Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-01-10

so exhilarating that it had set her face
aglow and her eyes sparkling, notwith-
standing the trouble that held her.
AS she gave me her hand her eyes
dropped before mine, and there we
stood in a silence that grew more and
more awkward with every second that
passed.
Has he gomez / asked. at last.
Yes" she said, softly: and, oh,
why did he ever come TO bring all this
trouble upon usp All! weren't we hap
by when / was a child, and no one 10
say a word 10 anger me. And then he
came. and il all changed, and some hold
he has over my father drove US from
Ireland and home"
Try and think" I said, that happy
days will come again. o shall go
back to your home, Nora, If the love or
my heart can accomplish it. This man
has wronged me, perhaps, more than
you"
What do mean" she said. looking
up at me, shyly. do you mean by the
words he said about you and-and me?
Don't think l believe him. Don't! III
I'd known what he meant TO say Ia
have let him kill US both before ever
I brought you to hear it. I'd have
faced him then and there, but that you
were with me. and you're man enough
not to have let me do ii by myself, and
he'd have killed you"
Not If I had you 70 fight for. Nora.
Not If you'd give me the right to pro-
tect you"
Stop she said. starting back from
me. How can you speak to me like
that. or think I'll listen? Didn't you
hear himself say that you could buy
me for a thousand? Did you think I
came out TO hear you make the offer?
You wouldn't do it, Mr.. Tremayne.
Thank God, I can trust you"
But you're not trusting me, Nora
You're talking one moment about my
making an offer TO buy you. and the
next thanking God that you can put
faith in me. Tell me, now. nave I any
hope, Nora. that you will ever trust
me with what I hold dearest in this
world-yoursalf?"
I tried TO take her hand. but she
drew it away, nor would she look at
me.
Wont you answer me?" I asked.
Yes. I will answer you, Mr.. Ire
mayne, because / him ii best that
matters should end between you and
me, here and now. If ever I know that
you have lent my father this money, I
shall never, If I can help II. look upon
your face again. I shall never speak
to you. Let him do his worst, and do
you go your way. Ours is a bad friend
ship to have. 1t will bring trouble up
on you. It will blight and ruin your
life, if 1t doesn't take it away from you
altogether. Leave this place, Mr.. Ire
maynei"
II shall not" I said. You came to
me once by chance. You came TO last
night Of your own free will. And do
you think that I shall let this Maurice
D'Orville come between us? No, Nora,
not If he were forty times the demon ne
isl"
You don't know him." she said. You
can't tell what power ne has. There's
something-but. sure, ii makes me
shiver TO speak OF it: there's some
thing, but I can't tell rightly what it Is,
that-that-but I'm afraid to whisper
it, even, for fear hat II would come to
his ears"
You can't tell me more than I
know" I said. Listen, Nora, This
man and I nave grappled by the bed
side Of n of my dearest friends, and I
thwarted him, and he knows IL, though
he thinks I do not know him. This
mar has sent my father from me, and,
for aught I know or a find out, nay
have killed him. This mans doings
have, I verify believe, made one of the
kin6act man ON aor fh q Irrnofin nnd
not satisfied with that, he has killed
him, too. / say I know these things.
and yet I can't prove them, and for
that I hate him ten-fold more. But.
by the God that planted this love I
have for you in my heart, he shall not
separate us. And I would hat all the
breezes of heaven might carry my
words to his earsi"
She gave a low cry at that, and I had
barely done speaking, when, close by
our side, we heard a slight cough, and
out from behind the trunk of an ola
oak stepped Mr.. John Anguish.
You must forgive me for interrupt
ing you" he said, lifting his clerical
hat. but in a very few minutes the
gentleman o are alluding TO, John.
will be so close that the breezes Of
Heaven wouldn't have far to carry
your message. If you. Miss Courtney,
would slip dow that avenue, and you.
John, down this. you could both get
away without his seeing you, mo I
think, for the present. it would be best
for you TO do So. I'll explain matters
afterwards. Hurry, now! and leave
me here to mediate on the sermon I've
promised to preach. and meet Mr.. Maui
rice when he comes. Hurry! hurry"
and. catching me by the arm, he
pushed me away. And, as Nora van
ished on one side, I made off on the
other, though I should dearly have
liked TO have witnessed that meeting,
and seen how diamond cut diamond"
I had been at home more than an
hour before Anguish returned.
THAT was a near thing" he said.
"In another five minutes he would have
caught you and Miss Nora, and, no
matter what story you might have con-
cocted. it wouldn't have thrown lust in
his eyes"