Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-07-05

him obviously; he crossed the tnresn'
old of his home without a word OF wei.
come. and found himself, like a strang.
err in his fathers house, asking for
Miss Give.
Everything was In perfect order; no
wheel OF the well organized household
system seemed disarranged by the
stoppage Of the master hand; yet there
was a TRANCE hush, an unnatural re-
pression. over the whole house that op-
pressed Herbert like breathing a pois-
Oned air.
He entered the drawing room, and, In
his mothers ebony rocking chair, by
the marble hearth, a woman sat busy
with her knittlng-a pale, slender wo-
man, who rose TO meet him with a
certain still, crafty triumph In glance,
and manner and tone.
''You are late, indeed" she said, with
n sigh, and, lifting her black-bor-
dered handkerchief to her eyes, and
YOU come TO a sorrowing home, Her.
bert, poor boy!' -
"My sister-where Is my sister,
asked the young man, in n husky voice,
while his spirit rose ut the unusual IA
miliarity OF the horsekeeper's address.
Where is Miss FannieT
"Dear Fannie is in her room" an
swered Mrs. Wyllis, in her lowest
tone. "Indeed, she seldom leaves IL.
She Is much broken-sadly broken.
You would scarcely know her now.
Your poor father"
HAS her health failedg' interrupted
Herbert, who felt an indescribable OBJ
lection to hearing the details OF his
fathers death from this woman's lips.
where Is she? IL must see her II
once"'
The white eyelashes were lifted for
one moment, and the steel-gray eyes
were fixed upon the speaker with a
glance, half of pity, half of scorn, as
he thus quietly assumed the masters
tone.
There were some matters of which
I wished to speak" she began.
(which | can hear at some other
time" interrupted Herbert, haughtily.
MY present duty is first to my sister
my poor, br0ken-spirited darling.
After that / am ready to discuss any
household arrangements you desire TO
mention. "
"He lords 1t grandly," murmured
Mrs. Willis to herself, with her still
smile, as Herbert left the room. "Ah,
yes! very grandly, with his must and
shall But / will tame him, too
tame him. even as l tanned his proud,
strong father. The honor of the
Clives-the Clives!-ha, ha! it is my
trump card-the honor Of the Olives!
1 hold it in my grasp-aye, l hold them
in my power. Their dead fathers
lame must be kept sacred-their dead
fathers honor unstained! Even as that
dead father sinned and suffered for
them, so must they sin and suffer for
him. All. yes, yes! it is a double game,
that works charmingly. And IL, Re
becca Wyllis, the charity child, whom
they all thought too stupid to notice,
too blind to see--I sit in the mistress
velvet chair and hold the stakes!'
She tapped her breast, while a tri-
umphant light glittered In her white
eyes, and then, folding her mittened
hands, she bent her head and gaZed
steadfastly into the fire.
Up stairs in Fannie's little boudoir,
brother and sister sat, clasped heart to
heart.
The first few moments of that meet
ing were too full of emotion for words.
With one glad cry of mingled joy and
sorrow, Fannie sprang into her broth
er'S arms, and sobbed out her pent-up
anguish on his breast. For one mo-
ment Herbert held her pressed to his
heart, well-nigh bursting with it's
weight of grief.
All, she was changed-sadly changed.
Even in the uncertain light he could
see how delicate was the face. erst
round and rosy as a laughing Hebe's-
how hollow the nee sunny, laughing
eyes-how frail the graceful form,
Fannie, Fannie, my poor little sis
ter! you have suffered much, and alone
all alone!'
"All alonef' she repeated, sadly. Oh,
Herbert, you know not how nue..
alone! If you had not come soon, dear,
l would have died-died broken-heart-
ed! Alas, alas! the prophecy was true
the old woman's prophecy was true!
The very day she spoke, sorrow came
upon me-scrrow and"-she bowed her
head on Herbert's breast. and whis-
pered the word-'tdisgrace!'
What do you meanT' he exclaimed,
starting. "Fannie-sister, what word
is that to come from lips like yours"
Have you not heardT' she muir
INJURED, casting an affrighted glance
around her. "Oh, brother, brother,
such cruel whispers, such cruel ru-
mors! / could bear all. all" she
sobbed out, ''if they would let poor
papa rest IN his grave but evil tongues
have followed him even therev'
What do they sayg' asked Herbert,
merely. Il am here now TO defend
my fathers memory, and. by Heaven,
viii do 1t! Who dares to east a slur
upon the name of Robert Cliye?"
Hush, hush!" Fannie whispered.
DO not speak so. IL cannot tell YOU
how or whence the rumors came, but
they say papa had no right to Give
Towers; that he held 1t only by-by-
oh, how al | speak the word of nv
own papa?-by fraud! And She
FANNIE shuddered as she spoke-"she
seems to know. She has limited that
n knew what. for our sakes. she
would not ~revealr"
She repeated Herbert, angriiy.
"Whc-that old cat doing by the fire
old willis, whom / have always de-
splsed! Has she had her claws upon
you. my poor little pet? Has she dared
TO torture you by her lying whispers?
by heaven, | will wiring her secret, If
n have any, from her ~slayerino Inns y,