The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-02-28
BY Tom Gallon.

Stop, stop" he cried, hurriedly
Not a word of this to a soul, little
mother, not a word. Don't you see
the position In which | stand? My
brother is dead: / have upon me al
the present moment, his clothes, his
papers, his valuables. Good heavens.
little mother, I've traded on his name
and on his appearance: am mixed w
in | know not what shady things con
corning him. Turn to any living soul
about here tonight, ave yourself, and
tell my story. They will laugh you to
scorn; will deride your boy, who's
come back from the grave. Don't you
see that their first question would
naturally be, If you are not Dandy
Chater-you who wear his clothes,
and use his name, and hide by night
because of his sins--if you are not the
/ man, where is he?' And, heaven help
me, what am | to answer them?"
Betty Siggs seemed altogether non
plussed, and could only shake her
head. Philip, with his arm about her
did his best to cheer her up again.
Come, you mustn't be ~downheart-
ed; I'll pull through somehow or 9TH
err" he said. But for the time l must
keep out Of the way. Every day | am
getting nearer to the truth about my
brothers death; every day | seem to
+ see my way more clearly. But | don't
wdnt to be accused of his murder, for
they might say, with perfect Justice,
that | murdered him, the better to
take his place. No, | want to track
down the real man; when that time
comes I'll call on you TO speak. Until
! then, you must be silent as the grave
Il can't can't!" cried Betty Siggs.
us my dear boy to come back to me
after all these years, n am | to see
i'm united an drove like this ere, by
a mere common Tokely, an say moth
ing? Not mel" Betty Siggs folded
her arms, and nodded her head with
much determination.
Little mother-little mother!' he
exclaimed, "do you want to ruin me?
Do you want TO undo all that | have
tried so hard to bring about? Shall l
tell you something more-something
to be hidden deep in that good heart
of yours. and never breather TO any
one? Betty you dont
mind my calling you Betty, do you?
/. bave you ever been in
love?"
"P'r'aps you'd like to ask Toby, as
is a-snorin' is cad off upstairs this
very minute retorted Mrs. Siggs,
with a very becoming blush. In love,
indeed
Well, then, you will understand my
difficulty. I'm in love, little mother
and with the sweetest girl In all the
world. But even in hat my ill-luck
dogs me, for she believes that her low
er is Dandy Chatter, whom she has
known for years; If she once heard
that she had whispered her words OF
love and tenderness and sympathy to
a stranger, do you think that she
would look at me again? Little moth
err, it's the maddest thing in the world;
because, IL she has any regard for me
as Dandy Chatter, she knows me for
everything that's bad and vile-food
ONLY for the common hangman, while,
on the other hand, as Philip Chatter,
| am a stranger, and farther from her
than ever. In any case it is hopeless;
vet. knowing that whatever sympathy
she has is given to Dandy Chatter, III
be Dandy Chatter to the end, whatever
that end may be. And even you, little
mother, shall not change that purpose.
So don't talk about It,"
She recognized, however unwilling
ly, that what he said was true; al
though she cried a little-partly for
ioye OF him, partly in terror at his
danger-yet she was comforted by the
feeling hat all the sad years of mourn
ing were swept away. and that the boy
she had reared and loved had fulfilled
her most sanguine expectations, and
had grown to the manhood she had
pictured for him.
He got up and took her tenderly In
his AIMS again to say good-by. 1T
won't be long, little mother" he said.
before | come again to you, and take
my place in my fathers home. But
for the present l var you to swear to
me-to swear to me on something you
love %well--that you will not betray my
secret. Betty. for the love of your boy,
swear to me that you will not betray
me-will not take from me the love
of the woman who is more to ms h
anything else in the wide world.
Swear to met"
With tears in her honest old eyes
she drew his head down and kissed
him. "In swear to you. Phil" she
said. by that!"'
He ran out into the darkness. and
left her standing. in the light OF the
candle. In the little parlor.
CHAPTER XIV.