Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-04-21

Once more, therefore. they crept
away by stealth, leaving the useless
boxes TO testify sadly to the credulity
of human nature in the form OF land
| ladies, and to the wickedness OF man
kind as exemplified in the professor.
Meeting on road by moonlight out.
side the town of Southampton. and
setting their faces toward the north,
the three unlucky people, with all
England before them. as the professor
once said, started out with very
childlike faith to see what could be
! got out Of it.
This is the kind of thing. my love,
that was born for" said the profess
! sor, waggling his great head about
| and staring all round him, as though
in search of bird or beast anxious
! to be stuffed on the spot No more
| will we be trammelled by streets, and
| by bricks and mortar; the weather is
| fine and We will make the most Of it.
We will set forth in quest of adven-
lures. and with an ardent desire to
| provide successfully for Absalom's
future"
But what will it be like in bad
weather." asked Mrs. Tapney, ner-
vously.
my dear Diana. why ask me such
a foolish question as that?" asked the
professor. "One step at a time, my
| love; sufficient for the day-and so
| on. At the present moment we are
on good, firm, solid earth; whereas we
might have been tossing on the deep.
with dangers from shipwreck, and
sharks, and things like that More
over, there is a fine moon above us,
which is infinitely cheaper than lamps
OF gas. and much cleaner at the price.
Let us, therefore, press forward, and.
when we are tired, seek repose in
Natures lap"
mot for me, thank you, Dame"
said Mrs. Tapney, emphatically Ma
lures lap is apt to be crawley, and
I'd rather be excused
"Ah, my dear. you have not got the
true spirit of the thing in you yet"
said the professor. pityingly. How
ever, as we have still little money,
we will take our ease at an inn until
that money is exhausted. Never have
felt - light-hearted, or so free from
care, as at the present moment"
The professors light-heartedness-
began to vanish little as time went
on. 1t being necessary that they
should live very economically, the
professor thought it best to regard
his small party in the light of persons
shipwrecked; and therefore, whimsi-
cally enough, portioned out the money
he had left with much exactitude, in
order that it might last as long as pos
sible. The appetite of Absa7om being
large one, and that of Mrs. Tapney
not falling far short of it, the profess
sor found himself, by the second day,
existing, so to speak, solely upon his
reputation for brain, which, in the
opinion Of Mrs. Tapney, did not re-
quire feeding. And by the end of this
second day the professor found him
self with just sufficient to pay for bed
and breakfast for the three of them at
a wayside public house of a modest
character, and with still nothing done
and nothing in prospect
In the clean parlor of the little pub
lie house. with its sanded floor, were
two other wayfarers like themselves
an old man, tall and gaunt, and a
young woman, strikingly handsome.
The professor gathered his small par.
ty at one end Of the room, then con
suited Mrs. Tapney as to the cheap
est supper that might be purchased
ultimately deciding upon bread and
cheese.
Z BE consistent, my love--always be
consistent" said the professor, as he
gave the order in the lordly fashion
he might have done had he been or
dering banquet. eve have gone to
Nature; let us use natural products
especially If they're cheap. shall eat
my cheese with relish, because
shall see fair and blooming dairy.
maids making it and singing over
their work; bread also will have been
kneaded by stout. lusty, laughing men,
cracking the innocent jest with each
othermen who have in all proba.
bility assisted to garner the harvest
from which the -four is made"
ITO Be Continued.