The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-09-01
The FIltgsl Survives
DY j. II. ~coNNELLy.

honesty in his countenanee palmer
than words could have vouched for it
andslt was with a happy confidence
that she called ut the foot Of the lit
tie staircase:
"Addie, come down. Mr.. Latham is
here"
In a few moments, taking n little
time that it might not be suspected
0 very ready she had long been tc
answer such n summons, the con.
sciously aggravated maiden, very
erect and frigid in manner, entered
the parlor.
Good morning, Mr.. Latham she
said stithy and took n seat as far from
him as the contracted dimensions OF
the room would permit
Her lover was stupefied by surprise
Mrs. Halls eyes twinkled as she
said:
Mfr. Latham wants to know, Addie
Why Why you did not leave that letter fol-
Mr.. Latham will probably not find
1t difficult to surmise the reason
when he knows that l allied in person
for the purpose
Mr.. Latham never was farther from
surmising anything in his life ex-
CANNED the young man earn
estly.
Addie flushed 10 her hair, but
forced herself to speak.
L did not think" She said, "aftcr
II discovery / inadvertently made
concerning your-your domestic ar
rangements, sir, hat l had any right
to further obtrude my family affairs
upon You"
My domestic arrangements!' You
had no right What in The world dc
you mean, Addie? We are strangely
UT cross purposes, 1t seems to me-"
"Whatis the use i'll you two beating
about the bush?" interposed the
straightforward widow. why don't
you come to the point at once? Who
was that yellow headed girl who
seemed to be so thoroughly ut home
In your room, John Latham?'
oh, that!" exclaimed John. His
face lighted up with a look OF relief,
and then the reaction from the strain
OF anxiety he had been suffering set
him off in a roar of laughter.
Il do not see that it is at all n
laughing matter, Mr.. Latham ex-
ploded Addic Indignantly, springing to
her feet as If about to leave the room,
/" beg your pardon, Addie," he re.
Piled, restraining himself, "but !
couldn't help it, and you would laugh.
too, if you understood. Sit down and
I'll tell you all about it,"
l.ottie's story to Chester Sewall was
the exact truth and of course the
same that John told now, so 1t need
not be repeated here. Instead of JUS
tifying suspicion of his fcalty, the in.
cident reflected credit upon his kind
heart and thoughtful head, a fact that
his hearers We're not slow to fully APP
preciatc. His words carried conviction
with them, and when the narration
was concluded Mrs. Hall got right up
from her chair, crossed the room to
him and formally shaking hands, man
fashion, said heartily:
John Latham, you are n real good
fellow. knew you would turn II all
right
Addie, penitent and happy, red as a
cherry, laughing while yet the tears
quivered on her eyclashes, stood up
to meet her lover as he approached
her and stammered deprecatingly:
I'll couldn't help it John. will
you forgive me for being such a fool?''
And OF course as he took her in his
arms and kissed her he %repudiated the
idea OF her being a fool Mt all and snid
he was glad to learn that she loved
him sufficiently to be IL little Jealous,
and protested he loved her so we'll it
would be impossible to give even n lit
tie of his heart to anybody else, and
SO on and so on, until the lovers
looked around them after a little
while and found they were alone.
Mrs. Hall had, unobservcd, glided
out to the kitchen and was busying
herself starting u fire 10 make coffee
for an early breakfast, in which John
OF course had to participate, and d
very happy little family group they
made when gathered about the table.
Notwithstanding the delay thus oc-
casioned-nnd it was 4 long one, for
John had much to tell, and the ladies
had much to say. and in the meal
itself there was much cnjoy-Mr. La
than reached his lodgin. at about the
hour when he usually awoke and com
menced to take a languid interest in
the days weather.
While throwing off his overcat IN
his room he crossed to Chester's door,
knocked, and receiving no answer
flung it open. The apartment was in
disorder and empty.
"Ah,' he murmured to himself
turning back, Il might have thought
of it. He probably spent last evening
with lrma, %consoling her, and re.
manned as II Of the watchers with
her fathers body nil night. He will
most likely come in o Uellol
What's this? }"
The shutters of his windows werc
closed and the heavy curtains down,
so that although the daylight was
bright outside, little of it entered the
ROOM, and it was not strange that in
the prevailing gloom he should have
failed to observe at first an imposing
erection in the center Of the fioor'
which, once seen. seemed to dominate
and dwarf everything else in the bio
apartment. When he had let in the
light he saw that two great easy
chairs made the foundation OF the
pile; a light stand constituted its sec.
ond tier; the two yalises he had sent
home We're upon the stand, and to.
Fether with n green foot-hnth sun
ported upright ain umbrella. A light
cane had been tied firmly to the
straight handle of the umbrella AT
right. angles with it, and from the
AiSau of TUG cane, uepentleu by n broad
red ribbon, a letter addressed to 4"AIr.
Latham" The attention compelling
construction had amply served the
purpose Of its architect, Miss Lottie
Belden, bringing to his notice the
note which she deemed it important
he should have Immediately upon his
return, He opened the missivc and
read:
Dear Mr.. Latham-Your friend.
Mr.. Seward, is in n hole. lie is locked
up, and two policemen have been 90.
ing through his room. The big bottle.
nosed one told me that Mr.. Seward
had been giving his finger to a hash
butcher who wouldn't have it," the
general drift Of which 1 think catch,
though | don't rightly know exactly
what it means. l thought you might
like to know about it. Yours respect.
fully, Lottie Belden.
II. SITS the headquarters lug
they got him in.'
John could not but feel just a little
shade of annoyance. He was cold.
very tired. and had hoped to get d
couple of hours sleep before going
down town. But he WA altogether
foo rn0d a fnllo,r ~ I'M ,oo.;Jnnn-