Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-07-03

couloa get that hiuSS
the house.
She sat listening thus, straining her
ears to catch the slightest sound. SUD
denIv there came q loud clamor at the
front door, an imperative knocking that
caused Ends heart TO come into her
mouth who could IL be? What strang-
ar had passed the logs in that way?
She heard grabbed, sour, but cour-
ageous old Williams go TO the door.
She heard the clang OF bolts and the
rattle of chains, and h a weird cry
from williams. A voice responded that
brought Enid. trembling and livid. INTO
the hall. A young man with a dark, ex-
ceedinplv handsome face and somewhat
effemfnate mouth, stood there, with
owes for nothing but the shining. flower
decked casket on the trestles. he
seemed beside himself with grief and
rage. He might have been a falsely
imnrisoued convict face to face with the
real culprit.
"whv didn't you let me know" he
cried. s~why didn't you let me know
HIS voice rang TO the roof. Enid flew
to his side and placed her hand upon his
lips.
your mother is asleep, Frank" h
L SglO. Sill ioS tHLN AN S'NNR
nights. A long rest may be the means
Of preserving her sanity. Why did you
come here?"
The young man laughed silently. 1t
was chastity mirth TO see, and IT
brought the tears into Ends eyes. She
had forgotten the danger Of the young
mans presence.
ST heard that Chris was ILL.," he said.
"They told me that she was dying. And
I could not keep away. And now have
come too late! oh, Chris. Chris"
He fell on his knees by the side of the
coffin, his frame shaken by fearless
sobs. Enid bit her lips TO keep back
the words that rose to them. She would
have given much to have spoken the
truth. But, at any hazard, she u
remain silent. She waited until the par
oxysm of grief had passed away, then
she touched the intruder gently on the
shoulder.
There is great danger for you in this
house, she said.
What do I care for danger when
Chris lies yonder?"
w But, dear Frank. there are others TO
| consider besides yourself. There is your
mother, for instance. Oh, you ought not
to have come here tonight. If your
father knew!"
my father? He would be the last
person in the world to know. And what
cares he about anything, so long as he
has his prints and his paintings? He
has no feelings. no heart, no o j
may say"
Frank, you must go at once. DO you
know that Reginald Hanson II here?
He a ears like a hare; IT will be moth
ing less than a miracle unless he hears
your voice. And then"
The young man was touched at last.
The look OF grief died out OF his eyes
and a certain .error filled them.
I think that I should have come In
any case" he whispered. II don't want
to bring any further trouble upon you,
Enid. but I wanted to see the last OF
her. I came here, and some OF the
dogs remembered me. If not I might
have had no occasion to trouble you.
And I won't stay, seeing that Henson is
here. Let me have something to re-
member her by; let me look into her
room for a moment. If you only knew
how I loved her! And you look as II
you had no grief at ALL"
Enid started, guiltily. She had quite
forgotten her role for the time. Indeed.
there was something Enthusiastically like
relief on her face as she heard the por-
ter's bell ring from the lodge to the
house. Williams shuffled away, NUT
tering that he would be more useful in
the house thar out of IL just now, but a
glance from Enid subdued him. Pres
emily there came the soundNo wheels
Non the grave outsidel
They have come for the-the coffin"
Enid murmured. Frank, IL would be
best for you TO go. Go up stairs, If you
like; o know the way. Only, don't
stay here"
The young man went off, dreamily. A
heavy grief dulled and blinded his
senses; he walked along like one who
wanders in his sleep. Christiana's door
was open and a lamp was there. There
were dainty knick- knacks on the dress
ing table, a vase or two of faded iow-
ers-everything that denotes the pres
ence Of refined and gracious woman
hood.
Frank Littimer stood there. looking
around him for some little time. On
the table by the bedside stood a photo
graph Of a girl in a silver frame. Lit
timer pounced upon II hungrily. IL was
a good picture-the best of C~hristiana-s
that he had ever seen. He slipped out
into the corridor and gently closed the
door behind him. Then he passed along
with his whole gaze fixed on the por-
trait. The girl seemed to be smiling out
of the frame ut him. He had loved
Christiana since she was a child; he felt
that he had never loved her so much as
at this ome Well, he had
thing to remember her by-he had not
come I'm vain.
1t seemed impossible yet to realize
that Christiana was dead, and he
would never look into her sunny, tender
face again. No; he would wake up
presently and find II had all been a
dream. And how different to the last
time he was here. He had been snug
gled into the house, and he had occupied
the room with the oak door. He"
The room with the oak door opened,
and a big man with a white bandage
around his throat stood there with tot
tering limbs and an ugly smile on his
loose mouth. Littimer started back.
'Reginald!" he exclaimed, IT didn't
expect to see you here. or"
"Or you would never have dared 20
Gomez" Henson said, hoarseiy. 81 heard