Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1908-08-20
.sIL Y K. HOOKING.

ten TO MIN and ne ynad kept tne leIleTs
a secret: but the knowledge had turn
ed his interest in her to Indifference,
perhaps to contempt.
She rather admired him for his
silence. Her mother. II she knew,
would be terribly upset, and 1t was
just as well she should be kept in ig-
norance.
But he might have told me-" she
said to herself, with a frown. ''He
knew how anxious was, and how
fond Of the child had become"
Then troubled expression came
into her eyes, and she went to the
window and looked out on the rain
sodden lawn.
DO care less for her now?" she
said to herself rs she less worthy
because her father was not good
man? Is she to be punished for what
was done before she was born? If
she were to come to me now through
the wind and rain, would refuse to
take her in?''
The tears came into her eyes again
and her lips trelbled in spite of her
self
81 don't care what her father was"
| she said to herself, resolutely. "She
! is a lovely girl and worthy of any
body's affection, and If had it in my
| power she should never be friendless
or lonely
She heard the dining room door
open and shut. Clement had come
down stairs, and most likely her moth
err also. She would have to go in to
breakfast and hide her excitement as
best she could.
Both her mother and Clement look
ed up from their letters as she enter
4 ed and greeted her in the usual fash
ion, but they were too interested in
! their correspondence to pay any at
4 tention to her.
The meal proceeded very largely in
silence. Mrs. Mawgan grumbled at
! the weather, which she usually did,
| whatever it might be. Clement re-
4 marked that they did not ordinarily
/ have long days of sunshine in Decem
i Der Esther suggested that they
ought to be grateful for comfortable
| rooms and warm fireside and suf-
I ficient to eat and drink This led to
some "reminiscences of an earlier time
on the part of Mrs. Mawgan, and
i then silence fell.
Directly breakfast was over Glenn
4 ent retired to the library and shut the
door. He was very miserable and ne
4 grew daily more depressed. The
4 weather was cherries in the extreme
4 The rain was coming down as though
lit never intended to cease again. The
wind moaned through the bare trees
4 from morning to night and from night
to morning with steady and aggra-
4 waiting persistence. The sun refused
4 to; show his face even for a moment.
Wheeling round his easy chair in
4 front of the fire he unfolded his news
& paper and began to scan its pages.
Suicide through despair!" was. the
Il first headline that arrested his atten-
ton. A young girl, having lost her
q situation and having tried in vain to
& get another, had to choose at last be
. tween death and dishonor and had
a chosen the former. In the darkness Of
q a rainy December night she had
u thrown herself Sover Westminster
n bridge. A note found in her pocket
4 told all the sad story.
s. 1t was a common enough tragedy
]. and no words were wasted in describ
ing 1t. Such things were happening
!. l$every day, and would continue to hap
4 pen while the present social order re
4
!, strong came to the top, the weak wen
L Ito the wall, and SO keen was the
struggle for existence that very few
! had tear to waste for those who fell
Clement laid the paper on his l1ne.
!, and stared into the fire, and as; he dis
II so a face came up before him, sweet
~ and fair, and innocent--the face o
Marion West. What was to becom
II vi of her? Would she see her little boar,
!. grow less and less till all was gone
81 Would she, friendless and alone, hav
to tramp the dreary streets with non
I to pity? Would she, in Christian
!. ! city and in a Christian age, be face
s BY an alternative like that Of which h
81 had just read? Would she be foun
: at last In the stoze OF the river, o.
worse still lin the ooze of the streets
He almost writhed as these thought
& passed through his mind, and spasi
I q OF pain swept over his face,
sass.s Slowly but surely the conyictlo
\. Il was rooting Itself in his mind tn,
=, = NsIarion West had come into his life
M staythat whether she lived or die
s, her influence would remain Eyt
6 since hesSfreceived her letter he hs
I been trying his best 10 forget her
!. nut her on of his life He hi
3 fought and struggled with all u
4 /, strength he possessed, and instead
- gaining the yietory he knew he "
81 steadily losing ground Her face "
cons tantly before him. the tones
her voice were never out Of his eal
ly liking OF dreaming she was ey
nees It'll him. II was a painful confessi
''s:, mi to make even to himself II she h
Sc been any one else the position Won
ID, A have been hunli liating enough. B