The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-10-07

panies, besides fair showing to my
account at the Bank OF England.
These will bequeathe TO your daugh.
ter If she, on acquaintance, prove I'M
like her father"
81 won't read any more!" Laurie
cried, Indignantly, finging down the
letter, her eyes purple-black with ex-
element, her cheeks like scarlet pop
pies. IL won't! It's shameful
shameful! How dare hep
MY darling" her father said, de-
preciatingly, and laid one wasted hand
on her head-"my darling, this is only
preface. Sooner or later the knowl-
edge would come from you from lips
as cruel as the heart which here
| speaks-sooner or later. the blow
would fall. Better now, while | am
here to soothe the pain, and tell you
the truth. Go on; you must read few
lines more. They will suffice"
81 don't know what you mean" the
girl cried, piteously. What blow
what knowledge"
Read" he murmured, with weary
| breyity.
Again and for the last time she
took the hateful letter in her fingers.
IL am anxious to learn" she read
on, the cold disgust in her voice max
| ing IL sound strange and ungentle-
81 am anxious to learn the result Of
| your training; TO see with my own
! eyes how far association with felOn,
a convict, has colored and tainted the
soul of his child!" .E
Now she could not have held the
| letter a moment longer IL she would
It slipped from her nerveless hand
and fell upon the carpet; and for a
! little while there was silence-tense,
breathless, fearful silence.
The sunshine streamed in through
/ the simple muslin curtains, CHEEKY
and kindly as the smile of friend.
1t fell upon the carefully arranged
table, with its snowy linen, its pretty
white and gold china, its bunch of
scarlet geraniums; it fell upon the
mans thin, quivering face-upon the
girls white cheeks and trembling lips
and dark, dilated eyes.
"Papa!" she painted, and her voice
was a whisper-a hoarse, straining
whisper-"what is It? What does he
mean? Who is felon? Who is a
convict? Who"
| Her quick breathing choked her.
Her father looked down on the love-
| ly, excited face with eyes full of a.
great trouble and a great truth.
81" he answered her, your father!"
"You?"
She had sprung to her feet, had
| fallen back step, and was gazing at
him with a face of helpless, white
| dismay.
For just one moment she stood So
no longer Then she had flung her
arms round his neck and was. raining
fond, remorseful kisses on brow and
cheek
mo, no, MOI I'm quick, sharp denial.
''what--what was thinking Oft
What-what was | afraid of? II
don't understand, at all! But il is all
right, my dear-my dear-of course
of course it is all--righti"|
And the painting voice broke down
in fierce. hysterical sobs.
DON'T" Laurence Lisle said, gen.
thy, and he drew her to his side and
smoothed back the shining hair as
tenderly as her mother might have
done-"Don'ti Listen to me, Laurie
listen to me. my pet!"
The hoarse sobs ceased. She put
two soft arms about his neck, and hid
her wet face upon his breast as she
knelt beside him.
ut is a long story, little one.
will make 1t brief:
when I was quite young fellow
Just passed twenty-five occupied a
responsible position in large whole
sale Partisan house. / enjoyed the
fullest confidence OF the firm. As far
as honest endeavor in their interests
was concerned. deserved it. b..
AT the time OF which speak my
health was becoming impaired by
overwork and my employers offered
me a brief holiday. To show my graf
itude and leave things in order, I ex-
erted myself more than ever the week
preceding my expected departures
much sd, in fact, that on Tuesday,
was to leave on Wednesday, grew
quite dizzy and reeled from my desk.
A fellow worker, an English boy not
older than eighteen, the only friend l
had really made a companion and
confidant of in Paris, came TO my aid.
"'You are ill,' he whispered. GO
home and let me finish your work
"fYou cannot said. Il must make
out the payroll. Here are the freight
bills and workingmen's lists. And in
this box are several thousand francs
for payment
"Iet me do IT, he pleaded. I've
seen you do it scores of times. Let
me make out the pay roll-there is no
one here to be the wiser but our two
selves-and you go home and have a
good rest, or you win have no strength
to undertake your journey tomorrow.
II yielded, A few hours later
heard him coming into his room,
which communicated with mine.
"well?' | called out inquiringly
"He muttered few confident, affirm
alive words. 1t was quite dark when
he opened the door of my room and
thrust in his head:
ct am going to the Coincide Fran
caise Good night
Half an hour later they brought