Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-09-21

into her head that London was q
grander place to live in than the vii
lage where she'd been born and bred,
and that the streets up there were
paved with gold. So she left me and
her mother and got place as bar
maid Well, sir, the long and short of
1t was that she came back one day,
and, after a bit, there was child born.
A finer child you've never seen, sir,
but he's weak in the head"
did she remain at home with your
hazarded Sir George, quickly, trying
to speak as man to whom time was
very precious.
eyes, sir, that were so, thanking you
kindly for taking interest in what I'm
saying. She bided with us always af-
ter that, and she was always trying
to keep herself up, as if she were an
honest woman. She always called
herself Mrs. Williams, and never so
much as wrote her name as Margaret
Searle. It was always MY names
Williams or Mrs. Williams or Mar
garet Williams as the case might be-
"However-" began Sir George.
Then he stopped speaking abruptly.
Fear of the CHASTITY consequences of
committing himself was uppermost in
his mind.
eyes, SIR" queried the old man.
"It is immaterial what l was going
to say. Please continue as briefly and
as quickly as you can, although l fail
to see why you should have come to
me. presume you consented to your
daughter remaining at homer"
Eyes, sir; but whenever looked at
her questioning-l like, being her father
and feeling l had a right to know
more, she only gave me a look back
as much as to say, I'm a grown wo.
man now, and can look after my own
affairs For years it just went on
like that, my thinkin' that she weren't
married and she giving out that she
were. But, mind you, sir, never halt
a word about real husband did she
speak. But my misses, she knew the
rights of it.
well SIR continued the old man,
in a sadaer voice, "a matter Of four
teen days ago the doctor says to Mar
garet as how she couldn't live long,
and that made her speak up anxiously
about her boy, Harry, as we calls him
but his proper name is George Hen
ny Williams. 'Whatll become of him.
asks she. He'll be put away in a
home ,th a number of others as are
like him., answers the doctor. He's
an outspoken man. Then, poor girl,
it almost broke my heart to see how
she fell to raving and crying; and then
Just sudden-like, as if she didn't
mean to say tout comes your name,
sir. So, says to myself, says l, after
she's gone, 1 know where to ask for
trifie to keep the child at home on
and with me. And, now, sir, when
l recollects his face and looks at yours,
know I've come to the right quarter"
"But-' began Sir George, at the
same moment looking on the floor for
something he pretended he had drop
ped.
"There now, I'm forgetting to tell
you the worst, sir" interrupted old
Searle. "And that is that something
happened to my poor lass. Last
Thursday week she spent the whole
day a-tidying of her clothes up; put
ting bright flower in her bonnet, and
amending and darning up of her
shawl. You see, sir, every penny that
she could spare for clothes was spent
on Harry's. So there she sat, hour
after hour, a-sewing away, as women
do when they've set their hearts on
looking their best. The next day she
comes to me and says she, in quick.
Ike voice, You ii look after Harry
for couple of days, dad. I'll be back
tomorrow night And afore l could
answer she were gone, and" here
the old mans voice quivered painfully
land I've not set eyes on her from
that day to this. You'll not have seen
her yourself, suppose, sir?"
81? Good heavens, no! 1 suppose
that what you have been beating about
the bush all this time for is money!
mo, sir; not exactly. But I'm poor
man, sir. Then there's no doubling
that the child is is Begging vel
pardon, sir, but 1 don't like asking the
question straight out"
Ito Be Continued.)