The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1907-07-06
CHAPTER XXI.

OF old PcteD carrying such contemptl-
bly, insignificant looking weapon as
modern revolver, otherwise i should have
feared that he shot | heard had been
fred by him, and that Sir Henry was
lit. / attributed the shot rather TO poach-
ers in Sir Heary's preserves, and his abb
scnce to the pursuit of them. All doubt
an to his safety was removed by his com
ing over to the cottage the following
morning. .
He was quite self-possessed; his man
ner. indeed. was almost apathetic as he
gave me his hand, and then dropped into
the seat on the lawn The only trace of
that agitation which had unnamed him
the previous night was in the haggard,
worn ANA old expression of his face; he
looked like gambler who has played
long and lost all.
There was shot in the park last
night" he began. You may have heard
it. | thought my daughter might be
alarmed and 50 went in. Quite as well,
you will say, seeing that l was not more
fit to be Mt large than maniac. She
knew what was the matter with me, and
brought me round as only she can,' he
repeated slowly, "as only she can One
OF these days, Mr.. Thorne, you may know
the value of my daughter Ethel; then,
should you be threatened with the loss of
her, you will understand my feeling. Fan
cy. il a man came insolently to you and
said he loved your wife and meant TO
take her from you If he could, how you
would feel toward that man; and If, in
addition to that, your wife admitted the
probability of being taken from you, how
would you feel toward the whole worldF
"You are speaking now of the love of
a man for his wife,
"Well, sir" he returned shaspE, may
not the love OF father for his daugh-
ter be as deep and strong as that OF
husband for his wife? The love ! bore
her mother is centereG in my daughter
all the love of my heart"
lie turned his back upon me for mo-
ment; then, glancing round the garden,
he asked:
where is. she--that other unloved
soul:"
| explained how she slept during the
day, being unable to endure the light af-
ter living SO long in darkness.
Twelve years without light or love"
he said, yisibly moved. "A month would
kill NE. She loves you, Ethel tells me-"
''That is only natural, rs she knows
meme but me-
1T never occurred to you that she
might be your wife,"
"uow could il occur TO me, loving your
daughter as | do?"
He knitted his brows as he buried his
face in his hand, his elbow resting on
his knee. Raising his head after min
xtes silence, ne said
1T isn't rigat that the girl should live
here alone with you~ | am not speaking
from any conventional consideration of
propriety. but with regard to the girls
future. You ale strengthening the tie of
affection which presently is to be snap
ped. You ought to weaken it, so that
when the shock comes it may not break
her heart"
II hope to find her family or friends;
until then she must stay with me-"
mot neces sarily," he said, his eye
brightening. Let her come to us. Ethel
is deeply interested in her. Let her dan
gerous affection for you be replaced by a
sisters love-"
with all my heart! / can wish
Psyche no greater happiness than to live
with yoar daughter"
1T would he 4 healthier lie FOR her,
h. continued, with growing excitement.
@,She would get to know the world she
Is to live In. We could take her abroad
while you are locking for her friends"
He looked eagerly into my eyes while
he made this proposition. There was a
wonderful change in the expression of his
fece: apathy had changed to keen inter
est. 1t was still a gambler face, but
AZ wore the look of one who sees the
way TO retrieve a fortune by poaching a
pigeon. For the first time doubt of his
honesty rose N my mind. l believe he
saw Il. for his eye quailed before mine,
and he rose, muttering something in n
deem self-deprecatory tone that | could
not catch. lie paced across the lawn
with his head h.nt. and when he returned
the evil look was gone from his face. As
be reseated himself again beside me he
said:
at wouldn't co, Thorne. understand
and sympathize with the girls feelings
more than you can believe. She must
not leave you at once like this. What
have you done toward finding her fam
ily?"
/ told him Of the advertisement | had
published and the answer received.
"You had no other answer" he asked.
.'No."
sAnd what do you propose to do now2'
Advertise again, If / find no further
notice taken OF the last. There may be
a letter at the postoffice now. l shall go
over presently and see"
Eyes, it's not unlikely. Some sharp
lawyer may see his way to making money
through 1t. The man who got rid OF the
,stsilG sod 10 OILY too Glad. one my