The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-12-11
CHAPTER xxx
SIR John

SIR JOHN POSTGATE.
The morrow brought ample proof
that Sir John Postgate kept a sharp
watch OF Butley Croft, for as the shad-t
ow upon the great gilded dial marked
noon, up he rode, his son at his side.
was near the head of the main ave-
nue. chopping a huge fallen elm branch
into stable pieces for firing when the
Iclatter OF their horses feet came be-
hind mel took no notice, and Sir John
hailed me.
Who are o and what may you be
doing here?' he cried.
I chopped away as stolidly as posi-
bic, and q whip lash snapped on myshat
as the son flicked lightly at me. I
looked up and oh, how uneasily my dis
gufse sat upon me under those keen,
grim old eyes.
Dim Saesneg," I growled.
Both Of them stared at me in good
earnest now Pray" began the old
man, but interrupted him with a swift
rush of q couple of my parrot sentences
and pointed to the house. The extra
lordinary gibberish set the youngerman
Laughing.
i ..'Tis a fellow from Tower Of Babel"
simpered Jack Postgate.
At this ONE out came Roger
Thorne, eager to interpose between US.
Whom have we here?" cried Jack
Postgate. f1icking his whip across me
again, while my heart swelled furiously
within me-.
"A Welshman, Sir John" replied
Roger, "a poor Taffy with never a word
of our language"
And what brings him here?, de-
manded the elder man, taking no more
notice of me, and riding forward to
1.-THE front of the house.
II heard Rogers voice speaking Is he
marched beside the horse, u I could
not catch his words, and I turned again
Ito my wood chopping and smote the
branch Justify, wishing it were Jack
Postgate's %insolent neck.
i had sdisliked him since we We're
boys, and we had foughtgout the battle
of the day more than once with u
fists while our fathers were busy with
deadlier weapons.
In those encounters it a taken all
my time to gain Sthe$victory, for he was
near three years older than ], but 1t
would be another affair now, and I
Hooked after him and clenched my fists
and longed for2the chance.
He looked no Puritan figure either, as
he pranced along on his spirited nag;
he was as fine as a peacock. His
Twas plulned, his sword belt as richly
embroidered and his rapier hilt as
/ gaily worked as any cavalierI q ever
seen. There wasSnot SO much lace,
perhaps, as a fop on our side loves, but
his clothes We're bright, and of his par
ty. Jack was certainly a dandy of the
first water.
The father was Of the old school,
snow-white linen, ~sad-colored dress, a
4 simple strap to carry his sword, a plain
steeple hat shading a thin, severe face.
The son I 3disliked and qdespised; the
I father I disliked, and in my present
l. position, feared. It is the custom with
US to fl round general name upon all
of the opposite party-snufhing rogues.
canting hypocrites, and the like; but it
Is idle work, and In the end every man
must be Judged by himself.
Neither Sir John Postgate's party nor
principles were to my fancy, but. I
4 could not allow him&to be other than
an inflexibly honest and upright man.
If his duty, as he conceived it, re-
quired that I should be laid by the
heels, he would SO lay me, but to my
disfavor he would wrest nothing. I
had rather ten rogues to my enemies
than one such man.
True, the rogues, will dig pits for you,
yet the chances are many that they
themselves will fall into the pits they
have digged; whereas a man of single
purpose follows his aim with a con
stancy at once dreadful and intrepid.
After a time I snouldered a bundle of
wood and made my way to h back of
the house, and entered the kitchen. It
was empty, and a fancy to see what
was going on in the fore part darted
into my mind. / went quickly across to
a second room n slipped up the back
stairs
At the head of the first fight a mar
row passage ran to the gallery over
Hooking the hall, and I trod quietly
along 1t. Voices came to my ears and
i craned my neck out from the shelter
of the passage. Below stood Jack Post
gate, Sinking and smiling and making
his finest speeches to Enid. She was
listening to him with an attention
(which I bitterly grudged him, until ]
comforted myself by thinking she was
polite for my sake, so unreasonable and
importEnate is a lover.
Then Sir John and Roger came up the
hall together, and the dry old inde-
pendent paused before her fresh young
beauty. Enid smiled back and held hin
in gay talk, and Jack cutsin again anc
again, and was left unregarded, a
which I took great pleasure. But ]
, dared not stay long lest my rambling
should be discovered and awaken sus:
picion, SO returned to the kitchen anc
j sat down to await my dinner.
!, In the afternoon I was again busy
hacking wood. for to labor u~ncomplain,
tngly at a mental task greatly helped
my disguise, hen / lifted my eye ant
= saw my love coming toward me. Shs
I stood opposite me for along time ant
regarded me careless1y, as II fdl.
watching my busy axe while h tool
2 the air, then sauntered closer little b.
e little. I began to carry my logs to {
pile just beyond where she stood, an
we conversed3 as I passed and repassed
And your interview"
ST think twas 81 success. He wa
extremely civil. Roger had explained t,
: him that / had come here because Q
t the disturbed state OF our neighbor
hood; and I told him of the Red Memo
t the Dusk"
9 After all, they gave you a usefu
story to spin
: HE listened attentirely, and the
; told me how things stood here, We
9 begged me, however, to $ the hous
as long al I pleased,
Z "A gracious invitation, indeed, to
g lady under her own roof