/ widower, and until the fair. sweet
face of Agnes Give smiled down upon
him from the carved oaken frame
above his fireside, still her gentle I'M
age remained enthroned within his
heart-that heart whose dark secrets
she had never sought TO read, whose
love she accepted gladly and unques-
tlcningy. whose life she had brighten
ed. even as the summer sunbeam
! brightens and warns the surface of the
waters, whose cold, silent depths it can
never hope TO reach.
And so you have turned out n full
fledged young lady, pussY' aid the
father, tenderly. smoothing the long
brown hair that rippled over FNannie's
shoulGerS-her mothers own dark,
sllken hair. "School books thrown
aside forever. ELI? Nothing more to be
learned by this wise little head? That
diploma Is misunderstanding, bot
any, meteorology. Why. you must be
4 regular epitome of science, my pet.
| woEder If you can say the multiplied
ton table through"
Now, papa" pouted Fan, ''the idea
Of your talking that way TO me
Though I was a little stupid about frac-
tons; l always got them wrong side
mp. until Sybil showed ire which num-
Der went on top. sic took the first
prize In mathematics. you know. She
Is awfully clever. The masters used TO
say she had n head like a mans.
"Ah, indeed l doubt IL this is a re-
commentator" said Mr. Give, absent
ly. "Awoman with a mans head must
be something Of n monstrosity."
'sNow, papa, l don't mean that, of
course" said Fannie, in IN injured
tone. II only mean that her head is SD
clear. and steady, and thoughtful-not
full Of dressing. and dancing, and flirt-
ing, like all other girls"
Like all other girls, eh?" said Mr..
Give, ~laughingly pinching the pretty
cheek. "And who Is this young lady
who seems such an alarming exception
to the rule of her sex?'
"Why Sybil. Papa, don't you re-
member l wrote you all about my dear
est friend, Sybil WrayeT
"Sybil!' repeated her father, the
shadow deepening upon his face, as il
the name were musical to him-"Sybil
Wraye! And pray, my pet, who is this
wonderful Sybil Wraye, who Tan make
such deep emotions in my little girls
light hearth"
"0h. dear! Papa, don't you remem-
Der wrote you all about her-a great,
long letter, all criss-croSsedy"
II remember the letter, / think" an
swered Mr.. Give, with a half-smile;
but as for the contents, my dear, the
criss-crossing you spoke of made them
so much Cbaldee to me-"
and you couldn't read it?' ex-
claimed Fannie, in disanay. "Well,
well, l suppose it don't make much diff
for yourself"
what" exclaimed the father with n
start. rs the young lady hereT"
"Oh, yes, papa. Don't you know, I
told you was going to bring her home
with mes But, oh, dear! | forgot, You
couldn't read the letter. She io the
dearest, sweetest, loyeliest creature;
and between you and me. papa"-Fan-
ME nodded her head sagely-"Bertie Is
more than half in love with her al
ready. It's the most delightful thing
that could have happened to me next
and the rosy lips parted in an arch
smile-"next to falling In love myself"
Nonsense. my dear" said her father,
sharply. Don't let me hear you men,
ton such q ridiculous thing again.
you and Herbert are both too young for
too young, to think of such serious sub
iects as matrimony. He has his way
to make in the world. his own way TO
make-he must be hampered by no ties
as yet"
'Oh, now, dear papal' said Fannie,
coaxingly, there's that ugly line | hate
to sec come across your forehead. Let
me kiss ii away. III makes you look
just like the picture Of Uncle Basil,
hanging up stairs"
"Uncle Basil! like your Uncle Basil?'
was the hoarse reply. What do you
know of him, childy'
Nothing, except that he must have
been very cross and ugly" laughed
Fannie, twining her arm about her
fathers neck, "and | don't like my
precious papa TO look like him. s'You
haven't touched your supper, papa, and
Mrs. Wyllis fixed it 50 nicely for you.
Let me help you TO some of these nice
berries; YOU don't know how delicious
they are"
Nothing tonight, my child-nothing
G tonight" ne answered, shortly.
N