The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-06-29
to tina lady than the Honorable Mel, quite

liked.
Barbara found Sill George a distinctly
if rather ordinary sort of man, |
and as for the fact of his being a bachelor,
that affected her neither one way nor the
other, even il she ever gave 1T a thought.
She never quite knew what prompted
her to sit out that last dance with him.
Suffice 1t to say that. wearied by her pre-
vious eXertions, she had suffered herself
to be led away, and that the next thing
she realized was that the baronet was
pouring out pr-otestations Of eternal love,
with an narnestness that at once startled
and repelled her.
yexed that he not known OF her po-
stdon and ne with herself for having
behaved to him IN such a manner as to
justify the course he had taken, h was
about to disillusion him in a few we'll
chosen words when the sound Of approach
ing footsteps we'll upon her ears.
"a terrible thing" came IN h deep
tones Of a man. The workings are food
ed. Mines no earthly use now /. . .
Poor old Ralston. I'm afraid he'll never
survive it. Poverty comes hard 70 men
like hint"
No more; tho voices passed out OF ear
shot. Stunned and dazed. Barbara tried
to realize h It was that had happened.
Gradually out of the whirNng chaos OF
ideas her mind grasped the salient fact
that with her lay the choioe-of poverty.
witt its mean surroundings. or of wealth.
With all that rnokes life worth living. Pow
etty, want, WEAKNESS; the cramped stuff
ness of rooms In q suburban street; the
hideoue ALTERATION of a life Of endless
toll. The prospect sickened her.
Her mother, too; how could she tell her
that it had all come to an end? That the
future held nothing for them but
was gray and gaunt and sordd. Oh, the
unspeakable horror of it!
Dearest" murmured the low, per-
%suas.ve voice at her side, may I take
silence for c~onsent?'
bered. Neil bowed her. Before all the
beautiful women of his own set he had
chosen her-the little actress. She could
bring him nothing-nothing-but her
beauty. her purity, and her love; his was
the sacrifice. And she did love him? Oh,
yes, yes! more than anything; more than
al the wealth and luxury the wid world
held; more than life itself!
"Oh no, MOI" she breathed. '.Sir George,
1 am deeply conscious of the honor you do
me. but-oh-it cannot bel" And then In
q moment she was up and speeding from
him as a wild thing fees from the foot of
man.
"Oh. Neil, Neil!"-she was sobbing in his
arms-"don't let it make any difference,
dear. We are young, and we can work;
and oh, my darling, / want you more than
anything. Poverty doesn't matter If I
nave you"
Ie The flooding OF the mine did not prove
such a serious affair after all; being, as a
matter of fact, confined to a single work
ing and a disused one at that. Also, when
four men met in conclave in the hall H.
brary, some things were said which threw
a somewhat startling light on the occur
renee in question. Two of the number
were we'll known sporting characters, the
third was Sir George Meldrum, and the
fourth was the earl himself.
"All I've got to say" remarked one OF
the former, us that the flly came out OF
the test we'll. You should have seen hel
jump though when Charley, here, laid i
on thick about the poverty"
Nothing like a trial to bring out the
quality, is there?" he said.
There isn't" agreed Sir George. But
with a comical grimace-'I half wisl
she'd disappointed vol Ralston, after all
1 could have done with her myself"
"You." Laughed the earl. "She's heap!
too good for you. Look here, boys; tina
%youngster of mine has hooked a treasure
I'm sure of it now; and although it's cos
me over thirty pounds to flood that blesset
working 1 don't regret it,"