The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1907-06-29

tuAt must come IL L married Ethel she
| knew nothing of my hopes in that direc-
| ton, for marriage was subject l had
| studiously avoided; yet / felt that she
| ought to know. But before | could make
| up my mind to undertake the cruel task,
she had come back to my side again and
was nesting her cheek against my shout
| der.
do not tell me any more about her,p
she murmured. 1T gives me a pain
here" pressing her hand upon her breast,
land makes ne feel as if you were no
more my brother. l cannot bear to hear
| that she is so much to you because it
makes me think that l must be nothing,
and ! feel as if sharp knives We're run
ming into me. But though you have
known her SO long you have never lived
in the same cave with her, and she has
never worked with you scraping the sand
away with her hands and fighting to get
away from the water when it came in and
stopped the hole, and after all you are
| not her brother as you are mine, are you,
dear?"
| mo, that is true, Psyche" and think
ing that perhaps Ethel might never be
mine, resolved to be silent about 1t for
the present.
"You will leach me to dance and sing"
Psyche continued, coaxingly, mot a fool
isli song like mine, burt one with words,
like those you sing; and you will buy
me something to wear on my head, like
hers, and teach me to wear my hair so
that it may not be SEEN"
Eyes, Psyche, all In good time
I Yes, all in good time, dear" she
echoed. "She called me dear it is a
pretty word, isn't it?'
| There was a tear running down her
white cheek but her voice quivered with
| JOY in this reconciliation and spring of
hope.
1t was about two hours after the de-
| parture of Ethel. Psyche and / were at
the bottom of the garden, where she had
discovered a glowworm, and was marvel
ing over the little insect who carried q
star with him. when we were startled
by hearing knock at the front door. 1t
was a feeble knock, but distinct enough
| in the night silence. 1t was nearly eleven
o'clock. Who would call at such an
| hour? Clearly no one to see Mrs. Ben
ham. My suspicion pointed to a visit
from old Peter, who on some pretext
might have come to assure himself as to
my being an inmate.
| Some one has come to the house." |
said to Psyche, as the knock was repeat
ed. 81 must go and see who it is. Stay
| here"
| "1es, l will not go away again. You
will find me here when you come back"
l went up to the house and, passing
! by the side, peered cautiously out into the
| front garden. A man was standing by
the door in the full light of the moon it
was Sir Henry Duncan.
He came toward me holding out his
! hand when l showed myself. 1 was too
surprised to speak, but ! took his hand
| II was moist and cold, and trembled pal
pably as he put it into mine. For a mo-
ment he was client then he spoke in a
quick, unsteady voice:
1T is not the first time have had to
| apologize to :-ou, Mr.. Thorne," he said
| you know my weakness too we'll to re-
| quire an explanation. A weak man, a
weak man, led by uncomfortable impulses
! into action that leads to modification
and regret. sly aughter-Ethel-ha
| told me story so strange"-he hesitated,
| passed his hand over his brow, and then
| clasped the lattice-"so strange that 1t
| would pass belief If it were not supported
! by something you told me when we last
met--the story of young girl" His
voice sank so low that the last word was
hardly audible. Can sit down? l feel
faint"
led him into the back garden, and
IS he sank in the rustic seat his eyes
wandered in every direction.
"A feeble heart-the slightest emotion
upsets me-" lie exclaimed; you have
seen that in the past"
/ | offered to fetch some water, knowing
| that he never drank anything stronger
| lie declined, still looking from side to
side furtiveiy.
IL am better. 1t is gone.'' he said,
though his voice bclied him. Il was say
| ing. Mr. Thorne, | came to apologize to
you. When you told me of having found
! fortune | secuted it as the statement
Of mailman. Now that know that you
have been confined in, those caves, and
what has happened there, anything is
possible. l know something of the his
i tory of those caves-the land-slip that
| closed them, and so on. / intended after
hearing the strange story from Ethel to
call upon you tomorrow, but l found it
impossible to rest with this-this on my
mind"
1t. seemed to me that here was much
i ado about nothing; but his character had
always been 50 incompgehensible to me
that | was scarcely surprised by his I'M
necessary act Of selfhumliation.
II had anosher motive in coming here
pursued aa.er q pause. From what
.t.... tod iue | thought that possibly |