The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-09-28

yes, one thing he wants ere he departs
for the regions OF the elect-to see the
earthly happiness OF that treasure Sc
cured. Have you noticed how i'll Judith
has been looking lately?"
l answered that / observed she looked
very pale.
Something on the mind-something
on the mind, and | think I've found out
what it Is. Girls will be girls, you know.
There's many a fine fellow would give
the eyes out of his head to be in your
shoes. Well, | am quite content; she's
quite content; and I'm sure you must be
quite content; so there's nothing more
to be said in the matter, and the sooner
the affair is settled ~off-hand, the better"
The reverend gentleman was becoming
very repulsive. For a time, l could not
understand his meaning; at last, 1T be-
gan to dawn upon me-he actually meant
to infer that Judith was in love with
me. What an idiot he must have thought
me-! And yet, without the key his con-
versation with his daughter had given,
might / not, in my simple trust OF his
truth, have believed? / shame to say,
that | fear | might. But knowing what
l did, | felt positively sick at the nause-
Gus hypocrisy and falsehood Of the man.
He paused, rubbed his hands. then
brushed back his hair, chucklcd and
waited for me to speak. What could l
do-what could | say? Must l yield to
this mans inclinations without a strug
gle? Did he suspect that | knew aught
Of his secrets, what might he not do TO
me? Kill me-imprison me for life! In
stinctively | felt that he would pause at
nothing to secure his own ends. l must
say something. To his proposition, or
rather to his inuendoes, l could make no
reply. / would evade the question--try
to turn the subject. AS a matter of
course, i said the thing which above all
others | ought not to nave said.
did you hear anything about my
friends while YOU were in the city,"
Had a thunderbolt fallen at his feet it
could not more suddenly have changed
his whole demeanor. He pushed back
his chair with a start; and such a look
OF fierce inquiry cam into his face, such
a savage twinkle came into his eyes, that
/ felt sure he was going to strike me
scarcely off my lips before | was con
scious of the irretrievable blunder | had
made.
what do you mean?" he cried, men
~acingly.
Sid you not say you intended TO make
further inquiries when 0 went to the
city," l faltered.
Not to you. Have you been listen
ing?"
anYII1 faaI tho fatlfo1n hIOI rftch info
my face at the question. Ever since
you were speaking to me on the subject,
! have thought of nothing else" l cried,
in the same faltering voice.
Look here, Master Silas; what's the
meaning of this behavior? There's some
thing up--I know there is, by your man
ner. Don't attempt to humbug me, be-
cause it won't do. Or is it that you
are such a Thoroughbred idiot that YOU
don't understand the drift of what I've
been saying? I'll satisfy myself upon
that point by and by. In the meanwhile,
I'll speak a little palmer. / mean you
to marry my daughter. To this you can't
possibly make n objection, as all the
sacrifice is on my side and hers. Now
come, what do you say to that?"
Now that he had thrown off the mask,
and spoken more plainly, l felt, for the
first time in my life, something like
courage to oppose him. Il know that l
possess no advantages to entitle me to
such a match. bat l am too young to
marry" / said, with some little firm
ness.
II am the best judge of that" he an
swered sharply.
"But l have no wish to marry"
What" he exclaimed, ~furiously. "Do
you mean to say that you've the impu-
dence to refuse my daughter?"
Then followed a striug of ~invectives
and opprobrious epithets that l need not
repeat. He literally foamed at the
mouth.
"You shall smart for this insult!' he
went on. wiping the perspiration from
his face. 'You shall go down upon
your knees and beg my pardon for this.
and pray with all your heart and sou
for what you've just refused."
With these words, and casting a ma
lignant look upon me. he hurried OF
the room.
I sank into a chair, literally stupcfed
and overwhelmed. But ever the faint
resistance that l had made inspired me
with new confidence. l felt that | was
no longer a school boy, but verging on
manhood: that Ii was cowardiy and dis
graceful to yield a slavish obedience
against my conscience to such a ma
as he had now shown himself. The first
resolution / formed consequent upon this
better and frmer state Of mind was that
/ would make a clean breast to Martha
OF all I knew, and then be guided by
her superior worldly wisdom as to what
I had better do. Feeling much relieved
I went up to the school room to super
intend the afternoon tasks.
CHAPTER vi.
The days work was done. and / went