Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-06-02

me and fell 10 pacing up and down,
though always with the table cannily
between us. And as he shufiied back
and forth the thin lips muttered foolish
nothings. with here and there q tremu-
lous oath. When all was done he
dropped into a chair and stared across
at me with ieaden eyes; and truly ne
had the look or one struck WITH a NOR
tai sickness.
Il think think you owe me
something now beyond your keeping,
Captain Ireton," he ~quavered, at length,
mumbling the words az do the palsied.
Since you are Margery's father. l
owe you anything a dying man ear
pay" said !.
Words: empty words he fumeu'
IF lie were a thing to do, now I
You need but name the thing and /
will do II willingly"
Instead Of naming IL he shot a ques-
ton at me. driving II home with cer-
tain random thrustings of the shifty
eyes. 4.
who is your next Of kin, Captain
Ireton?" f:
"Septimus, OF the same name, master
Of I~retondene, on the James river. and
a major in the Virginia line, | am
swered, wondering how my cousin once
removed should figure in the present
coil. But Gilbert Stairs next question,
~dispelled the mystery.
IF you should die intestate. this Sep
tfmus would be your heir?" !;
las next Of kin. / should suppose he
would. But | have nothing TO devise"
True; and yet"-he paused again as
If the wording Of 1t were not easy.
BE free and speak your mind, Mr.
Stair" said 1. !,
"'Tis this" he cried, gathering him
self as with an effort. You've claimed
nv daughter as your wife before them
ali. and when you die tomorrow MORN
ing you'll leave her neither wife nor
maid. / Think think you'd best make
thai lie Of yours the truth
III one of his thin hands that clutched
the chair arms had pressed a secret,
spring and loosed a trap to send me
down an oubliette, | should
have been the less founded Indeed,
for some short space | thought him
mad; yet. On second thought, saw the
method I'm his madness. Could Margery'
be brought to view Ii calmly, this was
a sword to cut the knot of all %entangle-
AS matters stood, the world would
call her widow at my death; and since.
a woman is first OF all the keeper of her
good name, she would never dare;
ger the truth. SO in common Justice
she should own the name the world
would call her by. Again, as matters
stood. no wrong could come Of 1t to her,
or Richard Jennifer, or any. Dick
love her hone the less a a
dying man had given her his name for
few hours. And IL, at any future
time, the Ireton title should revive and
this poor do~uble-dealing miser should
be forced to quit his hold on Appleby
Hundred, my fathers acres would be
- H. - .1 tAlA H naNA Iy.an ah 4 N
all this sud~den-builded wall I saw, but
could not nerd 1t. With the Ireton
acres hers by double right. the baronet
press his suit with greater vigor
than before. But as to this. no further
act of mine could help or hinder; and
if I died her husband she would in de-
cency delay a while.
So summing up in far less time than
it has cost TO write 1t out for you, l
gave my most his answer.
II told you you might name the deed,
and | would dc 1t, Mr.. Stair. If you can
make u daughter understand
THE jade will do as she is bid" he
cut in w%rathfully. IF she will drag
my good name in the mire, I'm damned
If she shan't pay the scot. And now
about the settlements. Captain %Ireton;
you'll he making her legatee residu-
ary?"
At this | saw his drift again, most
clearly; tina he would never sickle for
his daughters honor, but for the quiet
Ing of his title to my fathers lands
a title that my cousin Septimus might
dispute. 1t was enough TO set me OBJ
stinate against him but / constrained
myself to think of Margery and Rich
ard Jennifer, and not at all of this poor
petty miser.
I'll sign a quitclaim in her favor. If
that is what you mean" | said. But
tits a mere pen-scratch for the lawyers
to haggle over. AS you said a while
ago, the wife Will be the husbands
heir-at-law, in any event"
True: but we'd best be at it in due
and proper form" He rose and hob
bled 10 the door and was SO set upon
haste that his shaking hand played a
rafting tattoo on the latch I'LL
go and have the papers drawn, and you
viii sign them, Captain Ireton: ! have
your passed wore that you will sign
them"
Aye; they will be signed"
He went away at that, and Tybee
entered. Much to my comfort, the lieu
tenant asked no questions; SO far from
it, he crossed the room without a word.
flung himself into the great chair and
left me to my own c~ommunings.
(Continued Next Weekly
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