Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-10-08

Il INV VI PAoR0ttJ
prises the house and estates in u
rey; shares in various London COM
panies, besides q fair showing to my
account at the Bank OF England.
These will I bequeathe to your daugh-
ter If she. on acquaintance,prove un-
like her father"
II 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 he?'
my darling" her father said, de-
preciatingly, and laid one wasted hand
on her head-"my darling, this is only
a 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 a few
lines more. They will suffice"
81 don't know what you mean" the
girl cried, piteously. what blow
what KnOWleugeF
Read" he murmured, with weary
brevity.
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 maxi
ing it sound strange and ungentle-
II am anxious to learn the result Of
your training; to see with my own
eyes how far association with a felon,
a convict, has colored and tainted the
soul of his child"
Now she could not have held the
letter a moment longer if she would.
1t slipped from her ~nerveless hand
and fell upon the carpet; and for a
little while there was ~silence-tense.
GREATNESS, fearful silence.
The sunshine streamed in through
the simple muslin curtains, CHEEKY
and kindly as the smile Of a friend.
1t fell upon the carefully arranged
table, with its snowy linen, its pretty
white and gold china, it's 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 1t? What Ices he
mean? Who is a 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 q
great trouble and a great truth.
81" he answered her, your father!"
"You?"
She had sprung to her feet, had
fallen back a 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
"No, no, mol In quick, sharp denial.
"What-what vas / thinking of?
What-what was I afraid Of? IL
don't understand. at all! But it is all
right, my dear-my dear-of course
of course 1t is alright"
And the painting voice broke down
in fierce. hysterical sobs.
DON'T" Laurence Iisle said, gen
thy, and he drew her to his side and
smoothed back the shining hair as
tenderly as her mother might have
done-"Dont! 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.
1T is a long story, little one.
will make it brief:
when I was quite a young fellow
just passed twenty-five occupied a
responsible position in a large whole.
sale Partisan house. I enjoyed the
fullest confidence Of the firm. AS far
as honest endeavor in their interests
was concerned. / deserved it.
"At the time Of which I speak my
health was becoming impaired by
overwork and my employers offered
me g brief holiday. To show my graf.
itude and leave things in order, l ex-
erted myself more than ever the week
preceding my expected departures
much so, 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 /
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
"rYou cannot said. 4 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 1t 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 will have no strength