The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-06-25

sobbing as If her heart were breaking
| went In, and seating myself beside
her, took her hand. AS a rule / am
not given to a display of sentiment.
but believe on this occasion | per-
mitted myself 10 indulge in the lux.
ury. In something less than FIVE min
utes | knew everything, n a pitiful
tale IL was.
Over my brief, but important inter-.
view with the father half an hour later
| will, with your permission, draw a
veil.
"Confound it, Briggs" he growled..
You're as bad as that fellow Gains
borough. | ask you to stay, and two
or three days later you bolt off declar-
ing that you have important business.
1t isn't very complimentary to my hos
pitality.'
/ gave him my most positive assur-
ance that the business which neces-
STATED my sudden departure was of
such a nature that ii would admit of
no delay; but that | hoped 10 come
back again as soon as il was complet-
ed. Somewhat Modified he permitted
me 10 depart, and an hour later l was
on my way to town on one of the
most curious errands l fancy it has
ever fallen TO the lot of a lovelorn
man TO execute.
Having arrived in the city / hailed a
cab and Grove to a certain club where
! expected to find the man ! wanted.
My lucky. or u%nlucky, star as you may
please TO call il, was in the ascend
ant. for he had just arrived. That he
was surprised to see me admitted of
no doubt.
What on earth has brought you to
town." he cried, throwing down the
paper he had been pretending to read.
Il have come to see you," | replied.
u want TO have a little conversation
with you"
Not about Muriel,' he answered.
There is nothing to be gained by 1t
and it car only mean pain for both of
u.s."
Wait till you have heard what I
have 10 say to you. | presume there
is not doubt as to the stability of your
affection for Miss Beverley"
Look here, Briggs, | can't tell what
you are driving at, but don't you think
it's a trifle hard on a man to hit him
when he's down? | have loved that
girl ever since I was a boy, and l
shall continue to do so till the end of
my life. If had been rich, ! might
have been able to marry her; but as
| am only a poor fellow with no pros
pects-'
She marries me? Yes. / see the
position exactly. Well, as it happens,
/ had a talk with the young lady this
morning. If ! were a vain man l
should not have been fattered by
what she said TO me-but as | am only
an ordinary commonplace individual I
to you. Is it true that you are clear
ing out of the country"
Quite true he answered. Il en-
gagged my ticket three days ago"
And what do you propose doing
now?" | asked.
II shall try my luck somewhere
else"
Very good. In the meantime, how.
ever, you will marry Miss Beverley"
| heard him gasp and he turned I'M
deniably pale.
What do you mean?" he asked in a
husky voice. rs this one Of your
iokes?"
NO. l replied, but you may call
It so. if ii gives you any satisfaction"
well, if it is, it is one that | am
unable to appreciate. | am not very
keen on that sort of humor myself.
Even if she we're not engaged to you,
how could | marry her? You know as
well as / do that | am as near poverty
as a man can well be and manag to
KEEP his head above water. Besides,
knowing how fond you are of her, is
it likely you would give her up to
me?"
MY dear Gainsborough, when a
young lady tells me to my face that
her affections are bestowed elsewhere
and that she is only marrying me for
the sake of her family, j should be less
than human, if / were to accent such
a sacrifice at her hands. Therefore
WIN the pest grace j can muster, i
yield to circumstances and resign her
to the more favored sutton"
my goodness, Briggs, you are a
man!-but it is impossible for me to
accept"
"In which case you will break her
heart. The poor child loves YOU"
But I tell you | have no money"
well, / have a proposition to make
you. You have doubtless heard that
Briggs Patent-Long- Burning Candies
according to the advertisements-il-
lumine the world. Well, there's n
part of it in which they burn to a con.
siderable extent, and that is in the
salubrious atmosphere of the Argen-
tine. have a big h~orse-farm there
and / am on the lookout for a man
ager. AS a cavalry man you ought to
know something about horses. Marry
the girl of YOU heart, will take care
that the father offers no objections,
and go out. II all depends upon your
self then whether you are happy or
not"
The silly fellow got up from his
chair, tried to speak, but could not ut
tn L. A>l 80 ~ khA