The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-08-20
CHAPTER X. Continued,
SILAs K. HOOKING.

" - 1OI hhth
self into a corner of IA ~second-class
carriage. He could not afford to
travel frstyclass. 1t was mira dig. for
q Mawgan to travel third. He made
n honest attempt to read. His eyes
wandered slowly down the printed
page He ever turned a leaf accession.
ally, put IN reality he read nothing.
His brain was in a tumult. II was
easy to an attitude OF indif-
yference;u easy to vow all sorts Of he
roic things; but to be absolute mas
ter of himself was quite another mat
ter. fireup '~7 2" l"n7
! He met his mother and sister with
a bright and jaunty air, kissed them
both af~fectionately, declared hat he
was glad to get home again, and that
he hated having to take journeys in
the Twfntern tH
Il suppose you have heard nothing
}of Marion West?" Esther inter-
{rogated.
my dear Esther" he said, laugh
;lngly, how vas | likely to hear any
thing of herr"
"Of course, he can have heard
nothing of her. her mother inter-
rupted; "and why should he want to
hear anything of herr"
81 want to hear, IL he doesn't"
Esther answered. "To me her silence
Is quite unaccountable."
"She may have written, OF course"
was the answer; "it is no unusual
thing for letters to get lost" and then
the subject was allowed to drop for
the moment.
But aftey dinner, when Clement had
betaken himself to the library for his
evenings smoke, Esther left her
mother and Joined him.
LOOK here, Glenn" she said. Il
don't understand you a little bit"
"No?" he questioned, looking up
with a smile.
"On the night Marion went away
you were quite anxious about her"
"She went away in the morning. |
believe
Don't be silly. You know how the
telegram upset you, and how you de-
clared that If any harm befell her you
would blame yourself for not persuad-
ing her to write earlier"
,'But | am not aware that N harm
has befallen her"
NO doubt, Esther; but there are
thousands of young people IN similar
circumstances"
"That does not meet the case. Why
were YOU so worried four or hye
nights ago. and why are you so mar
ferent to-day?"
II am not so Indifferent as you sug-
gest. But what can we do? She Is
nothing to us. We did our duty 10
her. surely. She vent away In pur'
suance OF the end she had in view. Ii
she does not choose to write to US
we'll and he shrugged his shout
ders significantly.
Esther said no more. She felt that
her brother had the best of the argu-
ment. but her anxiety was not lessen
ed In n degree. If 1t had been well
with Marion she felt sure she would
have written. 1t was because II was
iii with her that she kept silent.
On the morning but one following
Esther was the first down 10 break
fast. The old butler had already sort
ed the letters and laid them on the
table. Esther seized her letters the
first thing and glanced at h adj
dresses: then, with a little gasp, she
tore open one OF them and began to
read. AS she did SO her eyes dilated
considerably and a deep wave OF Grim
son swept over her face. The letter
was from Marion West, and had no adj
dress save the word London" on the
top OF the page.
IT would like to say Dear Miss
Mawgan,'" the letter began, but |
feel | have no right to use such words,
Your brother will have told you who
I am. and the daughter of the man
who robbed your father must be hate
full in your eyes. | did not know 1t
when I was sheltered under your roof.
I made the discovery after left. Had
you known I think you would have
been kind, for God made you good,
Had I known I should have hidden my
face in sorrow and shame. / have
ached to write to you, but feared you
would not read my letter. I have
wanted TO tell you that | am not un'
grateful, that the child OF Dick West
can appreciate a kindness and will
never forget 1t. l am not asking for
pity, | am only trying to perform a
simple duty. You will not see me
again. In this great city l am swal
lowed up and lost. Its roar Is in my
ears as I write, and its voice is like
the voice of doom. How grateful I shall
be when the struggle is over! Yours
in undying gratitude,
Marion West"
Esther's cheeks were almost deathl,
pale by the time she had finished the
letter, and her eyes were full of tears
For several moments she stood quite
still with the open letter IN her hand
then she folded 1t quickly, put 1t bach
into the envelope, and hurried out o.
the room. She wanted time to think
time 10 recover herself. The letter
was a revelation to her In more ways
than one. She understood now-ol
fancied she did--the change in hel
brothers manner. Marion had writ