The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-02-28


was beginning to get rather uncom-
Portable under the fire of her truthful
eyes and the terrible directness of her
questions.
I'm fact, you have made Isaac under
ling, laborer, slavey to your grand
new gardener, is that it," she cried.
"Oh. come now he began. but Dor
othy stood still in the road and con
fronted him angrily.
rs it so or not?" she asked.
well, something like that" he ad
mitted, unwillingly.
rs it absolutely so or not?" Dorothy
asked again.
well, I'm afraid it u.s. said David,
with a great air of making a clean
breast of the whole matter. You see,
Dorothy, the old fellow never was
much of a hand at gardening-'
He was good enough for u.s." sighed
Dorothy, in heart broken voice.
Yes; but indeed he really was past
his work, or | should never have
thought of d%isplacing him. And il 1t
hadn't been for you-that he was a
good many years your gardener-
Nearly forty years. put in Dor
othy.
We'll, Of course, il it hadn't been
for that | should just have replaced
him without troubling any further
about him. AS ii was, | made a place
for him, and | gave him ten shillings
a week for what | could get better done
by a boy for six"
And the cottage?" asked she.
"Oh, well, of course, the cottage goes
with the situation answered David.
who was getting rather sulky.
There al a moments silence; hen
Dorothy suddenly stopped and turned
to face him. David" she flashed out,
you may be a good farmer, but you
are a hard man, a hard One of
these days you'll come to be-but,
there, what is the good of talking to
you? II long and faithful service
will not touch your heart, what else
will?"
There is one thing which will al
ways have power to touch my heart"
he said, eagerly. Shall tell you
WHAT"
NO" said Dorothy, YEARLY. Il prob
ably should not believe il. If forty
years would not do it, nothing else
could"
AS she spoke she turned down the
street which led to Palace Mansions.
for she saw that it was hopeless now
to try to prevent his finding out where
she lived; and. indeed, now that Dick
was safely out OF the country, she did
not think that it mattered much. Da-
yid, for his part, took advantage of the
quiet side street, and spoke out what
was in his mind.
Dorothy he said. come back to
the Hall, and | will show you whether
/ am a hard man or not: only come
back and let us forget the past, nobody
need know anything. will never
remind you Of it. Only come back, my
dear, and everything shall be as you
wish-as you direct. I'll send the new
gardener to Holroyd, and Isaac shall
be head gardener at the Hall, with a
couple of men under him to do the
work. Does that sound like being
hard. Dorothy?"
Yes" said Dorothy, coldly-'hard-
est of all, because you would not hest
tate to buy me, body and soul, through
my compassion n pity for those poor
unfortunate ones, who can not help
themselves, and can not fight against
the hard power which your money and
your strength give you"
ssnb Dorofhy II 10 MT 90 % 10 o,;aI
II only ask you to come back because l
love you and want you. Besides. 1
can not bear to see you as you took
now-tired and worn, and ten years
older than when you turned your back
on all your old friends for the sake
OF a fellow who has brought you to
this
''To what" Dorothy cried, her eyes
opening wide. and her tones expressing
sucn establishment that David fairly
quailed before her look.
ITO a ghost of FOUR old self" he an
swered CURLY. But 1t was all of no
use. Dorothy could be curt. too on
occasions, and she was so then.
1T seems to me hat you are making
mistakes all round, David" she said.
coldly. II am not very well, and the
heat has tired me-but | am not what
you take me for. | have been. thank
God for it, a blessedly happy wife for
many months. | will wish you good
morning, David"
She turned away without giving him
time to say a word, and went as quick
ly as was possible toward her home,
and went in without turning her head
TO see what had become of him. AS
for David Stevenson, he simply stood