Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-08-10

4 w tDlD b'A "SiA aN"N"
have been raised one pound a year
their rents, not their wages; those arc
the aborers employed on FOUR estate
the hewers of wood and the drawer,
Of water-the poorest, the mos
wretched class of mem"
THAT Is not Blantyre's fault. YoI
would revolutionize society" he said
interested In spite of himself by the
passion OF her words.
Il know 1t is not all Blantyre's
fault. IL one Of the children of q
household goes wrong, it Is not the
hired servant who is to blame, but the
father and mother. / know 1t is not
Blantyre's fault; but at the great day,
when the wasted lives and the broken
hearts of these people cry out for
vengeance, we shall know whose fault
1t as"
He stood perfectly still, listening in.
tently.
Have you finished, Hlldred?' he
asked.
YES" she replied. "AIl that 1 say
is In vain; therefore 1 will say no
more
She did not wait to hear what reply
he would make-it would have been
better had she done so-but swept
from the room.
1t was a humiliation for her when
Mary Woodruff came again to tell her
that she had failed in her mission
that, eve at her solicitation, the earl
had refused the little boon she asked.
She would have given much IL she
could have shown even to this poor
widow some proof Of his desire to
please her-but she could not.
She was one of those prople who
never defer a d~isagreeable duty. She
sent that same day for the poor crea-
ture, who came trembling for the fate
Of herself and her children. Lady
Caraven received her very kindly, but
entered at once into the matter.
II am sorry to tell you" she said,
"that I have failed. Lord Caraven
does not feel inclined to forego the
rent"
1T is not my lord" cried the WON
an. Il know 1t is not. 1t is Mr.. Blan-
tyres fault; be said / should and must
pay. But I cannot, my lady; l have
not tine means"
II have thought it all over" said
Lady Ca-s-an. 4 cannot get the cot
tage rent-free for you, but I can pay
the rent. I will give 1t to you every
month. but 1t must be on the condi-
ton that you tell no one. Lord Cara
ven might be ~displeased If he heard
of It."
1t was humiliating at first to her to
give charities unknown to her hus-
band, and then to beg that they might
be kept secret. The gratitude OF the
poor woman In some measure compen-
stated her and made her feel less mis-
cradle.
But, though Lord Caraven nae
laughed and sneered and spoken an
grily. he had not forgotten his wife's
words. Not for the world would he
have owned II. or that they a made
the feast impression OF him-on the
contrary, he was, IL possible. more
brusque and abrupt, quoted Blantyre
more frequently and talked more than
ever OF what he would do with the
tenanrs-yet her words haunted
him. They seemed to be written In
letters Of FIRE, let him turn his eyes
whittier he would.
One OF the earl's most Intimate
fr~iends--one, indeed, who knew all his
anairs-was Sir Arthur Oldys; and
Mildred overheard him, quite by
chance, one day laying a heavy wager
with a young lieutenant. She looked
at him calmly.
"Sir Arthur" she said, II do not
consider that il quite fair; Lieutenant
Hilstone has no chance. You know
nor than he does when you lay such
a wager-you know that you will win
1T"
She never forgot the sneer with
which he turned to her.
"Lady Caraven," he said. permit
me to offer you my congratulations.
You understand money matters almost
well as your talented father"