The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1906-09-05

swear to it"
And, acting on q sudden impulse, ne
strobe over the rough ground TO meet one
whom he already called his guest and
Hubert Tenby's heart took a thrsb Of new
life as he saw that honest fellow stand
ing before him with ousstretched hands OF
welcome.
"I've been looking for you." Ben said.
II thought you would come, lad. /
thought as they'd never keep you shut
up after what you did that day. But
you're fair done. You walk lame; lean
on me. When you've had food you shall
tell me all"
The other man covered his face with
| his bands for an instant. When be looked
up there were tears in his eyes and an
expression of deep suffering in them also.
"Ah, friend" he said, ~unsteadily, your
words strike into my heart. There was
not one of my blood to speak like this
when my trouble came"
Ben Coop said nothing for a moment.
He sat and looked at the man before him
with an expression of deepest sympathy,
affection, and yet of doubt mingled on his
bronzed face. They strolled to and fro
for q few moments in silence; then HUI
bert Tenby spoke:
How long ago is it, Ben, since you
came away from the old village?"
LAY, but It's a long time. Going on for
night twenty-six years. l was just TWEEN
ty, earning q fine wage, too, sir, in the
mines"
What made you think of coming out
to this part?'
IL just drifted," Ben answered. When
I left the village l did not care much,
sir, which way my feet went. I loved
the old place. Just a few months be-
fore, if any one had asked me, Ben, lad,
come away and make a fortune I would
have laughed in his face. See how life
changes, sir. That was when I saw my
future, as / thought, in the little village
before l lost the girl I loved"
Hubert Tenby stretched out his hand
and rested it for a moment on the shout
der of the other man.
Death Is sad" he said, slowly, "and
yet it is not always the saddsst thing,
Ben"
"Ay, you're right there, sir, for 1t were
no death that robbed me of my joy. 1t
"do ouSA q SlLlDic SlOIy, L SuppOScy yet
it weren't very simple to me. l had built
the whole of my life's dream on my love
for my lass. We had grown up together,
sir she was the bonniest little soul mans
eyes could see. Fool that I was" Ben
said, bitterly, II never dreamed that 9TH
ers would look upon her as l looked, or
that she would find it easy to turn from
my love. Anyhow, sir, that's the story
of why I left the old place and came out
here"
Hubert Tenby said nothing, only his
hand rested a little more closely on Ben's
shoulder.
II was a little lad then, just between
seven and eight, happy as the day was
long, playing about in that old garden
and l had many a friend, too, IN the vii
lage, and, child as / was, l had paid more
than one visit down to the bottom of the
mine where you worked in the old days,
Life is full Of changes, indeed! Who
would have ever imagined that I should
have come to what I ami"
II don't listen to what the world says,
SIR" Ben answered. Tell me yourself,
just what happened. Put it in your own
words, and / will believe you-for, as ]
told you the first day I met you, l know
you to be an honest man"
1T Ia an ugly story" Hubert Tenby
said, his voice growing hoarse. II am
not going to deny that l did run a bit
Mid at Oxtord-it is rather hard, you
know, Ben, not to do as others do-and
OF being my fathers son-that is to say,
a man with unlimited money at his dis,
posal, and that is a bad thing to start on
1 had plenty, but / had not as much as
the others imagined, and what / had soOu
took wings to itself"
The young man paused and sighed.
How the money went l don't know
but go it certainly did; ana then came
disagreeables-for l was ashamed to ask
my father to pay heavy bills when he
made me such a fine allowance. My cous
in Gerald, who happened to be working in
Oxford as a private tutor at the ti~ae ]
was there, used to tell me | was a fool
What is the use he would say to me, 'oi
having a father who is simply rolling in
ncacy, and worry.- -c.- h-ain as you de
about finding a miserable few hundreds?
/ wish now, Ben, l had let his advice
urge me to go to my father"
HE must be older than you sir, BY
a considerable few years, this Mr.. Ger
aid Tenby," said Ben. Il mind him per
fectly. he used to come to Mill Cross
Court and stay there. He was not Liked
in the village" Ben said, dryiy. 1.-THE
folk said he had a tight hand and a cum
ming eye. He took that from his father
Many a time l have heard the old people
in the village marvel at the difference
there was between the head branch Of
the family and the other side. OF course
the money was with POUR father but nj
money could ever have put your father.
nature into his cousin Robert. Of course
Won remember him, sir?"
ZEE not :, III Tha tact II that tsar,