The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-10-04
CHAPTER XIV

L " dn tdII lnSltdu u u IuIlt I.
as j~oyfully as if the whole Of her life
was planned for ease and ~laainess in
stead of hard work; as happily as if for
tune had poured into her lap all that
the earth can give OF the heart can de-
sire. The bells rang out over the whole
great parish. They were echoed along
the black precipice of Lustleigh Cleeve,
and were lost in the woods of Latchell.
They beat into the ears of the lonely old
man who sat in his parlor at Grafton,
l is papers before him, trying to persuade
himself that he was happy Mt last, for
he had what the Psalmist prayed for
his hearts desire. He had longed ardent
ly for the lands Of Sidcote. He had that
land now within his grasp; the place in n
few weeks or months would be his; and
not only that, but iye-sixths of Mary's
fortune as well. He ought to have been
a happy man.
Mary had left him for three weeks
only already he had found the differ
ence between hired service and the SER
vice of love. Every day, and all day
long, he had turned to Mary for every
thing, and never found her wanting,
Now nothing was r~ight--not even the
RONANlOh Va hiS Nh1iA hhh VI Nb'
Of his cushions, or the
comfort Of his meals; and nothing would
would ever be right again. Perhaps il
would have been better if he had given
his consent, and suffered George to re-
deem his land, aud so kept Mary.
'Uncle'-it was David who came in
slowly, and sat down with deliberation
the wedding is over. ] have just
come from the church. There was q
rare show Of people-most as many as
on a Sunday morning"
"Ase they married?"
Eyes, they are married. | wouldn't
make quite sure till / saw it with my
own eyes. Married without your con
sent. aren't theyY'
Certainly. They have married with
out my consent"
'"rhen, Uncle Daniel, since they are
married without your consent, I'll trouble
you for six thousand pounds-my aunt's
legacy Of six thousand pounds-with
compound interest for six years at five
per cent. 1t mounts to f7,657 lbs Sd.
l nave been to a lawyer at Newton-Ab-
bot end he calculated it for me. You
lent me. two days ago. a thousand
DbbbdSs W AZ a luhI IN aN1ONlAit VI Nht
legacy, because you knew then that the
bans were up and the wedding fixed. The
balance you will pay over at once. Other
wise my lawyer will bring an action
against you. Halloo! uncle, what's the
matterg'
You took a thousand down, David,
In full discharge. 1t was an arrange
ment. / owe you nothing"
Uncle, you are n man of business, /
believe. What arrangement do you
mcan?"
you told George in this room that
there was such an arrangement. You
set him against me with telling him that,
David
Where is the arrangement Where
are your papersT'
David! David!'' He fell back in his
chair. He had tainted.
David went to the sideboard and got
some medicine. When his uncle recov-
cred he gave him a few drops.
You are simpler han | thought. un-
Gle" he said. did you really believe
that ! was going to give up this fortune.
and to you-to you, of all men in the
world-when | knew all along that they
would marry without your consentY"
David, you are a demon!'
II I'm what you made me-"
David! David.'' he moaned and wrung
lis hands, tell me you are joking"
Not /. See now, uncle. am going
away. l shall sell you the rest of your
coupons. and | shall go away; but be-
fore ! go ! will have that money out of
you, to the last farthing. 1t is not for
myself, though; it is for NM, You
thought 10 cheat her out of her fortune.
and to keep it to yourself; well, you are
wrong. You shall pay far more to me
than you would have paid to her, and she
shall have il ALL"
"You are killing me-oh! villain. VII. /!
lainr'
.sThe villain is the man who lays his
plans to rob and plumber the helpless"
Kill me at once!" said the old man:
''kill me and have done with mel"
"Kill you? Not L; killing would be
foolish with such a chance as I've got
now for revenge! As for villain-who
robbed me Of my land? You. When I
went away. who refused me the small
sum / waited TO start me in Canada?
You! When l came home. who offered
me the a Of n laborer? You. VIII
lain? You dare to call any man a vii
lain!" David bent over the old mans
chair with flaming eyes and purple |
cheeks. his hands held back lest he should
be tempted to kill him. There was the
same fury in bis look as when. six years
before, he stood before him with uprais-
ed cudgel on the moor. And when he
had said all he had to say-for this was
not oil, only the rest was incoherent with
splutterings and oaths-he rushed fron
the room, as If he could not bear even
TO be in his uncle's company.
And then the old man was left alone
again. The wedding bells were, silent,
and conscience left him alone to his own
reflections. When the new housekeeper