Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1908-06-04

not afford to take you. Besides, you
will be lot better off here; there are
| dozen places open to you"
Il shall find my way back to ole
Kentucky when you's gone" Dinah
sobbed. "Ill die In my native LAM"
you will be able to make much
more money by remaining here Mari
on said, encouragingly. But Dinah
shook her head contemptuously, as
though money was of no account with
her.
Marion scarcely slept wink during
her last night at Odero. She felt APP
palled at the thought of facing the
world alone. Hardship she did not
fear; change and even poverty she had
been accustomed to. It was the lone
Illness and friendliness she shrank
from. Heretofore she had always her
father to lean upon, and though he
had been anything but an ideal parent,
still. he was strong and resourceful
and OF unfailing courage. Ways and
means she had never considered; her
life had been shaped for her; her faith
er decided where they should live and
how long they should stay.
This was. true still in a sense. She
was going away to England at his be-
hest but she was going alone and
without his protection Going to a
place she had never seen and to people
she had never heard of till week
ago, and she shuddered with misgiv-
ings at what she might find at the
end.
She had never been blind to her
fathers sins His acquaintance in
the main had been men she could not
tolerate. What if this Mr.. Mayhem
should be man of the same stamp?
What II she had been committed to
the tender mercies Of a man without
moral sense or scruple?
r Try as she would she could not
shake off the fears and misgivings
that oppressed her. She was not sor-
ry to get away from Odero. She had
never loved the place or the people.
She had pinned for the rennements Of
life-which at an earlier time they
frequently possessed-all the time she
had been there. Nevertheless she
shrank from the terrible and unex-
plored unknown that lay before her.
1t was a raw, gusty October morn
ing when she climbed into the dill
gence which traversed every other day
the dreary and uncultivated spaces be-
tween Odero and Beaver City. Quite
crowd Of people came to see her off
and say good by. Adam Black put a
small parcel into her hands. IA little
token of goodwill" he explained,
from those who knew your father"
Dinah sat on a tree stump little way
off and sobbed as though her heart
were broken.
There were only two other passen-
gers, and they rode on the outside.
The driver climbed to his seat with an
air. of great Importance, and after two
or three nourishes Of his long driving
whip he gave the signal, and the
horses started forward at a gallop.
Marion leaned out of the window
and waved her hand to Dinah and the
rest; then sank back into her seat
and yielded herself up to the luxury
OF. a good cry" So began journey
that was destined to end so fatefully
less than three weeks later.
The steamship Nebraska sighted
land early in the afternoon. A little
after sunset she passed the Lands
End and proceeded cautiously up chan
mel. An hour later her engines were
working ut half-speed and nearly
every officer on board was on the look
out.
Marion West had been on deck near
IL ever; since the Cornish coast came
into sight. She had watched with
curious interest the rugged cliffs grow
more and more distinct, then fade
away into the darkness. $500
She was much more sorry than glad
that her long Journey was SO nearly
at an end She had enjoyed the whole
OF her trip from West to East. Monot-
onous as it had been In many re-
spects, there had not been lacking ell
emants Of novelty which Frightened
and gave interest to the passing hours.
s6st al NlOulI0hI d11U SSuSU0V SIC kAA0O : .
newsd her acquaintance with the life
and movement OF big cities and had
been able to make some very neces-
sary purchases. The Ave twenty
lar gold pieces which she found in
Adam Blacks parcel came In very
handy. and she enjoyed her shopping
expedition all the more In consequences
Of this addition to her small fortune.
Her hrst experience Of the sea was
marred at the beginning by stormy
weather: but she quickly got used to
It. and after the hrst two days enjoyed
at immensely. q
The Atlantic ocean was quite . rev
citation TO her She had often read
about the sea, often pictured It in her
imag alton. but the reality far out
|sdistanced ali her dreams. Ito strength.
slts immensely, It's strange md passion
ate maods, filled her with q kind of
Sexaltatlon. She spent every possible
minute on deck, and never tired ot
watching its ceaseIess rise and fall
There were Sewer than nifty passsn,
/ eers On boa smber - not usu
lazy : month that poop choose +